Why hygiene matters
A dashboard only reflects what is entered. Empty owners and dates make overdue lists lie. Regular checks keep the Matter Method's tests passable.
Prompts to adapt
| Gap | Prompt (example) |
|---|---|
| No lawyer | List open matters with no responsible lawyer. |
| No next step | List open matters with no incomplete action. |
| Undated actions | List actions with no due date, with their matters. |
| Unclassified evidence | List evidence entries with no classification or review status. |
| Unlinked time | List time entries not linked to a matter. |
These are examples for this page; edit the property names to match your workspace.
How to run a hygiene pass
- 1
Create a filtered view for each gap
These views are your reliable check.
- 2
Run the prompt as a cross-check
Compare with the views.
- 3
Fix the records
Edit them in the database.
- 4
Repeat monthly
As part of the review.
What it is not
It is not an agent that runs by itself unless you configure one in Notion, not a compliance audit and not a substitute for supervision. If you use Notion's custom agents, restrict them to the pages they need and review what they change.
Setting up a custom agent, if your plan has them
Where Notion offers custom agents on your plan, you can save a hygiene prompt, point it at specific databases and run it on a schedule. Keep the instruction narrow, such as report gaps in a page and never edit records. Review the first several reports against your filtered views before trusting it. Check Notion's current documentation, because agent features and limits change, and nothing in MatterOS depends on them.
Frequently asked questions
- Is there a hygiene agent in MatterOS?
- No; there are prompts and views you run.
- Can AI fix records for me?
- It can suggest changes; review before accepting any edit.
- How often should I check?
- Monthly, or weekly for active matters.
- Do I need Notion AI?
- The filtered views work without it.
About the author
Raghav Handa trained as a lawyer, then spent years building legal technology, from enterprise legal products to custom systems for law firms.
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