You want to mention an external Notion member — someone outside your workspace — in a page comment or database property, but the @ mention menu doesn’t show them. By default, Notion only suggests workspace members in the mention list. External guests or collaborators must be added to your workspace as guests before you can mention them. This article explains how to add external members, grant them access to the relevant page, and use the @ mention feature correctly.
Key Takeaways: Adding External Members for Page Mentions
- Settings & Members > Members > Invite Guests: Adds an external person to your workspace as a guest, making them mentionable.
- Page Share button > Invite: Grants the guest access to a specific page so the mention resolves correctly.
- @ followed by the guest’s name: Triggers the mention after the guest is added and has page access.
How Notion Handles Mentions for External Members
Notion’s @ mention system pulls suggestions from the workspace member list. This list includes full members, guests, and bots that have been added to the workspace. If a person is not in this list, Notion cannot resolve their name when you type @. External members — people who are not part of your workspace — must first be invited as guests. A guest is a limited role that can access only specific pages you grant them permission to view or edit.
The guest invitation process has two parts. First, you add the person to your workspace via the Invite Guests option. Second, you share the specific page with them. Without page access, the mention will appear as plain text or will not link to the person’s profile. Once both conditions are met, you can type @ followed by their name and select them from the dropdown.
There is no way to mention a person who has never been invited to your workspace. Notion does not support cross-workspace mentions or email-based mentions. The guest must accept the invitation and log in with their Notion account before the mention becomes active.
Steps to Add an External Member and Use Page Mentions
- Open Workspace Settings
Click your profile picture in the top-left corner of the Notion sidebar. Select Settings & Members from the dropdown menu. This opens the workspace settings panel. - Navigate to the Members Tab
In the left sidebar of the settings panel, click Members. This section lists all current workspace members, guests, and pending invitations. - Invite the External Person as a Guest
Click the Invite Guests button near the top of the page. In the dialog that appears, enter the email address of the external person. You can optionally add a message. Click Send Invite. Notion sends an email invitation to that address. - Wait for the Guest to Accept the Invitation
The guest must open the email and click Accept Invite. If they do not have a Notion account, they will be prompted to create one. After acceptance, the guest appears in your workspace member list with a “Guest” label. - Share the Target Page with the Guest
Open the page where you want to mention the guest. Click the Share button in the top-right corner. In the Share menu, click Invite and type the guest’s name or email. Select them from the dropdown. Choose a permission level — Can Edit if they need to interact, or Can View if read-only access is sufficient. Click Invite. - Type the @ Mention
On the same page, type the @ symbol followed by the guest’s name. The dropdown should now show the guest’s profile. Click their name to insert the mention. The mention appears as a blue linked name that the guest can click to navigate to the page.
If the Mention Still Does Not Work After Adding the Guest
Guest has not accepted the invitation
If the guest has not clicked Accept Invite, their profile does not exist in your workspace. The @ mention will not find them. Check the invitation status in Settings & Members > Members. A pending invitation shows a clock icon. Resend the invitation or ask the guest to check their email.
Page not shared with the guest
A guest who is in your workspace but has no access to the page cannot be mentioned on that page. The mention will appear as plain text or will not link. Go to the Share menu of the page and confirm the guest is listed under Invited. If not, add them using the steps above.
Guest uses a different email address for Notion
The email you used to invite the guest must match the email associated with their Notion account. If they registered with a different email, they will not appear in the mention list. Ask the guest to check their Notion account email under Settings & Members > My Account. Re-invite them using that email.
Guest role is too restrictive
Workspace owners can set guest permissions that limit page sharing. If your workspace settings prevent guests from being added to pages, you will not be able to share the page. Contact your workspace owner to adjust guest permissions under Settings & Members > Security & Permissions > Guest permissions.
Guest vs Full Member: Mention Capabilities Compared
| Item | Guest | Full Member |
|---|---|---|
| Can be mentioned with @ | Yes, after being added to the workspace and the specific page | Yes, immediately after joining the workspace |
| Page access required for mention to link | Yes, must be invited to the page | Yes, must have page access |
| Appears in workspace member list | Yes, with a Guest label | Yes, with a Member label |
| Can see all workspace pages by default | No | Yes, unless restricted by permissions |
| Number of guests allowed per workspace | Depends on plan: Free up to 10, Plus up to 100, Business up to 250 | Unlimited on all plans |
You can now add external Notion members as guests, share the correct page, and mention them using the @ symbol. If the mention fails, verify the guest has accepted the invite and has page access. As an advanced tip, use the Share > Copy Link option to give the guest a direct link to the page after inviting them — this ensures they land on the correct page when they accept the invitation.