Create a database

Create a database - hero
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Now we'll create a database and use it to show off essential database actions and features. You'll get to play with database properties, views, filters, and sorts - let's get into it 📈


  1. Add a new page and under Get started with and select Table.

  2. The first column is where you enter the name of your database pages. Each column in a Notion table corresponds to a property that gives your item context.

  3. Click a property heading, then Edit property and Type to see all of your property choices.

For this example, we'll create a task database.

  1. Add some tasks you're working on in the Name column.

  2. Now add some values to the Tags column using the multi-select property. The options could be something like P1, P2, and P3 to indicate the priority of a task.

  3. Add a new property using the + button to the right of the Tags heading.

  4. Change its name to Due Date. Click the property heading, then Edit property and Type and select Date. Now when you click on a cell under Due Date, you'll see the date picker.

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.

  1. To open a row as a page, hover over a cell in the Name column and click OPEN.

  2. You can add or edit any properties.

    • You can also add additional content into the body of the page.

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.

  1. Click + at the top of your table. Depending on your screen size, you may have to open the dropdown next to your current view and select Add view.

  2. Give your new view a name and choose Board from the right-side menu.

  3. This displays rows from your table into cards on a board, grouped by tag. Clicking on a card still opens it as a page. It's all the same content, just visualized in a different way!

Tip: Different views are good for different things, and you can have as many as you need!

  • Gallery view is great if you're storing images in your database.

  • Lists are helpful for minimalist storage of documentation.

  • Calendar view displays your pages by an assigned date property.

  • Timelines are useful for visualizing project dates and length.

Filter by property to focus on specific parts of your database.

  1. Click the filter icon at the top of your table, then select one of the default options or + Add advanced filter.

  2. Then select the criteria that needs to be met. The middle dropdown will give you different options depending on the property.

  3. In this case, let's choose Tags as the property, and say it must contain P1.

Add sorts to reorder your database depending on property values. Sorts are helpful for quickly ordering your data by priority, date, tags, etc.

  • Click at the top of your table, then select the property you'd like to sort by.

    • For example, choose Due Date and then Ascending. This reorders tasks from closest to furthest due date.

You'll see your database change in real time based on your filter and sort criteria. You can add as many filters and sorts as you want, and each view has its own filter and sorts.


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