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BTW vs Notion and spreadsheets for documenting AI work
Notion and spreadsheets are the do-it-yourself approach most teams start with. Here is how they compare with BTW, feature by feature, for keeping the record behind AI work.
In short
The do-it-yourself starting point
Notion and spreadsheets are flexible, familiar and quick to set up, which is exactly why so many AI teams start documenting their work there. The trade-off shows up as the work scales: every prompt, model, seed and decision is a field you fill in and maintain by hand, and nothing is captured for you. BTW is purpose-built for that record, so the recipe behind each shot is captured as you work.
Feature by feature
BTW next to Notion and spreadsheets
Each row is a concrete capability you can check. The left column is what BTW does; the right is the other option, with credit where it is due.
Capability
BTW
Notion or a spreadsheet
- Prompt, model and seed captured
BTW
The prompt, model and seed arrive attached to the asset through the browser extension, so the recipe is captured rather than retyped.
Notion or a spreadsheet
You add fields or columns for these, and you type each value in by hand for every asset.
- Version lineage kept
BTW
Every version stays linked to its shot in the order it was made, on the workflow canvas.
Notion or a spreadsheet
Versions live wherever you paste or upload them, and the link between attempts is whatever structure you keep up yourself.
- Hold, kill or final decision recorded
BTW
You set one version as final and mark the rest held or killed, and that decision stays on the shot.
Notion or a spreadsheet
You can mark status with a tag or column that you define and keep current yourself.
- References and rights status
BTW
Reference images attach to the shot with their rights status recorded next to them.
Notion or a spreadsheet
You can attach or link reference images and note their rights in a field you maintain.
- EU AI Act documentation
BTW
The prompt, model, references and decision behind each shot are documented by default, which is what Article 50 of the EU AI Act asks for from 2 August 2026.
Notion or a spreadsheet
There is no built-in AI Act record, so the structure and the upkeep are yours to design.
- One-click client handoff
BTW
You hand off the final in one click with its whole record attached: prompt, model, references, decision, author and time.
Notion or a spreadsheet
You share a page or a sheet, and the record is as complete as what you entered by hand.
- Search across prompts
BTW
Search runs across the prompts and records of every asset, across the tools you generated in.
Notion or a spreadsheet
Full-text search covers whatever you have typed into the document.
- Works on top of your existing AI tools
BTW
BTW sits above the AI tools you already use and captures from them, rather than replacing any of them.
Notion or a spreadsheet
It sits alongside any tool, since you copy the details into it yourself.
The honest part
When Notion or a spreadsheet is the right choice
If you want one flexible place to write, plan and track light project work, and you only occasionally need to note how an AI asset was made, a Notion database or a spreadsheet you maintain can be plenty. BTW earns its place when AI provenance is a routine, high-volume part of the work and you want the record captured for you rather than typed in every time.
FAQ
BTW and Notion, answered
- Can I not just track my AI work in Notion or a spreadsheet?
- You can, and many teams start there. It works well while the volume is low. The difference is that in Notion or a spreadsheet every prompt, model, seed and decision is a field you fill in by hand, whereas BTW captures the recipe with the asset through the browser extension and keeps the versions and decisions on the shot. Both hold a record; BTW is built so the record is produced as you work.
- Does BTW replace Notion?
- No. Notion is a general workspace for notes, docs and planning, and BTW does not try to be that. BTW is a focused layer for AI provenance that sits next to whatever you use to write and plan. Many teams keep Notion for documents and use BTW for the record behind each AI asset.
- Can BTW produce the documentation the EU AI Act asks for?
- Yes. The EU AI Act sets transparency and documentation duties under Article 50 that begin on 2 August 2026. BTW records the prompt, model, references and decision behind each shot by default, so that documentation is a byproduct of your normal workflow rather than something you assemble by hand in a separate document.
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