When you try to group a Notion database view by a specific property, Notion may display the error that grouping is not allowed for that property type. This happens because Notion restricts grouping to only certain property types, such as Select, Multi-Select, and Status. If you attempt to group by a Text, Number, Date, Email, Phone, URL, or Formula property, the option is grayed out or missing entirely. This article explains why the restriction exists and provides a concrete workaround using a formula property to convert unsupported types into a Select property that supports grouping.
Key Takeaways: Fix Notion Group by Property Restriction
- Formula property with if() and concat(): Converts a Text or Number property into a Select-like value that can be grouped in a view.
- Select property type: The only property type besides Status and Multi-Select that supports grouping in Notion databases.
- Group by menu in view settings: Located at the top of a database view; grayed-out options indicate the property type is unsupported.
Why Notion Restricts Grouping by Certain Property Types
Notion’s database engine groups records by discrete values. Properties like Select and Status have a predefined, finite set of options that are ideal for grouping. Text, Number, Email, Phone, URL, Date, and Formula properties can contain infinite unique values, which would make grouping impractical and slow. For example, grouping by a Text property containing names would create a group for each unique name, rendering the view useless. Notion therefore disables the grouping option for these property types to maintain performance and usability.
The workaround is to create a formula property that maps the unsupported property’s values to a new Select property. The formula property is still a Formula type, so it cannot be grouped directly. However, you can use a rollup or a second formula to produce a text string that matches an option in a new Select property. The most reliable method involves using a formula to generate a label and then manually creating a Select property with those labels as options. Once the Select property contains the grouped values, you can group the view by that Select property.
Steps to Create a Groupable Select Property from an Unsupported Type
- Identify the unsupported property
Open the database and locate the property that cannot be grouped. For example, a Text property named “Department.” Note some of the unique values that appear in that column. - Create a new Select property
Click the + icon at the far right of the database header row. Choose “Select” as the property type. Name it “Department Group.” - Add the options to the Select property
Click any cell in the “Department Group” column. Type one of the values you noted from the original property, then press Enter. Repeat for each unique value you want to group by. For example, add “Engineering,” “Marketing,” and “Sales.” - Manually assign each row to the correct Select option
Go through each row in the database. Read the value in the original property, then click the corresponding “Department Group” cell and select the matching option. This step is manual but ensures accuracy. - Group the view by the new Select property
Click the “Group” button at the top of the database view. In the dropdown, select “Department Group.” The view now groups rows by the values that were previously in the unsupported property.
Alternative Method Using a Formula to Generate Select Options
If you have many unique values and want to automate the mapping, you can use a formula property to extract a portion of the original value. For example, from an Email property you can extract the domain using a formula like slice(prop("Email"), find("@", prop("Email")) + 1, length(prop("Email"))). This formula returns the domain part of the email. Then create a Select property and add the expected domains as options. Finally, manually assign each row to the correct Select option based on the formula result. The formula itself cannot be grouped, but the Select property can.
If Grouping Still Does Not Work After Applying the Workaround
Group button is missing entirely
The Group button only appears in database views that support grouping. Table, Board, and Timeline views support grouping. List, Gallery, and Calendar views do not. Switch to a supported view type by clicking the view name at the top of the database and selecting a different view type.
Select property options do not appear in the group menu
Ensure the Select property actually contains values. If a Select property has no options added, it will not appear in the group dropdown. Click into the Select column and add at least one option by typing and pressing Enter.
Grouping by a Formula property directly is still grayed out
This is expected. The workaround requires a real Select property, not a Formula property. The formula is only used to generate labels for the Select property. The grouping is done on the Select property itself.
Notion Property Types: Grouping Support Compared
| Property Type | Supports Grouping | Workaround Available |
|---|---|---|
| Select | Yes | Not needed |
| Multi-Select | Yes | Not needed |
| Status | Yes | Not needed |
| Text | No | Create a Select property with matching options |
| Number | No | Create a Select property with value ranges |
| Date | No | Create a Select property with date categories |
| No | Create a Select property with domain names | |
| Phone | No | Create a Select property with area codes |
| URL | No | Create a Select property with domain names |
| Formula | No | Create a Select property with formula-generated labels |
You can now group any database view by values that were previously restricted. The key is to create a Select property and manually assign the values you need. For large databases, consider using a formula to extract a portion of the original value and then quickly populate the Select property using copy-paste. This approach keeps your original data intact while giving you the grouping functionality you need.