Notion databases with Gallery view allow you to display a large preview image on each card. However, when you try to set an Image property as the card header, the option is missing or does not apply. This happens because Notion’s Gallery view header is designed to show a file attachment of type image, not a separate Image property column. This article explains the exact technical limitation, provides the correct method to display images on Gallery cards, and covers related configuration pitfalls.
Key Takeaways: How Gallery Card Headers Work in Notion
- Gallery view > Card Preview > Card Size: Controls whether the card header shows a large image, small image, or no image at all.
- Files & Media property (not Image property): Only a Files & Media property that contains an image file can serve as the card header image in Gallery view.
- Page cover image (not property): If no Files & Media property exists, Notion uses the page’s cover image as the card header.
Why Notion Gallery Cards Cannot Show an Image Property as Header
Notion databases have several property types: Text, Number, Select, Date, Files & Media, and Image. The Image property type stores a single image URL or uploaded image file. However, Notion’s Gallery view does not read from the Image property when deciding what to show in the card header area. Instead, Gallery view looks for a property of type Files & Media that contains at least one image file. If such a property exists, Notion displays the first image from that property as the card header. If no Files & Media property with an image is present, Notion falls back to the individual page’s cover image. This design is intentional: the Image property is meant for inline display inside a page, not for card-level previews. The Gallery view header system is optimized for file attachments that can be resized and cropped without affecting the original image data.
The Technical Root Cause
When you create a database property of type Image, Notion stores the image as a reference to a URL or an uploaded file. But the Gallery view’s rendering engine does not query properties of type Image when building the card header. It only checks for properties of type Files & Media. This means even if you have an Image property filled with a valid image URL, the Gallery view will ignore it. The same limitation applies to properties of type Text or URL — they cannot be used as card headers. The only two sources for a Gallery card header image are: a Files & Media property containing an image, or the page’s cover image.
Steps to Display an Image as a Gallery Card Header
To make an image appear in the card header of a Gallery view, you must use a Files & Media property. If you already have an Image property, you need to either convert it or create a new Files & Media property and populate it with the same images.
- Open the database and add a Files & Media property
Go to the database page where the Gallery view is located. Click the + button in the top-right corner of the database to add a new property. Select Files & Media from the property type list. Name the property something like “Card Image” or “Header Image.” - Populate the Files & Media property with images
For each row in the database, click inside the new Files & Media property cell. Upload an image file from your computer, or paste a public image URL. You can also drag and drop an image into the cell. Repeat this for every row where you want a custom header image. - Switch to Gallery view and adjust card settings
If you are not already in Gallery view, click the view switcher at the top-left of the database and select a Gallery view. Click the … (ellipsis) menu in the view toolbar. Choose Card Preview and then Card Size. Select Large to make the header image prominent. Under Card Preview, you can also choose Page Cover if you want to use the page cover instead of the Files & Media property. - Confirm the header image appears
After setting the Files & Media property and adjusting card size, each card should display the image from the Files & Media property. If a row has no image in the Files & Media property, Notion will show the page cover image or a blank space if no cover exists.
If You Still Cannot See the Image in the Header
Image Property Still Shows No Header
If you have an Image property but no Files & Media property, the Gallery card header will remain empty or show the page cover. The only fix is to add a Files & Media property and copy the images into it. Notion does not provide an automatic conversion tool between Image and Files & Media property types. You must manually re-upload or re-link each image.
Card Header Shows Page Cover Instead of Files & Media Image
This happens when the Files & Media property exists but is empty for a particular row. Notion falls back to the page cover image. To fix this, ensure each row has at least one image file in the Files & Media property. If you want to hide the page cover entirely, you can remove the cover from each individual page by opening the page, hovering over the cover area, and clicking Remove.
Gallery View Shows No Image at All
If no Files & Media property exists and no page covers are set, the card header area will be blank. The card will show only the title and properties below. To add an image, follow the steps above to create a Files & Media property and populate it with images. Alternatively, set page covers for every page in the database.
Notion Gallery Card Header Sources: Files & Media vs Page Cover Compared
| Item | Files & Media Property | Page Cover Image |
|---|---|---|
| Source type | Database property of type Files & Media | Individual page’s cover image |
| How to set | Add property to database, upload or link image per row | Open each page, click “Add Cover” or drag image onto cover area |
| Override priority | Higher — if property has an image, it is used | Lower — used only when Files & Media property is empty or missing |
| Supported image formats | JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP, SVG | JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP, SVG |
| Image property compatibility | Not supported — you must use Files & Media | Not applicable |
| Bulk update | Yes — you can paste URLs or upload multiple images at once | No — each page cover must be set individually |
Notion databases with Gallery view cannot use an Image property as the card header. You must use a Files & Media property or the page cover image instead. To fix an existing setup, create a new Files & Media property and transfer your images into it. This ensures every card shows the intended preview image. For advanced workflows, consider using Notion’s API to programmatically populate Files & Media properties with image URLs from your Image property.