If you run a Notion workspace with multiple teamspaces, you may need every member to have access to a specific teamspace such as Company Wiki or Onboarding Docs. By default, members can join or leave teamspaces freely, which can lead to missed information or access gaps. Notion does not offer a one-click lock that forces membership, but you can achieve the same result using workspace permissions and member management. This article explains the exact steps to make a specific teamspace mandatory for all current and future members.
Key Takeaways: Making a Teamspace Mandatory for Everyone
- Settings & Members > People > Manage Teamspaces: Add every current member to the target teamspace from the People tab.
- Teamspace Settings > Join Behavior > Only Admins Can Join: Prevents members from leaving after you add them.
- Default Teamspace Assignment for New Members: Notion does not auto-join new members to a teamspace, so you must manually add them on join.
Why You Cannot Use a Single Setting to Force Teamspace Membership
Notion treats teamspaces as permission-based containers that members can voluntarily join or leave unless the workspace owner restricts that behavior. There is no built-in toggle labeled “Force all members into this teamspace.” Instead, you must combine two management actions: add every existing member to the teamspace, and then change the teamspace join permission so that only admins can add or remove members. Once you set join behavior to “Only admins can join,” existing members cannot leave that teamspace on their own. New members who join the workspace will not automatically appear in the teamspace, so you must add them manually. This approach gives you full control over who stays in the mandatory teamspace.
How Teamspace Permissions Control Join and Leave Behavior
Each teamspace has a Join Behavior setting located under Teamspace Settings. The default value is “All members can join,” which allows any workspace member to enter or exit the teamspace freely. The option “Only admins can join” means only workspace owners and admins can add people to the teamspace, and once added, members cannot leave unless an admin removes them. This is the closest Notion offers to forced membership. The setting applies to the entire teamspace, not to individual pages inside it.
Steps to Add All Current Members to the Target Teamspace
- Open Workspace Settings
Click Settings & Members in the left sidebar. If you do not see this option, you are not a workspace owner or admin. Only owners and admins can manage teamspace membership. - Go to the People tab
In the Settings menu, click People. This shows a list of everyone in your workspace along with their current teamspaces. - Locate the target teamspace column
Scroll horizontally to find the column named after the teamspace you want to force. Each teamspace appears as its own column. If you have many teamspaces, you may need to scroll right. - Check the box for each member
In the teamspace column, click the checkbox next to every member who is not already in that teamspace. A checkmark means they are a member. An empty box means they are not. Click the empty box to add them. Repeat for every person listed. - Confirm the addition
After clicking the checkbox, Notion immediately adds that member to the teamspace. No confirmation dialog appears. The checkmark fills in instantly.
What to Do If You Have Hundreds of Members
If your workspace has more than 50 members, clicking each checkbox individually is impractical. Notion does not provide a Select All button for teamspace columns. Use the filter option above the member list to sort by teamspace membership. For example, filter by members who are not in the target teamspace, then add them one by one. Alternatively, ask members to join the teamspace themselves from the teamspace sidebar before you restrict join behavior. This reduces manual work.
Steps to Prevent Members From Leaving the Teamspace
- Open the target teamspace menu
In the left sidebar, right-click the teamspace name or click the three-dot icon next to it. Select Settings from the menu. - Change Join Behavior
In the Teamspace Settings panel, find the Join Behavior dropdown. Change it from “All members can join” to “Only admins can join.” - Save the setting
Click Save or close the panel. The change takes effect immediately. Current members who are already in the teamspace cannot leave. New members added later by an admin also cannot leave.
How to Handle New Members Joining the Workspace After You Lock the Teamspace
When a new person joins your workspace, they are not automatically added to any teamspace, including the one you locked. To enforce membership for future members, you must add them manually each time. Follow the same steps in the People tab: open Settings & Members > People, find the new member in the list, and check the box in the target teamspace column. Because join behavior is set to “Only admins can join,” the new member cannot remove themselves. If you want to automate this, consider using Notion’s API to add new members to a teamspace programmatically, but this requires development work and is not available through the standard interface.
If Members Still Show as Not in the Teamspace
Member Was Added but the Checkbox Unchecks Itself
This usually happens when the workspace has reached the member limit for that teamspace. Free plans allow up to 10 members per workspace. Plus and Business plans allow unlimited teamspace members, but the workspace itself has a member cap. Check your workspace plan under Settings & Members > Plans. If you exceed the plan limit, Notion will remove the member from the teamspace. Upgrade your plan or remove other members to resolve this.
Member Leaves the Workspace and Rejoins
If a member leaves the workspace and later rejoins, they are treated as a new member. Their previous teamspace memberships are not restored. You must add them again in the People tab. There is no way to preserve teamspace membership across workspace departures.
Guest Accounts Cannot Be Forced Into a Teamspace
Guest accounts are not workspace members. They are added to specific pages, not teamspaces. The People tab does not display guests, and the Join Behavior setting does not apply to them. If you need a guest to access content in the mandatory teamspace, add them directly to the relevant pages inside that teamspace.
Free Plan vs Plus vs Business: Teamspace Limits Compared
| Item | Free Plan | Plus Plan | Business Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max workspace members | 10 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Teamspace limit per workspace | 1 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Join Behavior control | Available | Available | Available |
| Ability to force membership | Manual only | Manual only | Manual only |
No Notion plan offers automatic forced membership for new members. The manual process described in this article works identically on all plans. If you manage a large team, consider using a template for new member onboarding that includes a step to add the person to the mandatory teamspace. You can also create a workspace-wide announcement in the teamspace that explains why membership is required, which reduces confusion when members notice they cannot leave.