Using databases in your Notion workspace is a game-changer for keeping organized and productive. With countless features and ways to view your data, the possibilities can be endless with how you use them.
Let’s go through the simple properties and how to use them in your database. But for all the beginners out there, let’s go back to the basics first.
What Are Database Properties in Notion?
Once you create a Notion database, you’ll notice that there are several different properties available. What exactly do they mean?
Properties define what type of information a column in your database contains and are a great tool to keep your information organized. They are incredibly useful in providing an overview of the relevant details associated with an item in the database. Want to add dates for all your important meetings, track the status of projects, check off movies you’ve watched? Properties have you covered.
How to Add a Property
Start by creating a database in Table View. This is one of the most common database views and is the easiest to add and sort properties.
To add a property to a Database, click the + sign next to the last column. Notion will create a new column and a pop-up menu appears. Rename the property and select the Property Type from the list available.
Here is a rundown of the essential properties every beginner Notion user can get started with:
1. Title
This is the one property you can’t delete because it serves as the title for your item. Every item in a Notion database can also be expanded into a new page, and title properties also serve as the titles of those pages. To open a page from the database, simply hover over the cell and click Open.
2. Text & Number
Just as the name suggests, these properties are used for text and numbers.
You can use the Text property to add notes, comments, or a summary. Do note that it can only let you write one line and the text will not automatically wrap. If you have a lot of text to add, consider writing it on the expanded page instead.
The Number property will only let you input numbers. At the same time, you can choose to use special formattings such as percentages or currencies.
You can access these settings by selecting the property title and then selecting Format Numbers, or hovering over a number and clicking 123. From there you can choose your desired format from the dropdown menu that appears.
3. Select & Multi-Select
Adding tags is one of the best ways to stay organized, and who doesn’t love an extra pop of color? With the Select property, you can only assign one category to your item. At the same time, Multi-select lets you tag as many as you want.
To create a list of options to choose from, begin typing a new tag in the empty block. You’ll notice that a pop-up appears with a preview of your tag. Once you finish, click Create to save it.
Click the three dots next to an existing option to edit the text, change the color, or rearrange the order in which the values appear.
Tag your item by either clicking on the empty field and selecting the options you want from the pop-up menu. If you’re using a Select property, there can only be one value and it will be replaced if you select a new one. To remove a tag, simply click on the X next to it.
Using the Select and Multi-Select properties is useful for keeping your items categorized in easily recognizable ways, or for eyeballing the frequency of a certain tag in your database.
4. Date
Adding a date property can help you keep track of due dates or events, and Notion can even set up reminders for you in the application.
Once you’ve set up a Date property, you can add the date for an item by clicking on the empty block. A mini calendar and menu pop up for you to make your selection. Additional options are available in the pop-up menu that can help. Turn on End Date to set an end date, and turn on Include Time to add the time of day.
If you’d like to set up reminders within Notion, turn on the Remind function and you will get notifications before the event. You can also select the Date format & timezone to adjust the format presented.
5. Checkbox
Checkboxes have multiple uses, from indicating that a task is done to helping you keep track of your habits. Once you add this property, checkboxes will automatically appear in all future rows.
6. Person
If you’re collaborating with others on a Notion board, then this is a great way to divide responsibilities and assign items to team members. The assign function will only be useful if you have a premium Notion account that allows for teamwork and collaboration.
Clicking on an empty block brings you a dropdown menu to select which team members you wish to assign an item to.
7. Upload media
With this property, you can upload media files or embed links into the database. Simply click on the empty block and choose to either upload or add a link.
You can add multiple items to a cell by selecting the item once more and choosing Add File or Image. When there is more than one piece of media attached, you can also select the order in which they are presented.
Adding files and images will also add a thumbnail in the cell, which you can click to expand into a larger image. On the other hand, the actual content of a link you add will not be embedded, but you will be able to directly go to the site linked.
8. URL, Email, & Phone
These properties function exactly as they sound, allowing you to input URLs, email addresses, or phone numbers. The benefit of adding these properties is the convenience it provides.
When you hover your mouse over any of these properties, a little box will appear in the bottom left corner. Clicking on the box will externally open up the link pasted in your web browser, open up your email to send out an email to the listed address, or open your phone application to call the number listed.
How to Toggle Property Visibility
After adding all your properties, you can toggle their visibility on your database. To do this, select the three dots on the top right side of the database next to Search, and then choose the Properties option.
From there, you’ll see a list of all your properties and be able to choose the ones you want to display.
This is especially useful when you have a lot of properties and need to declutter your database to help you focus on the ones that are most important to you.
Explore Additional Properties
Properties are super useful for any type of database you’re creating. Now that you have a grasp on the basic properties and how to use them to maximize your database organization, it’s time to put them to use. Don’t be afraid to explore the advanced properties as well and unlock all the potential hidden in Notion databases.