Notion Database Property Types: A Complete Reference

Notion databases are powerful tools for organizing information, but their flexibility comes from understanding property types. Each property type determines what kind of data a column can hold and how it behaves. This article explains every Notion database property type, what it does, and when to use it. You will learn the differences between text, number, date, relation, rollup, formula, and more.

What Each Notion Database Property Type Does

Notion offers 15 property types for database columns. Each type stores a specific kind of data and provides unique formatting, filtering, and sorting options. Understanding each type helps you design databases that are easy to maintain and query. Below is a detailed breakdown of every property type, including its purpose and common use cases.

Text and Title Properties

The Title property is required in every database. It acts as the primary identifier for each row. You can rename it but cannot delete it. The Text property stores single-line plain text. Use it for short descriptions, usernames, or codes. Both support basic text formatting like bold and italic when editing inline.

Number Property

The Number property stores numeric values and applies formatting. You can choose from Number, Percent, or Currency with a specific symbol. Number formatting includes commas, decimal places, and negative number display. This property is ideal for prices, scores, quantities, or any measurable value.

Select and Multi-Select Properties

Select allows you to choose one option from a predefined list. Multi-Select allows multiple options. Both display as colored tags. You define the options and their colors in the property settings. Use Select for status, priority, or category. Use Multi-Select for tags, skills, or any item that fits multiple categories.

Date Property

The Date property stores a date, time, or date range. You can enable a reminder that sends a notification. Date properties support sorting chronologically and filtering by date ranges like “Past Week” or “Next Month.” Use this for deadlines, event dates, or scheduled tasks.

Checkbox Property

The Checkbox property stores a simple true or false value. It displays as a clickable checkbox. Use it for completion status, approval flags, or any binary condition.

URL, Email, and Phone Properties

The URL property stores a web link and displays it as a clickable hyperlink. The Email property stores an email address and opens the default mail client when clicked. The Phone property stores a phone number and, on mobile, initiates a call. These properties do not validate format; they simply store the text and provide the appropriate action.

Relation Property

The Relation property links a row in one database to a row in another database. You must define the related database and can choose to create a bidirectional relation. Relations enable cross-database queries and are the foundation of Notion’s relational database model. Use them to connect projects to tasks, customers to orders, or any two related entities.

Rollup Property

The Rollup property aggregates data from a related database. You choose a property from the related database and an aggregation function: Count, Sum, Average, Min, Max, Show Original, or Unique. Rollups update automatically when the source data changes. Use them to calculate totals, averages, or counts across related rows.

Formula Property

The Formula property computes a value using Notion’s formula language. Formulas can reference other properties in the same row and perform math, logic, text manipulation, and date calculations. Formula results are read-only. Use them for calculated fields like profit margin, days until deadline, or conditional status.

Created Time and Last Edited Time

Created Time automatically records when a row was created. Last Edited Time records the last modification time. Both are read-only and update automatically. Use them for audit trails, sorting by creation date, or tracking activity.

Created By and Last Edited By

Created By stores the name of the user who created the row. Last Edited By stores the name of the user who last modified it. These are read-only and useful for collaborative databases where you need to know who added or updated information.

File and Media Property

The File and Media property allows you to upload images, PDFs, videos, audio files, and other documents. You can also embed files from external links. Files appear as thumbnails or previews in the database. Use this property for attaching receipts, screenshots, or reference documents to a row.

How to Add and Configure a Property Type

1. Open the database
   Navigate to the Notion page containing your database. Click anywhere inside the database to activate it.
2. Add a new property
   Click the + button in the last column header. A new column appears with the default Text property type.
3. Rename the property
   Click the property name at the top of the column. Type a new name and press Enter.
4. Change the property type
   Click the property name again to open the property settings panel. Click Type and select the desired property type from the dropdown list.
5. Configure type-specific options
   Depending on the type, additional settings appear. For Number, choose format and currency. For Select, add options and colors. For Relation, select the target database. Adjust these as needed.
6. Save and close
   Click anywhere outside the settings panel to save changes. Your new property is now active.

Common Mistakes and Limitations with Property Types

Mixing data types in a single property

Each property type expects a specific format. Putting text in a Number property will cause errors in formulas and filters. Always match the data to the correct property type.

Overusing Rollup properties

Rollups recalculate every time the database loads. Too many Rollups in a large database can slow performance. Limit Rollups to essential aggregations and use formulas or manual calculations when possible.

Creating circular relations

A relation links two databases. If Database A relates to Database B and Database B relates back to Database A, you create a circular reference. This does not break Notion but can cause confusion in rollups and filters. Design relations in a one-directional hierarchy when possible.

Ignoring the Title property

The Title property is always required. You cannot delete it, but you can rename it. Make sure the Title contains meaningful information because it appears in linked database views and rollups.

Using Formula for data that should be a property

Formulas are read-only. If you need users to edit the value, use a standard property like Number or Select instead of a Formula. Formulas work best for calculated values that should not be manually changed.

Notion Database Property Types Comparison

Property Type	Data Stored	Editable
Title	Single line text (required)	Yes
Text	Single line text	Yes
Number	Numeric values	Yes
Select	One predefined option	Yes
Multi-Select	Multiple predefined options	Yes
Date	Date, time, or date range	Yes
Checkbox	True or false	Yes
URL	Web link	Yes
Email	Email address	Yes
Phone	Phone number	Yes
Relation	Link to another database row	Yes
Rollup	Aggregated data from relation	No
Formula	Calculated value	No
Created Time	Row creation timestamp	No
Last Edited Time	Row last modification timestamp	No
Created By	User who created the row	No
Last Edited By	User who last modified the row	No
File and Media	Uploaded or embedded files	Yes

Now you can identify each property type, configure it correctly, and avoid common pitfalls. Start by reviewing your existing databases and replacing any misused property types. For advanced workflows, combine Relation and Rollup properties to build dashboards that summarize data from multiple databases. A practical next step is to create a formula that calculates days between a Date property and today using the dateBetween function.