Introducing Notion Buttons: A First Look and Free Template

Notion Buttons introduce click-to-run automations that can update linked databases, create new pages, and insert blocks—turning a dashboard into an action center instead of a static tracker. With a single button press, users can add a “daily habit” page for today, generate a “morning pages” task with due date and assignee set automatically, open the newly created page, and even show a confirmation message afterward. The workflow is built around chaining multiple actions under one button, using database targets and property edits to drive the changes.

A first example, “start day,” demonstrates the core mechanics. The button is configured with a custom icon and then runs several steps: it adds a new page to the Habits database (setting the date property to “today”), adds a new page to the Tasks database (creating a recurring daily task like “morning pages” with status set to “in progress,” due date set to “right now/today,” assignee set to the person who clicked, and a Journal tag), and opens the created task page in the workspace. After the click, the dashboard updates immediately: the habit card becomes tickable for the current day, and the tasks list shows the new “morning page” item. A key limitation appears alongside the feature—buttons can’t apply icons/covers to the pages they create, and they can’t populate formula-driven fields directly.

The tutorial then scales up to more complex interactions using filtered database views. Buttons like “complete all tasks today” edit pages in the Tasks database by selecting all pages whose due date equals today and setting their status to “completed.” Another button, “show overdue tasks,” uses multiple filters (due date before today plus status not completed) and writes to hidden properties (such as a “show alert” field set to “overdue”) so a linked database view can reorder and display only the relevant items. Complementary buttons (“hide overdue tasks,” “expand weekly tasks,” and “hide weekly tasks”) toggle those hidden properties to collapse or expand the dashboard’s task lists.

A groceries section shows the same pattern applied to item categories. Buttons can uncheck all items, pause “other items” while keeping “essential” items visible, and unpause everything—again by editing properties across all pages that match a filter.

Finally, a bills-paid use case ties buttons to a formula-based billing system. A “next bill” calendar is driven by formulas that compute upcoming payment dates based on a “last paid” field. Buttons such as “pay rent,” “pay insurance,” and “pay car” update only the “last paid” property for fixed, named pages (e.g., the rent page), which causes the formulas to advance the billing cycle automatically. A “clear last paid column” button adds a confirmation pop-up before emptying the field. The session closes with an “end day” flow that adds a new mood/journal page for today and then fills survey properties via additional button-driven page edits, plus a “clear all day” reset with confirmation.

Overall, the feature’s value comes from combining page creation, property edits, internal page opening, and view-driven filtering—while working within current constraints around icons/covers and direct formula manipulation.