Notion is a powerful productivity app that lets you create, organize, and collaborate on various types of projects. One of the most useful features of Notion is its ability to create databases. Databases are collections of data that can be displayed and manipulated in different ways. You can use databases to manage tasks, track expenses, plan events, store contacts, and much more.
In this article, you’ll learn the basics of using databases in Notion, including how to create them, add data, customize views, filter and sort data, and link databases together. By the end of this article, you’ll be able to use databases in Notion to organize your personal and professional life.
What are Databases in Notion?
Databases are one of the core components of Notion. They allow you to store and organize any kind of information in a structured way. Each database consists of two parts: a table and a page.
– A table is a grid of rows and columns that displays your data. Each row represents an item or entry in your database, and each column represents a property or attribute of your data. For example, if you have a database of books, each row could be a book title, and each column could be the author, genre, rating, etc.
– A page is a document that contains additional information about each item or entry in your database. You can add text, images, videos, links, and other blocks to your page. For example, if you have a database of books, each page could be a summary or review of the book.
You can switch between the table and the page view by clicking on the arrow icon next to each item or entry in your database.
How to Create a Database in Notion?
There are two ways to create a database in Notion: from scratch or from a template.
– To create a database from scratch, you can use the / command and choose one of the database options: Table, Board, List, Calendar, Gallery, or Timeline. Each option represents a different way of displaying your data. You can also change the view later by clicking on the + icon next to the view name.
– To create a database from a template, you can use the / command and choose Templates. You’ll see a list of pre-made databases for different purposes, such as task management, project planning, personal finance, etc. You can also browse more templates on Notion’s website or import templates from other sources.
Once you create a database, you can start adding data to it.
How to Add Data to a Database in Notion?
To add data to a database in Notion, you need to create new items or entries in your table and fill out their properties or attributes.
– To create a new item or entry in your table, you can click on the + icon at the bottom of your table or press Ctrl + Enter on your keyboard. You’ll see a new row appear in your table with some default properties.
– To fill out the properties or attributes of your item or entry, you can click on each cell in your row and choose the type of data you want to enter. You can choose from text, number, date, checkbox, select (single choice), multi-select (multiple choice), person (assignee), file (attachment), URL (link), email (address), phone (number), formula (calculation), relation (link to another database), rollup (aggregate data from another database), created time (timestamp), last edited time (timestamp), created by (user), last edited by (user), or emoji (icon). You can also add more properties by clicking on the + icon at the top of your table or pressing Ctrl + Shift + P on your keyboard.
Once you add data to your database, you can customize how it looks and behaves.
How to Customize Views in a Database in Notion?
Views are different ways of displaying your data in a database. You can create multiple views for the same database depending on what you want to see and how you want to see it.
To customize views in a database in Notion,
– To create a new view for your database, you can click on the + icon next to the view name and choose one of the options: Table, Board, List, Calendar, Gallery, or Timeline. Each option represents a different way of displaying your data. For example, if you have a database of tasks, you can use a Board view to see them in a Kanban style or a Calendar view to see them by due date.
– To customize the settings of your view, you can click on the ••• icon next to the view name and choose Properties, Filter, Sort, or Hide. Each option allows you to change how your data is shown in your view. For example, if you have a database of tasks, you can use Properties to choose which columns to show or hide, Filter to show only tasks that match certain criteria, Sort to order your tasks by priority or status, or Hide to collapse or expand certain groups of tasks.
– To switch between different views of your database, you can click on the view name and choose another view from the dropdown menu. You can also rename or delete views by clicking on the ••• icon next to the view name and choosing Rename or Delete.
How to Filter and Sort Data in a Database in Notion?
Filtering and sorting are two ways of organizing your data in a database. Filtering allows you to show only data that matches certain criteria, while sorting allows you to order your data by certain properties.
To filter and sort data in a database in Notion,
– To filter data in your database, you can click on the ••• icon next to the view name and choose Filter. You’ll see a panel where you can add one or more conditions for your filter. Each condition consists of a property, an operator, and a value. For example, if you have a database of tasks, you can filter by Status is Not Done to show only incomplete tasks.
– To sort data in your database, you can click on the ••• icon next to the view name and choose Sort. You’ll see a panel where you can add one or more criteria for your sort. Each criterion consists of a property and an order (ascending or descending). For example, if you have a database of tasks, you can sort by Due Date in ascending order to show the earliest tasks first.
To remove filters or sorts from your database, you can click on the ••• icon next to the view name and choose Clear Filters or Clear Sorts.
How to Link Databases Together in Notion?
Linking databases together is a way of creating relationships between different sets of data in Notion. You can use linking databases to reference data from one database in another database, or to create rollups that aggregate data from one database in another database.
To link databases together in Notion,
– To reference data from one database in another database, you need to create a relation property in one of the databases. A relation property allows you to link items or entries from one database to items or entries from another database. For example, if you have a database of tasks and a database of projects, you can create a relation property in the tasks database that links each task to a project.
– To create a relation property in your database, you need to click on the + icon at the top of your table or press Ctrl + Shift + P on your keyboard and choose Relation. You’ll see a panel where you can select another database to link with. You can also create a new database from scratch or from a template. Once you select another database, you’ll see a new column appear in your table with the name of the other database.
– To link items or entries from one database to items or entries from another database using a relation property, you need to click on each cell in your relation column and choose one or more items or entries from the other database. You’ll see a link appear in your cell with the name of the item or entry from the other database. You can also create new items or entries in the other database by clicking on the + icon at the bottom of the list.
– To create rollups that aggregate data from one database in another database, you need to create a rollup property in one of the databases. A rollup property allows you to perform calculations or operations on data from one database based on the relation property in another database. For example, if you have a database of tasks and a database of projects, you can create a rollup property in the projects database that shows the total number of tasks or the average completion rate for each project.
– To create a rollup property in your database, you need to click on the + icon at the top of your table or press Ctrl + Shift + P on your keyboard and choose Rollup. You’ll see a panel where you can select a relation property to base your rollup on. You can also choose a property from the other database to use for your calculation or operation. You can also choose a function to apply to your data, such as sum, average, count, etc. Once you select all the options, you’ll see a new column appear in your table with the name of the rollup property.
– To edit or delete relation or rollup properties in your database, you can click on the ••• icon next to the property name and choose Edit Property or Delete Property.
Conclusion
Databases are powerful tools that can help you organize and manage any kind of information in Notion. You can create databases from scratch or from templates, add data and properties, customize views, filter and sort data, and link databases together. By using databases in Notion, you can create your own personal or professional system that suits your needs and goals.
I hope this article has given you a beginner’s guide on how to use databases in Notion. If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to leave a comment below.
