Alfred[macOS] -> Notion. URL custom-search defaults to opening the app?!

[Freda]

A lot of my workflow revolves around Alfred "custom search," and Notion.

 

E.g. I have many Alfred "custom search" keywords that resolve to links like this:

https://www.notion.so/username/029d9fddf4d34f62a13a56e174160c0d?v=9e866eed6b7f488cb8d1837d34d203c9

 

How it worked until recently:

1. I invoke Alfred and enter my keyword
2. The link above opens in my default browser

 

How it works now:

1. I invoke Alfred and enter my keyword
2. It opens the page I want, but in the Notion App, not the browser.  (The Notion app was not already open.)

 

What changed? How can I make it go back to the old way, i.e. opening Notion in a browser.  (Typing this, I realize I could delete the Notion app from my Mac. Is there a less drastic solution? I may still need the app for some use case, but I don't prefer it as my default.)

 

If I, the human user, cut and paste the above URL into the browser, it works fine, i.e. accesses Notion in the browser. Does not invoke the app. That's the same behavior I expect from Alfred, and got - until recently.  (Not blaming Alfred - presumably it was some macOS change. But I'd still like the old behavior.)

 

Thanks.

[FireFingers21]

@Freda The 3.12 update of Notion for Mac released earlier this month is the cause of the change you're seeing. From the What's New page under v3.12.0:

 

Quote

• macOS will now open Notion links in the app, bypassing the browser and the "redirecting to Notion" step. You can disable this behavior in your settings.

 

Make sure the app is updated to the latest version though, as v3.12.1 released a day later fixing an issue with that new feature.

[Freda]

Wow. I did not expect an answer to this one. This is a huge help. Thank you!!

 

Much as I love Notion, I consistently get the impression that it's run by children who do no testing, bug-fixing, customer interviews, or any of that boomer stuff.

[Freda]

Even after updating the app and toggling all the settings, my Alfred shortcut-links continued to open in the app, rather than in the browser.

 

Solution: I deleted the app from my Mac. Now links go to the browser.

 

Posting here for the next person to run into this problem.

[FireFingers21]

Using a Workflow would also have solved the problem. Connecting a Keyword Input into an Open URL Action can achieve the same result as a custom web search but with the added ability to choose which app it's opened with.