Key takeaways
- Notion shows no storage total, so you measure the workspace by exporting it from Settings > General > Export all workspace content and reading the unzipped size in MB.
- A workspace owner runs the export on desktop or web, chooses Markdown & CSV with files included, and has 7 days to download it after Notion's email arrives.
- The export contains only pages the exporting person can open, so private pages and restricted teamspaces are left out and the size is a floor for the whole workspace.
- You don't need to export anything to apply: have your approximate size, years of history and member count ready, and the data vendor anonymizes the records before any AI lab sees them.
01
What is Notion data, and why do AI labs and data vendors buy it?
The short answer
Notion data is the content of a company's Notion workspace: the pages, databases and uploaded files its team writes to plan and run the business. AI labs (companies that build and train AI models) and data vendors (companies that anonymize business records and package them for those labs) buy a copy because Notion pages are written by the people doing the work, and they link to the project records that each decision changed.
What a Notion workspace records
Notion is an app where teams write documents and build their own tables of information in one place. A company's workspace is its own private Notion, and it holds two main kinds of record.
- Page
- A document, such as a product spec, a set of meeting notes, an onboarding guide or a project plan. Pages can contain other pages and link to each other.
- Database
- A table where each row is a page with the same set of fields, such as a task list, a hiring pipeline or a content calendar. The linked page behind each row holds the free text.
- Teamspace
- A section of the workspace that belongs to one team and has its own access rules.
- Uploaded file
- A PDF, image or video attached to a page.
Why Notion pages teach an AI model something
An AI model learns by studying a very large number of examples and finding the patterns in them, and those examples are called training data. Public text rarely shows how a company really works. Notion pages do, because they hold the specs, notes and plans in the words of the people who wrote them.
The structure adds to the value. A decision recorded in a document can be tied to the database row for the project it affected, and a database exported as a table has consistent fields across thousands of rows. AI labs now want to train AI agents, software that carries out a job step by step, and an agent can learn from a plan how a task is scoped and from the linked records how it turned out. The mechanism is explained in AI training data: why AI companies want your company's data.
How Notion fits into a dataset
Notion is one of several apps in a company's dataset, which usually also includes chat, email and tickets. Companies are paid $100K to $2M or more per dataset, according to micro1, the data vendor we typically refer companies to. The price covers the whole dataset, not each app on its own, and what your data is worth explains what moves it.
02
Where does Notion show how much data you have?
The short answer
Notion shows no storage total anywhere in its workspace settings. The dependable measure is the complete workspace export: a workspace owner starts it from Settings > General > Export all workspace content, and you read the size of the downloaded file in MB. Enterprise workspaces can also count pages in Settings > Analytics.
How to measure your workspace
Because there is no built-in total, the export itself is the measuring tool. The steps below run it from a desktop or web browser, since the mobile apps cannot do this.
- Log in on desktop or web as a workspace owner. The Members tab in Settings shows your role.
- Open Settings in the sidebar and, under Workspace, select General.
- Select Export all workspace content and choose Markdown & CSV, keeping files and images included.
- Wait for Notion's email with the download link. Large workspaces can take up to 30 hours, and the link expires 7 days after it is sent.
- Download the file and note its size in MB. The size of the unzipped folder is the better figure, because text compresses well inside the ZIP.
Notion describes this procedure in its export guide.
What Enterprise analytics adds
On the Enterprise plan, Settings > Analytics has a Content tab that you can filter by Created on and export as a CSV, which gives a page count. Only workspace owners see every analytics tab, and the tracked history reaches back at most 365 days and begins the day the workspace joined Enterprise, as Notion's workspace analytics guide explains.
| Plan | What shows size | Upload limit per file |
|---|---|---|
| Free | The workspace export only | 5 MB |
| Paid plans | The workspace export only | About 5 GB |
| Enterprise | The export, plus Settings > Analytics > Content | About 5 GB |
Why the export size is a floor, not a ceiling
Notion skips any page the exporting person cannot open, such as another member's private page. If the person who ran the export cannot see every teamspace, the number understates the workspace. Uploaded files drive most of the size, so a workspace of mostly PDFs and videos will export far larger than one of mostly text.
03
What should you know about your Notion data before you apply?
The short answer
Have three facts ready: the size of your workspace export in MB, how many years the workspace has been in use and how many members it has. They go into the data manifest, the written summary of which apps hold your records, how many years each covers and roughly how much. Applying shares no data, and you don't need to run an export first.
The size in MB
Quote the size of the unzipped export folder when you have it, because it reflects the true amount of pages, databases and uploads better than the compressed ZIP. If the exporting person could not see every teamspace, say that the figure is a minimum.
The years of history
Look for the oldest page in the workspace, or use the month your company began paying for Notion. On Enterprise, the Content tab can be filtered by created date, although its data starts on the day the workspace moved to Enterprise.
The number of members
Count the members listed on the Members tab in Settings. If you have many guests, who are outside collaborators that usually see only a few pages, list them separately.
What you don't need to do first
You don't need to export anything to apply, and you don't need to clean or scrub the pages. The data vendor anonymizes the records before anyone else sees them, and nothing moves until a lawyer-reviewed license is signed. The application, the intro call and each later step are laid out in how to sell your company's data.
04
How do you export your full Notion history?
The short answer
A workspace owner opens Settings > General, selects Export all workspace content and chooses Markdown & CSV with files included. Notion emails a download link that expires after 7 days, and a large workspace can take up to 30 hours. The export holds only the pages that the exporting person can open.
Who can export
Start the export as a workspace owner with access to every teamspace you want included. Notion also lets a workspace owner switch on a Disable export setting under Settings > Security, so if the option is missing for you, ask an owner whether that setting is on.
The steps
- Check that the owner running the export can open every teamspace you intend to include. Private pages of other members are left out.
- Open Settings > General and select Export all workspace content.
- Choose Markdown & CSV. Pages become Markdown files, and each database becomes a CSV file plus a Markdown file for every page in it. Leave files and images included so the uploads come along.
- Follow the email link and download the ZIP before 7 days pass. Inside it, an index.html sitemap links to each exported page.
Formats and what each plan can export
A workspace can be exported as Markdown & CSV or as HTML. Notion has been phasing out whole-workspace PDF export, with the change scheduled to complete by August 31, 2026, so choose one of the other two. Individual pages can still be saved as PDF, as Notion's back-up guide notes.
What the export contains and leaves out
The export holds every page the exporter can access plus the uploaded files. Form views cannot be exported, and callout blocks come through as HTML inside the Markdown files. Comments can be included in HTML exports. Notion states that an exported workspace cannot be re-uploaded to rebuild the workspace.
Why you cannot schedule a backup
Notion says it has no built-in scheduled backup at the moment. Its public API can read pages and databases if a repeatable pull is needed, and Enterprise organizations can start exports through an admin API that is still in beta.
How long an export takes
Notion says a large workspace can take up to 30 hours. The link arrives by email, or in the in-app inbox if email notifications are off, and it works for 7 days.
Sources: Notion Help Center, Export your content, Back up your Notion data and Workspace analytics. Steps checked against these pages in November 2026.
05
What stays private when Notion data is licensed?
The short answer
The company decides which teamspaces are in scope, and the data vendor replaces names and other personal details with consistent stand-ins before an AI lab sees anything. The company keeps ownership of its workspace, and the license covers defined pages for a defined use.
You choose what is in scope
The exporting owner sees only the teamspaces they can open, so private pages and restricted teamspaces are not in the file unless you arrange for the exporter to open them. The data vendor also deletes records that are too sensitive to clean safely instead of anonymizing them.
Names are replaced before a lab sees them
Anonymization means replacing every detail that identifies a person, such as a name or an email address, with a stand-in that is the same every time it appears. The page still reads in order, so a lab can learn from it, but it no longer says who wrote it. The diagram shows one meeting note before and after.
The method, including what is deleted outright and how you review samples, is in how company data is anonymized for AI training.
Ownership and payment
Licensing gives the buyer limited rights to a copy, while the company keeps ownership of the originals. Exclusivity, permitted use and deletion are covered in data licensing. micro1 pays in full within 30 days of accepting the data, usually as a single payment.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Does the Notion workspace export include uploaded files?
Yes, as long as you keep files and images included when you start the export. Large uploads such as PDFs and videos usually make up most of the export's size.
Why is some content missing from our Notion export?
Notion exports only the pages that the person running it can open, and it skips things like other members' private pages. Have a workspace owner who can open every teamspace run the export.
How long does a full Notion workspace export take?
Notion says it can take up to 30 hours, depending on the size of the workspace. The download link comes by email and expires 7 days after it is sent.
Can we still export the whole Notion workspace to PDF?
No. Notion has been removing whole-workspace PDF export, with the change scheduled to finish by August 31, 2026. Choose Markdown & CSV or HTML instead; single pages can still be saved as PDF.
Do we need to export Notion before we apply?
No. The application takes about two minutes and shares no data. For the intro call you need a rough size in MB, your years of history and your member count. The full export is needed later, when the records are transferred after you sign the license.
Can we license only some of our Notion teamspaces?
Yes. The company chooses what is in scope, and private pages and restricted teamspaces stay out of an export unless you choose to include them.
What is Notion data worth to AI labs and data vendors?
Notion content is priced as part of a whole dataset, not on its own. Companies are paid $100K to $2M or more per dataset, according to micro1, and the price depends on the years of history and how completely the records show each job. What your data is worth explains the factors.
Bottom line
Know what is in Notion, then see what it is worth
You don't need to export anything to apply. Apply in two minutes, describe your records on the intro call, and micro1, the data vendor we typically refer companies to, prices the whole dataset and sends an offer 1–2 days later.
Not legal, tax or financial advice. Figures come from micro1's published pages and public reporting as of November 2026.