How to Build Notion Database With Status Property and Sub-Group Color

You want a Notion database that tracks tasks or items with a Status property and also shows sub-groups in different colors for quick visual scanning. The Status property in Notion provides predefined options like Not started, In progress, and Done, and you can customize the color of each status value. This article explains how to set up a Status property, configure sub-groups using a second property such as Select or Multi-Select, and apply distinct colors to each sub-group so your database becomes easier to read at a glance.

What the Status Property and Sub-Group Color Feature Do in Notion

The Status property in Notion is a special property type designed for task tracking. It comes with three default options: Not started, In progress, and Done. Each option can be renamed and assigned a color from Notion’s palette of 16 colors plus default gray. When you add a Status column to a database, you can use it to filter, sort, and group items by their completion stage.

Sub-group color refers to applying a second property — typically a Select or Multi-Select — to categorize items further within each status group. For example, you might have a Project or Priority property. When you create a Group view in Notion, you can group by the Status property first and then by the sub-group property. Notion colors each sub-group value with the color you set in the property options, making it easy to distinguish different categories visually.

Before building this setup, you need a Notion workspace and a database with at least two columns: one for Status and one for the sub-group property. The sub-group property must have predefined options with assigned colors. You do not need any third-party integrations or scripts — everything is done inside Notion’s database views.

Steps to Create a Status Property and Sub-Group Color in Notion

1. Open your database in Notion
   Navigate to the page containing your database. If you do not have a database yet, create a new page and type /database, then select Table, Board, or List. Name your database and add at least one row of sample data.
2. Add a Status property
   Click the + button in the last column header of your database. Type Status and select the Status property type from the dropdown. A column named Status appears with three default options: Not started, In progress, and Done. Each option has a default color: gray, blue, and green respectively.
3. Rename and recolor Status options
   Click the Status column header and select Edit property. In the property editor, you see the list of options. Click an option name to rename it — for example, change Not started to To Do. Click the color dot next to each option and pick a new color from the palette. Click Done to save changes.
4. Add a sub-group property
   Click the + button in the last column header again. Type a name such as Department or Priority. Select the Select property type from the dropdown. If you need multiple values per item, choose Multi-Select instead. Click the new column header, select Edit property, and add your options — for example, Sales, Marketing, Engineering. Assign a distinct color to each option. Click Done.
5. Assign values to database rows
   Click into the Status cell of each row and pick the appropriate status. Click into the sub-group cell and select the relevant category. Fill in at least three or four rows with different combinations so you can see the grouping effect.
6. Create a Group view
   Click the + Add a view button at the top left of your database. Name the view Grouped by Status. Choose Table or Board as the view type. In the view toolbar, click Group and select Status from the dropdown. Your database now groups items by their status value.
7. Add sub-group grouping
   In the same Group view, click the Group dropdown again and select Add sub-group. From the list, choose your sub-group property — for example, Department. Notion now displays a second level of grouping within each status section. Each sub-group value shows its assigned color as a label next to the group name.
8. Customize the sub-group color display
   If you want the sub-group name to appear as a colored tag rather than plain text, click the sub-group property header in any row and select Color. You can choose to show the property as a tag with the color you assigned earlier. The tag color appears in the group header and on each card in Board view.

Common Mistakes When Setting Up Status and Sub-Group Colors

Sub-group colors do not appear in the group header

If the sub-group header shows only black text without a color, you likely did not assign a color to the sub-group property options. Open the property editor for the sub-group column. Click each option and pick a color from the palette. The color appears in the group header and on individual items once saved.

Group view shows only one level of grouping

Notion allows sub-grouping only in Table and Board views. If you are using List or Calendar view, the Add sub-group option is not available. Switch to a Table or Board view to enable sub-grouping. Also ensure you have at least two items with different sub-group values inside the same status group — otherwise the sub-group level may appear collapsed or empty.

Status options are locked or cannot be renamed

The Status property options are locked only if you are using a database template that restricts property editing. If you cannot rename or recolor options, check whether the database is part of a teamspace where you have edit permissions. If you are the database creator, click the Status column header and select Edit property to make changes. If the database is shared, ask the owner to grant you full access or duplicate the database to your own workspace.

Notion Status Property vs Select Property for Task Tracking

Item	Status Property	Select Property
Purpose	Track task completion stage	Categorize items by any attribute
Default options	Not started, In progress, Done	None — you define all options
Color per option	Yes — 16 colors plus gray	Yes — same color palette
Supports sub-grouping	Yes — can be the main group	Yes — can be the sub-group
Automation triggers	Works with Notion Automations	Works with Notion Automations

You can now build a Notion database with a Status property and a sub-group property that displays distinct colors for each category. Start by adding the Status column and customizing its options, then create a Select property for your sub-groups and assign colors. Use a Table or Board view with Group By and Add sub-group to see the color-coded hierarchy. For advanced tracking, try adding a Formula property that calculates time spent in each status or a Rollup that counts items per sub-group.