Notion databases are special for three reasons:

• They're highly customizable — you can add whatever types of data you want!
• Every item you add is its own Notion page to organize even more information.
• You can view the same database a number of different ways to get work done.

You'll see what we mean👇

• 1. Create a new table
• 2. Add data to your table
• 3. Open a row as a page
• 4. Create a view
• 5. Filter your data
• 6. Sort your data

1. Create a new table

• Add a new page and select Table.
• The first column is where you enter your database items.
• Each column in a Notion table corresponds to a property that gives your item context.
• Define different properties (i.e. date, person, etc.) to add specific context to each item.
• Click a property heading, then the menu under Property Type to see all of your property choices.

• Here are just a few examples of properties:
• Multi-select: Lets you add multiple tags (that you create) to your data.
• Date: Associates dates with your items, like due dates or event dates.
• Person: Inserts people on your team, for example who has been assigned a task.
• Files & Media: Lets you upload files, images, and other media related to your data.
• Checkbox: Denotes whether something related to a database item has been done.
• Full guide on properties here →
• Here's how a database with several different types of properties looks:

2. Add data to your table

• For this example, we'll create a task database.
• Add some projects you're working on in the Name column.
• Now add some values to the Tags column using the multi-select property. Suggestion: P1, P2 and P3 to indicate priority of the task.
• Add a new property using the + button to the right of the Tag heading.
• Change its name to Due Date. And under Property Type, select Date from the menu.

• Now when you click on a cell under Due Date, you'll see the date picker. Every property type will bring up a different set of options.

Other examples:

• File properties will prompt you to upload a file.
• Person properties will bring up a menu to select people in your workspace.

3. Open a row as a page

• Every item in a Notion database is also a whole page of its own! You can add any content you want inside, including other databases.
• In our task database example, this would let you keep all notes and content related to a task neatly bundled inside that task.
• To open a row as a page, hover over a cell in the Name column and click ⤢ OPEN. It will look like this:

• You can add or edit any properties. And you can add any content into the body of the page:

4. Create a view

• You can create different views of the same data. Put it into a board, a calendar, a list, a gallery, or a timeline — depending on your needs. Let's try one.
• Click + Add a View at the top left of your table.
• Give your view a name and choose Board from the dropdown.

• This turns rows from your table into cards on a board, grouped by tag. Clicking on a card still opens it as a page.
• There are many ways to customize the way your board looks:
• Hide or edit any column by clicking the ••• icon to the right of its heading.
• Add new cards by clicking + at the top of columns, or + New at the bottom.
• To rearrange columns, drag and drop their headings.
• Go to Properties at the top right to switch on the properties you want displayed on your cards (or to add new ones).
• You can also group your cards by a different property by clicking Group By.
• Learn more about boards here →

• Now let's turn our board into a calendar so you can see when tasks are due.
• Click on the name of your current view to switch between your views or add a new one.

• Calendars let you view when things are happening, when projects are due, etc. Cards appear on the dates you choose:

• Clicking on any card opens it as a page.
• Use the Properties menu to switch on the properties you want on your cards.
• Learn more about calendars here →
• Different views are good for different things:
• Gallery view is great if you're storing images in your database. More on galleries →
• Lists are helpful for minimalist storage of documentation. More on lists →
• Timelines are useful for visualizing project dates and length. More on timelines →

5. Filter your data

• Filter by property to focus on specific parts of your database.
• Let's go back to our table view for this.
• Now, click Filter at the top of your table, then + Add a filter.
• Choose the property you want to filter by and the criteria that needs to be met.
• The middle dropdown will give you different options depending on the property.
• In this case, let's choose Tags as the property, and say it must contain P2.

• You'll see your database change in real time based on your filter criteria.
• You can add as many filters as you want.
• To turn a filter off, go back to the Filter menu and click the X.
• You can create views based on various filters:
• Add a new view and title it.
• In that view, filter your database however you want.
• Toggle between views to see your data filtered different ways! ✨
• Examples: Only see tasks assigned to you, or only P1 tasks, or only tasks tagged in a certain project.

6. Sort your data

• Sorts let you reorder your database depending on the values in certain properties.
• Click Sort at the top of your table, then + Add a sort
• Choose the property you want to sort your database by. For example, choose Due Date and then Ascending. This reorders tasks from closest to furthest due date.

• Sorts are helpful for quickly ordering your data by priority, date, tags, etc.
• Similar to filters, you can apply multiple sorts and always turn them off in the same menu.
• You can also create new views showing different sorts.

Now that you've created a couple different types of pages, let's move on to how to find and arrange them in your workspace!

Something we didn't cover? Message us in the app by clicking ? at the bottom right on desktop (or in your sidebar on mobile). Or email us at team@makenotion.com ✌️