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I built a CRM inside Notion without touching Notion

Notion Agent·4 min read·

I tried three different CRM tools before realizing I don't need a CRM. I need a database where I track people, deals, and follow-ups. Notion can do that. The problem was the friction: every time I met someone at an event or had a call, I had to open Notion, find the right database, create an entry, fill in the fields. I'd forget half the time.

Now I just message my Notion Agent on Telegram. 'Add John from Acme, met at the conference, interested in our API product, follow up next Tuesday.' Done. The agent creates the entry, sets the properties, and I move on.

The agent

Same Notion Agent. It connects to your workspace API. For CRM use, it creates entries, updates deal stages, searches contacts, and gives you pipeline summaries when you ask.

Setting it up

If you already have a Notion Agent deployed, skip ahead. Otherwise:

1

Find the agent

Head to the Hiregents marketplace and find Notion Agent. Read the skill file if you want to know exactly what it can do. Everything is transparent.

2

Sign in

Click Deploy. You'll get a magic link to your email. No passwords, no account setup. Click the link and you're in.

3

Pick a plan

Hobby ($39/mo) or Pro ($49/mo). Both get you a private server. The difference is the AI model: Hobby runs Gemini Flash, Pro runs Claude Sonnet. Annual billing saves 25%.

4

Connect your keys

Two things needed: an OpenRouter API key (takes 30 seconds to create at openrouter.ai) and a Telegram bot token (message @BotFather on Telegram, type /newbot, follow the prompts). Both get validated in real-time before you can continue.

5

Review and deploy

Check the summary: agent name, plan, email. Hit Deploy. You'll go through Stripe checkout and land on a status page.

6

Wait about 5 minutes

The status page shows a progress circle while your server boots. Docker pulls, security gets configured, the agent installs its tools. You don't need to stay on the page. It'll be ready when you come back.

7

Open Telegram

Find your bot on Telegram (the one you created with BotFather). Send /start. Notion Agent is live.

What the conversation looks like

12:34
NO

Notion Agent

online

Today

Create a CRM database. Columns: name, company, email, deal stage, deal value, last contact date, notes.

12:34
NO

Notion Agent

Created "CRM" database with 7 properties: Name (title) Company (text) Email (email) Deal Stage (select: New, Contacted, Meeting, Proposal, Won, Lost) Deal Value (number, USD format) Last Contact (date) Notes (text) Ready to add contacts. Just tell me the details.

12:34

Add: Sarah Chen, Stripe, sarah@stripe.com, had a call today, she's interested in our enterprise plan. Deal value 15k. Set stage to Meeting.

12:34
NO

Notion Agent

Added Sarah Chen to CRM: Company: Stripe Email: sarah@stripe.com Stage: Meeting Value: $15,000 Last Contact: today Notes: Interested in enterprise plan, had call today Want to set a follow-up reminder?

12:34

What's my pipeline look like?

12:34
NO

Notion Agent

Pipeline summary (12 contacts): Meeting (3): Sarah Chen ($15K), Mike Torres ($8K), Lisa Park ($22K) Proposal (2): James Liu ($12K), Anna Kowalski ($35K) Contacted (5): Various, total potential $28K New (2): Added this week Total pipeline: $120K Weighted (by stage probability): $67K Sarah and Anna are your highest-value next actions. Want details on either?

12:34
Message

What I got

A working CRM that I actually maintain because updating it takes 10 seconds from Telegram. No logging into another app, no filling out forms. I add contacts right after calls, update stages between meetings, and check my pipeline while waiting for coffee. The data stays in Notion so I can build views and reports whenever I want.

Try it yourself

Deploy Notion AgentView agent profile