Unlike traditional note-taking tools, Notion offers a block-based, flexible structure with powerful features and has quickly become a favorite productivity app for many. Over the years, the company has added many automation features to transform your note-taking, project management, and overall workflow in Notion. Whether you're a student, working professional, or creative, these automation tips will change the way you collect, sort, and use your information.
What can you use Notion automation for?
Notion automation comes in handy in many situations. Let's take a look at some of the useful ways it can help.
- Create buttons to add your frequently used blocks with just one click
- Create synchronized blocks to keep your blocks up to date on all pages at the same time
- Set up database automation that allows you to trigger Slack notifications (or another app of your choice) with database updates
- Automatically assign tags, date, status and other properties
- Discover Notion AI to automate numerous other tasks on a page
Before you start, be sure to review your current workflow. Try to identify the cases where you encountered obstacles in manual work and repetitive tasks. Once you've identified your needs, follow the tricks below to put your Notion setup on autopilot.
5 Create Notion Buttons
Notion buttons feature can be a powerful feature for automating frequently used blocks, actions, and other repetitive tasks. You can create journal entries, meeting notes, project overviews, and even insert your daily tasks with a single click. Whether you're dealing with a simple data entry or a complex workflow, Notion's versatile buttons can automate a variety of tasks. Let's create one and try it in action.
- In the example below, I will create a Notion button to add daily habits to my journal entries with a single click. Go to your Notion page and enter /Buttonand press enter or return.
- Give it a meaningful name, for example Daily habits. Assign a symbol from the emoji menu.
- Click Add action. You will see several options for adding actions. For this example, let's choose Insert blocks.
- You need to create a block that you want to insert with the Daily Habits button. I will add my routine To-do list Here.
- type /To-do list and add habits. You can also click Add another step for additional levels to continue with your button automation.
- Click Completed.
You can duplicate the button, move it to another Notion page, and even create a template out of it. From now on, you can just click the Daily Habits button to insert the to-do list.
You can also use a Notion button to open a specific page or URL, change a specific task, add or edit pages based on a filter, or otherwise. The possibilities here are endless.
4 Using synchronized blocks in Notion
As the name suggests, you can convert any block into a synchronized block and reuse it on other pages. When you edit a particular block on one page, the software should update it on other blocks as well.
- Open a Notion page and select a block. Expand Transform yourself into and click on Synchronized block.
- Copy link to block. You may notice a red line around the block.
- When you switch to another Notion page, paste it as Synchronized block as shown in the screenshot below.
- You can try editing the block and you should see your changes reflected in all synced blocks.
3 Using linked databases in Notion
Want to reuse your extended database in Notion? You can create a linked database and keep it in sync across pages. The concept is quite similar to synchronized blocks.
- Let's open a Notion page with a board view for a personal project.
- Click on the six-dot menu next to it and then click Copy link.
- Go to another page and paste the link. Paste it as Linked database view.
- When you add, edit, or delete a card in one database, Notion should update it in other databases as well.
2 Database automation in Notion
Database automation opens up a wide range of possibilities for your Notion workspace. It takes your entire automation experience to the next level. You can automate your database based on multiple actions. The feature is similar to IFTTT (If This Then That) where you can set conditions and desired outcomes for your database.
In the example below, I'll set a condition where Notion will send a notification to my Slack workspace when someone moves the card to the Done column. First, let's connect a Slack account to Notion.
- Open your Notion account and go to Settings and members.
- Choose My connections and click on Connect under Loose.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete setup. Your Slack account and workspace should appear at the top.
- Go to your database and click on the automation Menu (lightning symbol) at the top.
- Click New automation.
- Choose Add trigger. Expand status.
- Choose Complete.
- Click Add action. Choose Send Slack notification to.
- Select your Slack channel.
- Click Create.
This is just an example of how you can set up database automation in Notion. You can create a custom action based on your preferences.
Notion offers even more promotions when you upgrade to one of its paid plans, with prices starting at $12 per month. Notion Plus also offers synced databases with third-party apps, custom websites, charts, dashboards, unlimited file uploads, and more.
1 Discover Notion APIs
The Notion API (Application Programming Interface) opens up a wide range of possibilities. It is mainly aimed at developers who want to interact with Notion programmatically. It acts as a connector and allows external applications and services to interact with your Notion workspace, retrieve its data and perform various tasks.
This allows you to connect Notion with other apps, create custom automations, develop extensions, and even custom applications that leverage Notion's data and structure. Check out the company's dedicated guide to creating Notion API connections.
Notion on autopilot
From creating custom buttons and using synced blocks to integrating your favorite apps, Notion offers plenty of options to automate your workspace. Identify your needs, try some of the tricks above, and turn your Notion setup into an effortless productivity powerhouse.
If you're new to Notion, it can be quite difficult to navigate at first, especially because of its unconventional interface. Read our dedicated post to learn the best Notion power tricks.