10 Things You're Doing WRONG in Notion

TL;DR

Pin the pages that matter most in Notion’s Favorites bar, and use a Quick Links page with Link To Page blocks to keep the sidebar clean while preserving fast access.

Briefing Cornell Notes

Briefing

Notion beginners often waste time and create chaos by treating the app like a blank canvas with no guardrails. The biggest fix is simple: build a workspace that’s fast to navigate, safe to share, and structured around reusable components—especially templates and linked databases—rather than sprawling dashboards and one-off setups.

A common early misstep is not using the Favorites bar effectively. Pinning key pages (like dashboards and inboxes) keeps the workspace usable, but there’s an even cleaner approach: create a “Quick Links” page that contains Link To Page blocks. Those linked pages then appear in the sidebar under Quick Links, letting users keep Favorites tidy while still getting instant access to less-frequently used areas.

Another major productivity leak comes from skipping database templates. Templates let new database entries auto-populate with the right structure—toggles, synced blocks, headings, and prebuilt sections—so users don’t start from scratch every time. Examples include a “My Day” daily journal template with habit checklists and review sections, a book tracker template that preloads summary and chapter headings, and a Creator’s Companion project template that generates task lists, B-roll lists, checklists, and internal pages for scripts, research, and topic validation. The payoff is speed and consistency: new projects are ready to run immediately.

Beginners also tend to overload a single dashboard with “everything and the kitchen sink.” Large pages look impressive but become painful on mobile, where columns stack and navigation turns into scrolling. A better pattern is splitting content into focused pages (e.g., task inbox, due-soon tasks, recent notes) and then using toggles that link to those pages. For a hybrid approach, sync blocks can embed the same database content inside a dashboard while still allowing a simpler, mobile-friendly path when toggles stay collapsed.

Efficiency depends heavily on fundamentals that many users overlook: learning Notion’s markdown syntax and keyboard shortcuts. Simple commands like “# ” for headings, “* ” for lists, and shortcuts such as Control P for search, Control L for page URLs, and Control/Command + [ ] for page navigation can dramatically reduce friction.

Collaboration introduces its own set of “wrong” moves. Granting too much access can lead to accidental edits or deletions of database structure. Notion’s permission controls should be used to restrict who can edit pages versus who can modify database views and properties. Just as important: when changes are made, teammates need notice—ideally with a screen recording—so they don’t keep using an outdated knowledge-base layout.

Finally, several structural habits prevent long-term mess. Don’t reinvent every wheel at once; anchor the workspace to an existing methodology (the video cites Tiago Forte’s P.A.R.A: Projects, Areas, Resources, Archive) and tweak later. Avoid importing thousands of Evernote notes and trying to organize them immediately; use a just-in-time approach instead. Use linked databases to create persistent, filtered views in multiple locations without constantly switching views. And when database properties clutter the interface, hide them (or customize show/hide rules) instead of deleting them, since properties may be needed elsewhere. Together, these changes turn Notion from a sprawling experiment into a system that’s maintainable, shareable, and fast to use.

Cornell Notes

Notion beginners often slow themselves down by building messy dashboards, starting every entry from scratch, and sharing workspaces without tight permissions. The most practical upgrades come from using Favorites and Quick Links for navigation, database templates to auto-fill new pages, and linked databases to create reusable filtered views across the workspace. For collaboration, permission settings should prevent accidental database edits, and teammates need clear communication when the structure changes. Long-term organization improves by avoiding “import everything” migrations, not reinventing multiple systems at once, and hiding database properties instead of deleting them.

Why does pinning pages in the Favorites bar matter, and what’s the “Quick Links” technique?

Pinning central pages (dashboards, inboxes, frequently used tools) keeps navigation fast instead of hunting through the sidebar. The “Quick Links” technique goes further: create a page that exists inside a dashboard and populate it with Link To Page blocks. Those linked pages automatically appear in the sidebar under the Quick Links section. This lets the Favorites bar stay short while still providing one-click access to less-frequent pages by toggling the Quick Links section open.

How do database templates prevent repetitive work in Notion?

Database templates let new database entries start with a prebuilt “skeleton” of blocks and settings. In the example “My Day” dashboard, clicking New in a database creates a blank page that can be instantly populated by choosing a template like “Daily Note,” which auto-adds toggles for habits, synced blocks, and headings for morning pages and daily review. The same idea scales to other databases, like book tracking (templates prefill summary and chapter headings) and Creator’s Companion project planning (templates generate tasks, B-roll lists, checklists, and internal pages for scripts, research, and topic validation).

What’s the problem with putting everything on one dashboard, and what’s the mobile-friendly alternative?

A single “all-in-one” dashboard can become hard to navigate, especially on mobile where columns stack and users must scroll through dense layouts. The alternative is splitting content into focused pages (e.g., an inbox page that shows only task inbox items, a page for due-soon tasks, and a page for recent notes) and linking to those pages from the dashboard. The video also uses toggles with Mention Page links so the dashboard stays interactive while the underlying content remains clean and separate.

What does “permission hygiene” look like in Notion for teams?

Permission hygiene means avoiding full access for everyone when only admins should change database structure. Through Share settings, page-level permissions can be adjusted (e.g., switching from full access to Can Edit, Can Comment, Can View, or removing access). The video highlights a newer database-focused permission option: team members can be allowed to edit content (like adding rows) while being blocked from changing database structure, views, or properties—reducing the risk of accidental deletions or broken layouts.

Why is linked databases a better long-term pattern than constantly switching views?

Linked databases create a separate view of an existing database in a new location, with its own filters, sorting, and property visibility settings. That means users can build “persistent views” (like a dashboard showing tasks due tomorrow, or an inbox-style view for notes missing certain fields) without altering the original database. The key benefit is reuse: the same underlying data supports multiple tailored interfaces across the workspace.

When database properties clutter the interface, why hide them instead of deleting them?

Deleting properties can break templates, views, or other parts of a system that rely on those fields. Hiding properties keeps the structure intact while cleaning the interface. The video demonstrates hiding properties via right-click (Hide Property with options like Always Hide) or through Customize Page, including rules like Hide When Empty. It also shows turning off specific UI elements like Backlinks display to keep notes focused and readable.

Review Questions

Which Notion features help keep a workspace navigable as it grows: Favorites, Quick Links, templates, or linked databases—and how does each one reduce friction?
What risks come from giving teammates full access to Notion pages and databases, and what permission settings should prevent accidental database-structure changes?
How would you redesign a “giant dashboard” for mobile use using toggles, page links, and sync blocks?

Key Points

1
Pin the pages that matter most in Notion’s Favorites bar, and use a Quick Links page with Link To Page blocks to keep the sidebar clean while preserving fast access.
2
Use database templates to auto-populate new entries with the right structure (toggles, headings, synced blocks), so every new page doesn’t start from zero.
3
Avoid stuffing every category of information into one dashboard; split into focused pages and link to them, especially for mobile usability.
4
Learn Notion’s markdown syntax and core keyboard shortcuts (e.g., Control P, Control L, and Control/Command + [ ]) to speed up navigation and formatting.
5
Apply strict permission controls for collaboration so non-admin teammates can work without editing database structure, views, or properties.
6
When changing workspace structure, document it and communicate it to teammates (ideally with a screen recording) to prevent confusion and broken workflows.
7
Use linked databases for persistent filtered views, hide cluttering properties instead of deleting them, and avoid importing massive note archives all at once—use just-in-time retrieval instead.

Highlights

Quick Links keeps the Favorites bar short by using Link To Page blocks inside a dedicated page, which then surfaces those links in the sidebar.

Database templates turn “New page” into a ready-to-use form—complete with toggles, synced blocks, and prebuilt sections—so projects start faster and stay consistent.

Sync blocks and Mention Page links let dashboards stay powerful on desktop while still offering a simpler, mobile-friendly navigation path.

Permission controls should separate “content editing” from “database structure editing,” reducing the chance of accidental property or view damage.

Linked databases provide persistent, filtered views of the same underlying data, eliminating the need to constantly switch between database views. 

Topics

Notion Mistakes
Favorites Bar
Database Templates
Linked Databases
Permissions
Markdown Shortcuts