How to Use the prop() Function in Notion Formula 2.0

You want to reference a property value inside a Notion Formula 2.0 expression. The prop() function is the only way to pull data from a database column into a formula. Without prop(), your formula cannot access any property, making it impossible to calculate or transform values. This article explains how prop() works, how to write it correctly, and how to avoid common syntax errors.

What Is the prop() Function in Notion Formula 2.0?

Notion Formula 2.0 is a rewrite of the formula engine. In the original system, you could reference a property by typing its name directly. In Formula 2.0, every property reference must use the prop() function. This change makes formulas more explicit and easier to debug. The prop() function takes one argument: the name of the property as a text string. It returns the current value of that property for the row where the formula is evaluated.

The function is case-sensitive. If you write prop(“due date”) but the property is named “Due Date”, the formula returns an empty result. Notion does not show an error for a mismatched name; it simply returns a null value. This silent failure is the most common mistake when learning prop().

prop() works with all property types: text, number, date, select, multi-select, checkbox, URL, email, phone, and relation. The return type matches the property type. For example, prop(“Price”) returns a number if the Price column is a number property. You can then use number functions like round() or add() on that result.

Prerequisites for Using prop()

Before you write a formula with prop(), confirm two things. First, your database must have at least one property with a defined name. Second, the formula property itself must be set to Formula 2.0. You can check this by clicking the formula property and looking at the editor. If you see a toggle labeled “Use Formula 2.0” at the top of the editor, make sure it is enabled.

Steps to Write a Formula Using prop()

1. Open the database where you want to add the formula
   Navigate to the Notion page that contains your database. Click anywhere inside the database to select it. If you are creating a new formula property, you must be in a database view, not a standalone page.
2. Add a new formula property
   Click the plus sign (+) in the top-right corner of the database. A menu appears. Scroll down and select Formula. A new column appears with an empty formula editor.
3. Enable Formula 2.0
   Click the formula property header to open the editor. At the top of the editor, locate the toggle labeled Use Formula 2.0. Click it to enable. The editor background changes slightly to indicate you are using the new syntax.
4. Type the prop() function
   In the formula editor, type prop(". A dropdown list appears showing all property names in your database. Select the property you want to reference. Notion inserts the exact name, including spaces and capitalization. Close the function with ).
5. Chain additional functions if needed
   After prop() returns a value, you can wrap it with other functions. For example, to convert a number to text, use format(prop("Price")). To add 7 days to a date, use dateAdd(prop("Start Date"), 7, "days"). Type the outer function first, then place prop() inside its parentheses.
6. Test the formula
   After writing the formula, press Enter or click outside the editor. Notion evaluates the formula for every row. Check that the output matches your expectation. If the column shows a blank value, double-check the property name inside prop().

Common Mistakes When Using prop()

Formula Returns Empty or Null Values

This happens when the property name inside prop() does not match the actual column name. Notion treats the property name as case-sensitive text. A single extra space or a wrong letter causes the function to return null. To fix this, open the formula editor and delete the text inside prop(). Then retype prop(" and select the property from the dropdown list. Do not type the name manually unless you are certain of the exact spelling.

Using prop() on a Rollup or Formula Property

prop() can reference rollup and formula properties, but the value you get depends on the source. If you reference a rollup property, prop() returns the aggregated value, not the original linked data. If you reference another formula property, prop() returns the result of that formula. This can create circular references if two formulas reference each other. Notion prevents circular references by showing an error. To avoid this, only reference rollup or formula properties that do not depend on the current formula.

Forgetting to Enable Formula 2.0

If the toggle is off, Notion uses the old formula syntax. In old syntax, prop() is not recognized. The editor may show a red error line under prop(). To fix this, enable the toggle. If you have existing formulas written in the old syntax, enabling Formula 2.0 may break them. You must rewrite those formulas to use prop().

Item	Old Syntax (Formula 1.0)	New Syntax (Formula 2.0)
Referencing a property	Type property name directly, e.g. Price	Use prop() function, e.g. prop("Price")
Case sensitivity	Case-insensitive	Case-sensitive
Error on wrong name	Shows a red error	Returns null silently
Compatibility with new functions	No support for new functions like dateAdd	Full support for all Formula 2.0 functions

Now you can reference any property in a Notion Formula 2.0 expression using prop(). Start by writing a simple formula that returns a single property value, such as prop("Task Name"). Then experiment with combining prop() with functions like format(), contains(), and dateBetween(). A useful next step is to create a formula that calculates days until a deadline using dateBetween(prop("Due Date"), now(), "days").