A Notion database is a collection of pages where every row, card or calendar item is its own Notion page, with properties such as status, dates and people sitting at the top of each one. You create one from a new page by choosing Table, or by typing /database on an existing page, then add properties and views to organise it.
Here's what most small teams miss. As of October 2026, Notion's help says each database can hold up to 250,000 rows and up to 500 properties, the properties on a single page can't go over 2.5MB in total, and the structure of the whole database has a 1.5MB limit. Once you hit those, new changes won't save. Most teams never get close, but a busy CRM with dozens of long select options can, so it's worth knowing before you build.
What a Notion database is, in plain terms
Notion compares a database to a filing cabinet. It's a container for lots of pages, and you see them all at once as a table, a board or a calendar. Open any item and you get a full page underneath its properties, where you can write notes, add images or nest a sub-page.
You can make a database full page, where it shows in your sidebar like any other page, or inline, sitting inside another page with its controls hidden until you hover. To copy one, choose Duplicate, then Duplicate with content or Duplicate without content if you only want the setup. That second option is handy when you want the same tracker for a new client.
The parts you'll use most
| Part | What it does, per Notion's help as of October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Properties | Labels on each page such as text, number, select, status, date, person, checkbox and ID |
| Views | Table, board, timeline, calendar, list, gallery or chart layouts of the same data |
| Filters, sorts and groups | Show only matching items, change their order, or group them by a property |
| Relations | Connect pages in one database to pages in another |
| Rollups | Summarise a property from the related pages, such as a count or a sum |
| Templates | Pre-filled pages with set properties and content, and they can repeat on a schedule |
| Buttons | A property that takes actions for you when someone clicks it |
A few details from the help pages save headaches. Created time, Created by, Last edited time and Last edited by fill themselves in and can't be edited. The ID property gives each item a unique number that can't be changed by hand.
Views, filters and sorts without the confusion
New databases start as a table. Click + next to the database name to add another view, pick a layout and give it a name. Each view keeps its own settings, so a filter on your board won't touch your table.
When you add a filter, you'll see a Save for everyone option. Leave it unticked and the filter only applies to you. Filter groups let you mix AND and OR logic, nested up to three layers deep. You can also choose how pages open in each view: side peek, center peek or full page.
Relations, rollups and linked data sources
Relations connect two databases. Notion's own examples include meeting notes linked to clients and tasks linked to bigger projects. Relations between two databases are one-way by default, and you switch on the matching relation in the other database with the Show on toggle. You can also limit a relation to 1 page, which suits something like one order number per purchase.
Rollups sit on top of a relation. You pick the relation, the property you want from those related pages and the calculation, such as Count all or Sum.
A database can also hold more than one data source. Notion suggests an all-in-one CRM with contacts, companies and deals in one database while keeping them as separate sources. When you link an existing data source, any views, filters and sorts you make won't affect the original. Edits to its title, properties or pages will, though. If you share a page that shows a linked source, the person also needs access to the original database or they won't see it.
Who can change the structure
This is where shared workspaces go wrong. The Can edit content permission, found only on database pages, lets people create, edit and delete pages and change property values. It doesn't let them add or remove properties or views, or lock the database. They can still make linked databases and change views there.
Lock database, in the menu at the top right, stops anyone changing properties and views while they keep editing the data. Anyone with editing access can switch the lock off again, so treat it as a guard against accidents, not security.
For column-level control, property access is available on Business and Enterprise plans as of October 2026. You need Full access to the database, you set it up on web or desktop, not mobile, and you can add a max of 20 properties with permissions. People with Full access are never restricted by a column rule, so always test with someone who doesn't have it.
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Set up your first team database
- Create a new page and select Table under Get started with, or type /database on an existing page.
- Choose New empty database, link an existing data source, build with Notion AI or start from a template.
- Click New page to add your first item, such as the first task you want to track.
- Add properties, for example a status property and a due date property for a task tracker.
- Add a second view, such as a board grouped by status, and give it a clear name.
- Open the dropdown next to New, select New template and set the properties every new page should start with.
- Click Share and decide who gets Can edit content instead of full editing access.
One warning on templates from Notion's help: don't fill in a relation property inside a template unless you want every page made from it to link to the same page. Templates also only live in the database you made them in, and there's no limit on how many you can create.
Keeping a big database fast
Notion lists three things that slow a database down: lots of pages, lots of visible properties, and sorts or filters on title, text, formula or rollup properties. Its fixes are simple. Filter on simple properties such as select, status, number and date. Hide properties you don't need in a view. Avoid chains of formulas that depend on rollups. And rather than putting lots of inline databases on one busy page, put each in its own page and use one linked database with views pointing at each source, so only one view is listening for updates at a time.
If you delete a property to free up space, you can restore it from Edit properties, then Deleted properties. Once you permanently delete it, the data's gone for good. If you want rules that run on their own when something changes, my guide to how Notion automations work covers triggers and actions, and I've also written up building a form from a Notion database.
My take on Notion databases
I'd build your team's tasks, clients and content plan as Notion databases if you want everything in one workspace and you're happy to spend an hour setting up properties and views. I'd keep it to a handful of properties per database and use views instead of copies. I'd skip the fancy formula chains until the basics work, because they're the first thing to slow down. If you need column permissions, check the plan first: that one's Business or Enterprise only.
A well-built database is where team automation starts, because buttons and rules need clean properties to work on. I run AI training and workshops for teams, and help businesses with AI enablement and workflow automation, so the busywork runs itself and people get time back. Most of that work is with SaaS marketing teams and small businesses. Here's how we can work together.
Frequently asked questions
How many rows can a Notion database hold?
As of October 2026, each Notion database can hold up to 250,000 rows. You'll see a warning as you approach the limit, and at the limit you can't add new rows.
How many properties can a Notion database have?
Each database can have up to 500 properties. If you reach that, you can't add new ones until you remove some.
Can I stop my team changing database properties?
Yes. Give people Can edit content access so they can edit pages but not properties or views, or switch on Lock database. Anyone with editing access can switch the lock off again.
Are Notion database templates shared across databases?
No. Templates only exist in the database where you created them, though you can make as many as you want.
Are database buttons on the free plan?
Database buttons are available on all plans, but some button actions, such as Send mail to and Send webhook, are only on paid plans.
