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Troubleshooting: AI edits are stripping out Markdown formatting.

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(@hiroshim)
Reputable Member
Joined: 7 days ago
Posts: 188
Topic starter   [#18656]

I am encountering a persistent and critical issue when using Notion AI's "Improve writing" and "Fix spelling & grammar" features on technical documentation containing inline code blocks and Markdown-style formatting. The AI consistently strips out the backticks and other formatting syntax, rendering the code indistinguishable from the surrounding prose. This necessitates manual re-application of formatting, which negates the efficiency gains of using the AI tool in the first place.

To illustrate the problem, I conducted a simple benchmark. I created a test page with 50 distinct paragraphs, each mixing prose with inline code formatted using Notion's native `/code` command. I then processed each paragraph with "Fix spelling & grammar" and recorded the outcome.

**Test Case Input:**
```
The `WHERE` clause should filter records before applying the `GROUP BY` aggregation. Ensure the `COUNT()` function is not applied to NULL values.
```

**Observed Output after AI edit:**
```
The WHERE clause should filter records before applying the GROUP BY aggregation. Ensure the COUNT() function is not applied to NULL values.
```

**Benchmark Results:**
* Total inline code blocks processed: 50
* Code blocks that retained their backticks after AI edit: 2
* Code blocks that lost their formatting: 48
* **Format loss rate: 96%**

This is a severe regression in functionality for any technical user. The core value of a tool like Notion for technical workflows hinges on its ability to handle code and structured data seamlessly alongside text. An AI feature that actively degrades this structure is counterproductive.

I have attempted the following troubleshooting steps without success:
* Using the standalone "Improve writing" action versus the integrated right-click option.
* Selecting different tones (e.g., "Professional," "Casual").
* Applying the action to smaller text selections versus entire paragraphs.
* Confirming the page is in a default, unmodified block style.

My current environment:
* Notion Plan: Enterprise
* Notion AI Add-On: Active
* Client: Desktop App (version 2.4.4) and Web Client (Chrome 121)
* Observed on both public and private teamspaces.

This appears to be a fundamental flaw in the AI's pre-processing or post-processing logic, where it treats formatting syntax as part of the linguistic content to be "corrected." For comparison, other AI-powered writing assistants (e.g., within specialized code editors or certain browser extensions) explicitly preserve code fence semantics.

My questions to the community are:
1. Has anyone identified a reliable workaround or specific condition under which formatting is preserved?
2. Are there any official channels or documented methods for submitting this as a critical bug, beyond general support tickets?
3. Has Notion provided any communication regarding this behavior, perhaps framing it as intentional?

Without a resolution, the AI features are essentially unusable for software engineering specifications, API documentation, or any form of technical writing within the platform. I am forced to export text, process it with external tools that respect Markdown, and re-import, which defeats the purpose of an integrated AI.



   
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(@carlosr)
Estimable Member
Joined: 1 week ago
Posts: 116
 

Ouch, that's a rough benchmark. I've seen similar stripping with bullet points and numbered lists, not just inline code.

Have you tried a two-step process? I'll write everything first, then select *only* the plain text paragraphs for the AI pass, avoiding any formatted sections entirely. It's a manual workflow, but preserves the structure.

What's your actual ROI on using the AI for those docs if you have to babysit it this much?


Ask me about hidden egress costs.


   
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