Database Properties in Notion

Notion database properties are the building blocks that turn a simple list of pages into structured information—covering everything from basic fields like titles and tags to advanced links between databases. Every database item is a page, and properties define what data each page can hold, how it’s displayed, and how it can interact with other items. That’s why choosing the right property types is essential for making databases usable for real workflows like notes, budgets, task tracking, and team management.

The walkthrough starts with creating a table view database and removing the default “tags” property to focus on the core idea: every item still needs a name, even if the page looks blank (it shows “Untitled” until renamed). From there, it catalogs the property types available in Notion. A “Text” property is the default choice for free-form information such as notes or descriptions. A “Number” property supports numeric formats including commas, percentages, and currency symbols, and it can display values as a plain number, a bar, or a ring (with the ring’s completion based on a chosen divisor like 100). For controlled vocabularies, “Select” limits entries to one option from a predefined list, while “Multi-select” allows multiple choices at once.

For workflow states, “Status” functions like a more task-oriented version of select, with categories such as “To do,” “In progress,” and “Complete,” making it especially suited to kanban-style tracking even when viewed in a table. Time-based organization comes from the “Date” property, which offers multiple date formats plus a “relative date” option that displays values like “tomorrow” based on the current day, along with 12-hour or 24-hour time formatting.

The guide then moves into properties that connect data to people, files, and external links. “Person” restricts selection to workspace members who can access and edit the page. “Files and media” supports uploads and embedded links. “Checkbox” is ideal for binary task states such as done/not done. “URL” creates clickable hyperlinks, while “Email” and “Phone” automatically format entries so they can open the relevant email client or initiate a call.

More powerful automation comes from “Formula,” which can generate outputs based on other properties—using functions and property references so one field can react to others (though it’s treated as complex enough for a separate deep dive). Data relationships are handled through “Relation,” which links one database to another without a fixed limit on how many pages can be connected, and “Rollup,” which aggregates information from the related records (for example, pulling the related item’s name). Finally, Notion includes system-generated metadata fields like “Created time,” “Created by,” “Last edited time,” “Last edited by,” and an “ID” property that generates a unique identifier per item.

The practical takeaway is that properties can be added and managed in multiple ways—via the plus button in the database table, through “Add property” on the page, and even through the database’s three-dots menu. Properties can be reordered, and any set of fields can be hidden or shown to keep the table focused on what matters.