When you try to use a Relation property value as the page title in a Notion database, you will find that Notion does not allow it. The title property in a database must be a text-based field, while a Relation property stores links to pages in another database. This limitation is by design, not a bug. This article explains the technical reason why Relation properties are excluded from the title field, and provides workarounds to display relation data as a page title.
Key Takeaways: Why Relation Properties Cannot Serve as Page Titles
- Database Title property type restriction: The title column only accepts text, numbers, or formulas that output text, not linked references from other databases.
- Relation property stores references, not values: A Relation property holds a page ID, not the page name, so it cannot be displayed as a text title directly.
- Formula property as workaround: Use a Formula property with the
prop()function to extract the name from a related page and display it as a text-based title.
Why Notion Restricts Relation Properties from the Title Field
Notion databases require each row to have a unique identifier called the title. The title property is always a text field. When you create a Relation property, it links to pages in another database by storing the page ID, not the page name. The page ID is a unique internal identifier, not a human-readable string. Because the title field must contain plain text that can be sorted, filtered, and searched as a string, Notion does not allow Relation properties to be selected as the title. This prevents confusion where a title would display a page ID instead of a meaningful name.
How the Title Property Works Internally
The title property is the only property that appears in the page breadcrumb and in the URL slug. It is also the default property used when you link to a page from another database or from a mention. Because of this special behavior, Notion enforces that the title property must be a text property, a number property, or a formula that outputs text. A Relation property does not output text — it outputs a reference to another page.
What Happens When You Try to Use Relation as Title
If you attempt to set a Relation property as the title in a database view, Notion simply does not offer it as an option. The dropdown for the title property only shows properties that are text, number, date, or formula. Relation, Rollup, and File & Media properties are excluded. This is not an error — it is a deliberate limitation of the database schema.
Workarounds to Display Related Page Names as Titles
You cannot change the title property to a Relation, but you can create a Formula property that pulls the name of the related page and use that as the title. Follow these steps.
- Create a Relation property
Open your database. Click the + icon in the last column header. Select Relation. Choose the target database and set the relation as single or multi-select. This creates a link between the two databases. - Add a Formula property
Click + again in the last column header. Select Formula. Name it something like “Related Title”. - Write the formula to extract the related page name
In the formula editor, type:prop("Your Relation Name").first().nameif the relation is single-select. For a multi-select relation, useprop("Your Relation Name").map(current.name).join(", "). Replace “Your Relation Name” with the actual name of your Relation property. - Set the Formula property as the title
Click the database view title bar. Choose Properties. Drag the Formula property to the top of the list. Click the three dots next to the Formula property and select Set as Title.
Alternative Workaround: Rollup Property
If your Relation links to a page that has a text property you want to display, use a Rollup property instead. Create a Rollup property, set it to the Relation, and choose the text property from the related database. Then use a Formula property to convert the Rollup result to text if needed. Finally, set that Formula as the title.
Common Issues When Using Formula-Based Titles
Formula Returns Empty or Shows “Undefined”
This happens when the Relation property is empty or when the formula references a property name that does not exist. Check that the Relation property has at least one related page. Verify the property name in the formula matches exactly, including capitalization and spaces.
Multi-Select Relation Shows All Names Without Separation
If your Relation allows multiple pages, the formula prop("Relation").map(current.name).join(", ") joins them with a comma and a space. If you want a different separator, change the join string, for example join(" | ").
Title Does Not Update When Related Page Name Changes
Formula properties update automatically when the source data changes. If the title does not update, refresh the page. If the problem persists, check that the Formula property is not set to a static value. The formula must reference the Relation property dynamically.
Notion Title Property Options Compared
| Property Type | Can Be Title? | Output Type |
|---|---|---|
| Text | Yes | Plain text |
| Number | Yes | Number converted to text |
| Yes | Email address as text | |
| Phone | Yes | Phone number as text |
| URL | Yes | URL as text |
| Date | Yes | Date string |
| Formula (text output) | Yes | Text |
| Relation | No | Page reference (ID) |
| Rollup | No | Aggregated value |
| File & Media | No | File reference |
The title property is restricted to types that output a single string value. Relation and Rollup properties output references or aggregated data, not plain text, so they are excluded. Use a Formula property that extracts the name from a related page to display it as the title.
Now you can display the name of a related page as your database title using a Formula property. Try combining a Rollup with a Formula if you need to pull a specific text field from the related page. For advanced setups, use the format() function in the formula to add prefixes or suffixes to the related page name.