How to Aggregate Calculations in a Notion Database Footer

Notion database footers let you see quick totals, averages, and other summary values without writing formulas. When you have a database with numeric columns, the footer row shows aggregate calculations automatically. This article explains how to enable the footer row, select the correct aggregation function, and troubleshoot cases where the footer does not display the expected result.

What the Notion Database Footer Does

The footer row appears at the bottom of a database view in Notion. It displays aggregate calculations for the column above it. When you enable the footer, each column shows a default count of all rows. You can change that to sum, average, minimum, maximum, or several count variations. The footer works in table, board, calendar, gallery, list, and timeline views. It does not work in the database itself — only inside a view.

The available aggregation functions depend on the column type. Number, formula, and rollup columns support Sum, Avg, Min, Max, Count, Count values, Count unique values, Count empty, and Count not empty. Text, select, and date columns support only the five count options. The footer recalculates automatically when you add, edit, or delete rows. It also respects any filters applied to the view, so the aggregate only includes visible rows.

Prerequisites Before Using the Footer

You need a Notion database with at least one row. The database must be in a view that supports footers — all standard views do. You do not need a paid Notion plan. The footer feature is available on Free, Plus, Business, and Enterprise plans. No setup or formula writing is required.

Steps to Enable and Configure the Footer Aggregation

Follow these steps to add a footer to a database view and choose the aggregation type for each column.

1. Open the database view you want to edit
   Navigate to the page that contains your database. Click the view tab at the top of the database — for example, the table view or board view. The footer is configured per view, not per database.
2. Open the properties menu
   Click the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner of the database view. Select Properties from the dropdown menu. The Properties panel opens on the right side of the screen.
3. Enable the footer toggle
   In the Properties panel, scroll down to the Footer section. Toggle the switch to Show footer. The footer row appears at the bottom of the database view.
4. Click a footer cell to see available aggregations
   Scroll to the bottom of the database view. Click any cell in the footer row. A dropdown menu appears with all aggregation options for that column type.
5. Select the aggregation function
   From the dropdown, choose the function you need. For a number column, common choices are Sum, Avg, Min, or Max. For a text column, you see Count all, Count values, Count unique values, Count empty, and Count not empty. The footer cell updates immediately to show the result.
6. Repeat for other columns as needed
   Click each footer cell and set the aggregation independently. You can mix different functions across columns in the same footer row.

Common Mistakes and Limitations

Users often encounter a few predictable problems when working with database footers. The following sections explain each issue and how to resolve it.

Footer Does Not Show Any Value

If the footer row is visible but shows a dash or empty value, the column type does not support the selected aggregation. For example, a text column cannot show a sum. Click the footer cell and choose a count option instead. Also check that the view has at least one visible row. If the view has an active filter that hides all rows, the footer shows no data.

Footer Shows Wrong Total After Filtering

The footer aggregates only the rows visible in the current view. If you apply a filter, the footer recalculates based on the filtered set. To see the total for all rows, remove all filters or create a separate unfiltered view. To check whether a filter is active, look at the top of the database view — a filter tag appears next to the view name.

Footer Does Not Update After Editing a Row

The footer recalculates automatically in most cases. If it does not update, refresh the page by pressing F5 or closing and reopening the browser tab. If the problem persists, the column may be a rollup or formula that references another database. Rollup and formula columns update only when the source data changes. Edit the source row in the linked database to trigger a recalculation.

Cannot Change the Aggregation of a Formula Column

Formula columns support the same aggregation functions as number columns: Sum, Avg, Min, Max, and the count variants. If the formula returns a text string instead of a number, the footer treats it as text and shows only count options. Ensure the formula outputs a number by wrapping the result in toNumber() or by using arithmetic operators.

Notion Database Footer Aggregation Options Compared

Aggregation Function	Works With Number Columns	Works With Text Columns
Sum	Yes	No
Average (Avg)	Yes	No
Minimum (Min)	Yes	No
Maximum (Max)	Yes	No
Count all	Yes	Yes
Count values	Yes	Yes
Count unique values	Yes	Yes
Count empty	Yes	Yes
Count not empty	Yes	Yes

You can now enable the footer row in any database view and select the aggregation that fits your data. For a monthly budget tracker, set the cost column to Sum and the date column to Count values. If you need to see the average of a formula that calculates profit margins, change the formula to output a number and select Avg in the footer. This feature eliminates the need for manual calculations and helps you review key metrics at a glance.