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If you’ve ever used Notion and wished it could do the thinking for you, like calculating deadlines, tagging urgent tasks, or updating progress automatically, then you’ll love Notion Formulas.
Formulas in Notion work just like mini-automations. They help you calculate, organize, and make your workspace smarter without any code. Whether you’re managing projects, tracking habits, or handling a CRM, formulas can save you hours of manual work.
In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about Notion Formulas, how they work, where to use them, and real examples you can try right away. Let’s make your Notion workspace more powerful, step by step.
What are Notion Formulas?
Notion formulas are powerful tools that allow you to manipulate data, create dynamic calculations, and automate various tasks within your Notion databases. With formulas, you can:
- Calculate project deadlines
- Automatically tag tasks based on priority
- Create custom date and number formats
- Reference other database properties to create complex logic
Formulas can be simple or complex, depending on your needs, and can transform how you organize and visualize data in Notion.
In short, Notion formulas combine data manipulation, automation, and logic much like Excel, but built natively for Notion’s databases.
Why and Where to Use Notion Formulas
Why use formulas
- Automation & consistency: Avoid manual updates (e.g., every time you change a date or status).
- Enhanced visibility: Show key signals (overdue, at-risk, next in line) dynamically.
- Smarter dashboards: Make your workspace respond to data changes.
- Cleaner systems: Use fewer manual fields, less admin work.
Where to apply them
You can use formulas in any Notion database formulas view (table, board, gallery, list). Here are common use-cases:
- Project management: Track progress, flag overdue, calculate elapsed time.
- Task trackers: Days remaining until deadline, tag by urgency or importance.
- CRM / Client systems: Automatically assign lead status based on last contact or score leads.
- Habit trackers & goals: Show progress bars, streaks, completion percentages.
- Finance & budget trackers: Compute totals, variances, conditional alerts.
Using formulas shifts your workspace from “static lists” into “smart systems.”
How to Create a Formula Property
Here’s how to set things up:
- In your database, click the … (three-dots) menu → Properties → + Add a property.
- Choose Formula as the property type. This opens the Notion formula editor, where you’ll write and test your expressions.
- Name your new property (e.g., “Status Auto”, “Days Left”).
- Click Edit (or the formula icon) to open the formula editor (we’ll detail in next section).
- Write your formula expression (e.g.,
if(prop("Due Date") < now(), "⚠️ Overdue", "✅ On Track")).
- Click Done. The formula runs for each row and displays its result.
Understanding the Formula Editor (Notion 2.0)
The Notion Formula Editor (updated in version 2.0) makes writing formulas more intuitive.
When you click within the content area of a formula property, Notion opens up its formula editor for you.
This editor is divided into four main sections:
- Editor Field: This is where you write your formulas. You can format them with line breaks and indentation for better readability. Inline comments are supported.
- Live Preview: Right beside the editor, you get a live preview of the current value returned by your formula. If there are any errors, this preview transforms into a list of those errors.
- Scrollable List: You have a scrollable list displaying all available properties, built-ins, functions, and variables. Just click on one, and it'll be added to your formula right where your cursor is.
- Context Window: This window gives you a description of the currently selected or hovered formula component. It's your go-to for understanding what each part does. Also, you'll find a syntax reference and a few examples to guide you.
With the latest updates to Notion's formula editor, you can now enjoy the convenience of new lines, indentation, and comments, making it a breeze to craft intricate formulas without having to leave Notion.
Editor Tips:
- To add new lines, simply use Shift + Enter.
- For indentation, press the Tab key.
- If you want to add comments, use /*This is a comment */
Data Types in Notion Formulas
Your formula’s output will fall into a data type, and understanding these is key to writing correct logic. Here’s a summary:
Data Type | Example Output | Use Case |
Text | "Task overdue" | Conditional strings, labels |
Number | 5, 23.4, −1 | Counts, calculations |
Boolean | true, false | Flags, condition checks |
Date | May 13, 2025 | Scheduling logic, timelines |
List | ["Work", "Urgent"] | Multi-select, relation items |
Null | null | When no result should display |
Understanding which type your formula returns helps you choose valid operations (you can’t compare a list to a number without conversion, for example).
Core Components: Properties, Operators & Functions
Formulas are made up of three key components:
1. Property References
To reference a property in your database, use the following syntax:
prop("Due Date")
2. Operators
+, , ,/: Basic math operations
==,!=,<,>: Comparison operators
&&,||,!: Logical operations
3. Functions
Notion formulas include a variety of functions. Some common ones:
if(condition, true_value, false_value)
dateAdd(date, number, "days")
contains(text, "urgent")
formatNumber(number)
length(text)
Real-World Formula Examples (Beginner to Advanced)
Here are Notion formula examples, from beginner-friendly to advanced, that you can copy, test, and adapt in your workspace.
Example 1 – Mark Overdue Tasks (Beginner)
Setup:
- Property: “Due Date” (Date)
- Property: “Status” (Select: “In Progress”, “Completed”)
Formula:
if( prop("Due Date") < now() && prop("Status") != "Completed", "⚠️ Overdue", "✅ On Track" )
What it does: If today is past the due date and status isn’t Completed → “Overdue”, else “On Track”.
Example 2 – Days Until Deadline (Beginner)
Setup:
- Property: “Due Date” (Date)
Formula:
dateBetween(prop("Due Date"), now(), "days")
Output: A number representing days until the due date (negative if overdue).
Example 3 – Priority Tagging (Intermediate)
Setup:
- Property: “Tags” (Multi-select: e.g., “Urgent”, “Low Priority”)
Formula:
if( contains(prop("Tags"), "Urgent"), "🔥 High", "🟢 Normal" )
What it does: If task has “Urgent” tag → mark “High”, else “Normal”.
Example 4 – Lead Scoring CRM (Advanced)
Setup:
- “Last Contacted” (Date)
- “Lead Source” (Select: “Referral”, “Cold”, “Inbound”)
- “Score” (Formula)
Formula:
let daysSince := dateBetween(now(), prop("Last Contacted"), "days"), baseScore := if(prop("Lead Source") == "Referral", 10, 5), score := max(0, baseScore - floor(daysSince / 7)) in score
What it does: Assigns higher base score for referrals, then decreases by 1 point each week since last contact, never dropping below 0.
Example 5 – Habit Tracker Progress Bar (Intermediate)
Setup:
- “Target” (Number)
- “Completed” (Number)
- “Progress” (Formula)
Formula:
let pct := prop("Completed") / prop("Target"), stars := repeat("⭐", floor(pct * 5)), bar := format(pct * 100) + "% " + stars in bar
Output: For example, “60% ⭐⭐⭐”.
Example 6 – Next Task from Project Using Relation + Array (Advanced / Notion 2.0)
Setup:
- Projects database with relation to Tasks database
- In Projects database: property “Tasks” (Relation)
Formula (for Projects):
prop("Tasks") .filter(current.prop("Status") != "Done") .map(current.prop("Due Date")) .sort() .first()
What it does: From the related tasks, picks those not done, maps their due dates, sorts them, and returns the earliest due date - showing the next upcoming task.
This kind of array/list manipulation is described in Notion Formulas 2.0 guides.
New Features in Notion Formulas 2.0
Significant enhancements include:
- Multi-line editor with indentation and comments: making lengthy logic far easier to read/edit.
- Support for richer data types: dates, lists/arrays, pages, people, not just text/number.
- Ability to reference related database properties directly (not only via rollups) — e.g.,
prop("Client").prop("Email").
- Functions for list/array manipulation:
map(),filter(),sort(), etc. This opens up advanced automation possibilities.
These enhancements mean even complex workflows can now live fully in a Notion database without needing external scripts.
Troubleshooting Formula Errors
Common Issues & Fixes:
Issue | Cause | Solution |
Type mismatch (text + number etc) | Mixing incompatible output types | Ensure correct data types, convert when needed |
Invalid property name | Typos or case-sensitivity | Use sidebar to click insert, double-check spelling |
Formula not updating/viewing | Might be in edit mode or using non-supported view | Switch to view mode, refresh database, test on row |
Unexpected null output | Property value missing or empty | Add a guard: e.g., if(empty(prop("X")), "", …) |
Over-complex / unreadable formula | Long single-line logic without formatting | Use let variables, multi-line editor, comments |
Wrapping up
In conclusion, understanding and using Notion's formulas unlocks a realm of efficiency and precision in your workspace.
In the ever-evolving realm of databases, calculations, and data manipulation, remember that formulas are more than mere strings of characters—they are your allies in creating intelligent, automated solutions.
Whether you're performing basic arithmetic or implementing complex conditional statements, view this guide as your compass. Keep experimenting with formulas and fully harness the capabilities of Notion.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What’s the easiest formula to start with?
Try
if(prop("Done") == true, "✅", "🕒") to show a checkmark for completed tasks.2. Can I use formulas across related databases?
Yes! Use the new 2.0 feature:
prop("Client").prop("Email").3. Do formulas work on mobile?
Yes, though editing them is easier on desktop.
4. What coding language does Notion use for formulas?
Notion formulas use their own proprietary formula syntax, similar to JavaScript but with a unique set of functions and operators designed specifically for Notion’s database and task management system.
5. How to use sum formula in Notion?
To sum a column or a set of numbers, use the
sum() function:sum(prop("Amount"))
This sums the values in the Amount column.
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