Fix Notion ‘View Cannot Be Shared’ on Database With Restricted Source

When you try to share a database view in Notion, you may see the error message “View Cannot Be Shared.” This happens when the database uses a linked database view that pulls data from a source database with sharing restrictions. The source database may have its sharing permissions set to “No Access” or “Can View” without enabling link sharing for views. This article explains why this error occurs and provides the exact steps to fix it so you can share the view successfully.

Why the “View Cannot Be Shared” Error Appears

Notion databases can be linked to a source database using the “Linked Database” feature. This creates a view that displays data from the source but lives in a different page. When you try to share this view with others, Notion checks the source database’s sharing permissions. If the source database has sharing disabled or set to “No Access,” the linked view cannot be shared. The error occurs because the source database controls the underlying data access. Even if the page containing the linked view has public sharing enabled, the view itself remains blocked if the source does not permit external access.

How Linked Database Views Work

A linked database view is essentially a window into another database. It shows the same rows and columns as the source but can have its own filters, sorts, and display settings. The link is maintained by a unique database ID. When you share the page containing this view, Notion must verify that the source database allows sharing. If the source is a private database with no public access, the linked view inherits that restriction.

Two Types of Sharing Restrictions

There are two common scenarios that trigger this error. First, the source database is in a workspace where sharing is disabled by the workspace owner. Second, the source database itself has its individual sharing toggle turned off. In either case, the linked view cannot override the source’s permission settings.

Steps to Share a Database View When the Source Is Restricted

You have two methods to fix this issue. Method 1 works if you have access to the source database and can change its sharing settings. Method 2 works when you cannot modify the source database or do not have permission to do so.

Method 1: Enable Sharing on the Source Database

1. Open the source database page
   Navigate to the page that contains the original database. This is the database that the linked view pulls data from.
2. Click the Share button
   In the top-right corner of the page, click the Share button (the icon with a person and a plus sign).
3. Enable link sharing
   In the Share menu, toggle on “Share to web” or “Share with workspace” depending on your needs. For external sharing, select “Can Edit” or “Can Comment” from the dropdown menu. Do not select “Can View” because that still blocks view sharing in some cases.
4. Go back to the linked view page
   Return to the page where the linked database view is located. Refresh the page by pressing F5 or Ctrl+R.
5. Share the page again
   Click the Share button on this page. The error should no longer appear. You can now copy the share link or invite specific people.

Method 2: Duplicate the Database to Remove the Link

If you cannot change the source database permissions because it belongs to another workspace or you lack edit rights, duplicate the database to create an independent copy.

1. Open the linked database view
   Go to the page that contains the linked database view you want to share.
2. Click the database menu
   Click the database title at the top of the view. A dropdown menu appears.
3. Select Duplicate
   From the dropdown, choose “Duplicate.” A new database is created on the same page with the same data but without the link to the source.
4. Delete the original linked view
   Hover over the original linked database view, click the six-dot icon on the left, and select “Delete.” Keep only the duplicated version.
5. Share the page
   Now click the Share button. The duplicated database is independent, so no source restriction exists. You can share the page normally.

If Notion Still Shows the Error After the Main Fix

Workspace Sharing Is Disabled by Admin

If the workspace owner has disabled public sharing for the entire workspace, you cannot share any database view externally. Contact your workspace admin and ask them to enable “Allow workspace members to share pages publicly” in Settings & Members > Settings > Workspace > Sharing.

Database Is Inside a Private Page

If the source database is nested inside a page that itself has sharing restrictions, the error persists. Check the parent page’s sharing settings. Open the parent page, click Share, and enable link sharing there as well. The source database must be in a page that is already shared.

Linked View Uses a Filter That Hides All Rows

A different issue occurs when the linked view has a filter that results in zero visible rows. Notion may show a generic error that looks similar. Remove all filters in the linked view temporarily to see if the data appears. If it does, the filter was the problem, not the sharing restriction.

Notion Database Sharing Options Compared

Sharing Setting	Linked View Can Be Shared	Source Database Must Be Shared
Source: No Access	No	No
Source: Can View (internal)	No	Yes
Source: Can Comment	Yes	Yes
Source: Can Edit	Yes	Yes
Duplicated database (no link)	Yes	Not required

This table shows that the only way to share a linked view is to give the source database at least “Can Comment” access. Duplicating the database removes the dependency entirely.

You can now share database views even when the source database has restrictions. Use the source database sharing settings if you have access, or duplicate the database to create an independent copy. As an advanced tip, consider creating a separate workspace for public-facing databases so you never encounter this restriction again.