The study presents a numerical investigation of the effect of notch geometry on VIV for fluid flow over a circular cylinder. Three types of notches were simulated and compared against a smooth cylinder: rectangular notches, semi-circular notches, and triangular notches. All the notches had an opening of 0.1D but with different geometries. The body was subjected to a fluid (air) flow at 10,000 Re. The results showed that the presence of notches significantly increased the VIV response of the cylinder. Triangular notches induce the strongest increase in lift forces and result in a 20.80% increase in deformation. A Strouhal number closer to 0.2 indicates that notches aid in the shedding of vortices of the flow, and flow around triangular notches has the highest periodic vortices generation. These findings provide a geometric selection framework for design optimization, demonstrating how specific notch profiles can be utilized to modulate flow-induced loads and tune the structural response of cylindrical components in cross-flow environments.