Thanks to its long list of features and flexible nature, Notion has become my digital sanctuary — a place where my to-do lists, projects, subscription and finance trackers, and random thoughts exist in organized harmony. Unlike other productivity tools, Notion isn’t straightforward and requires a learning curve. Earlier, I used to struggle with clunky databases, messy pages, and missed deadlines.

Then, I discovered some game-changing Notion hacks that completely transformed my workflow. In this post, I will share those secret Notion tricks to unlock its true potential.

10 Insert page links in headings and titles

Let’s start with some of the basic Notion hacks I wish I knew earlier. While you can insert page links in normal blocks, there is a way to add the same to your headings and titles as well. When you insert a heading, type @page name, and pick one of the options from the suggestions menu.

9 Learn Notion formulas for advanced databases

Learning to use formulas can feel like leveling up your Notion game from casual user to power user. Formulas can automate calculations and data manipulations and save you a ton of time and energy. This is especially crucial in complex databases with tons of information where manual calculations would be tedious and error-prone.

Let me give you a simple example from one of my existing databases. I have created a subscription tracker where I have added the monthly cost of subscription services. Now, I have added a formula for the Yearly Cost column, which calculates the total cost for active services (and skips inactive ones).

if(contains(Status, "Inactive"), 0, if(Billing == "Monthly", Cost * 12, Cost))

8 Drag and drop blocks on a page

This is another straightforward Notion hack for power users. When you want to move specific blocks to a page, you don’t need to go through the manual copy/paste method. You can simply select blocks and drag them to a page where you wish to move.

7 Insert widgets from third-party sources

Are you envious of those beautiful Notion templates from other creators? Well, most of them use third-party widgets to make their Notion pages more aesthetic. Utilizing these widgets doesn’t require rocket science. There are several third-party websites like Indify and Widgetbox that let you copy and embed different kinds of widgets to your Notion pages in no time.

6 Create buttons for repetitive tasks in Notion

Notion offers several automation tricks and one such tip is the ability to create buttons for your repetitive tasks. Suppose you want to create a journal entry, project outline, daily tasks, or meeting notes with a pre-defined layout. You can create a button out of it and insert it with a single click only.

1. Type /button and hit Enter.
2. Give it a name, assign an icon, and select New action.
3. Select Insert blocks under the Do this Design block with multiple formatting options like lists, headings, highlighters, tasks, and more.
4. Click Done.
5. You can now duplicate or copy this button to relevant pages and insert relevant blocks with a single click only.

5 Create database automation

When you often deal with complex databases in Notion, I highly recommend experimenting with automation rules to create a smooth workflow. For example, when someone changes the task status from In Progress to Drafted, you can choose to receive a notification in a company Slack channel. The possibilities are endless.

1. Open an existing database that you want to automate and select the same at the top. Click New automation.
2. Select when status is set to Completed.
3. Click New action and connect your Slack workspace.
4. Select your Slack channel and click Create.

It’s a must-have feature for project managers who often work with tight deadlines.

4 Grouping in databases

This is another handy trick I wish I had learned earlier. When you have a massive database, you can filter it into categories and groups as well. Here, I have created a subscription tracker, and now I want to check all the active subscriptions related to Productivity.

1. Open a Notion database and click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner. Click Group.
2. Select Category and you are good to go.

I can now see how much I’m spending each month on specific categories like Music, Productivity, TV & Video, and Creativity.

3 Add date range in databases

Do you often work with complex tasks in a database? Instead of just adding a due date, you can insert a date range for better tracking. When you add a Date column, select a cell, and enable the End date toggle. You can now add a start and end date and check the date range in action.

2 Create recurring tasks in Notion

There is no way to generate recurring tasks in Notion. However, you can use this handy trick to get the job done.

1. Open a Notion database. Select New at the top and click Create template.
2. Give it a name and select a category. Click Back.
3. Select the down arrow beside New and pick the template.
4. Click the three-dot menu beside it and select Repeat.

Set your frequency for daily, monthly, weekly, yearly, or a custom schedule, and you should be good to go.

1 Create charts for your Notion database

Here is where Notion truly surprised me. Aside from a long list of database options, you can even insert charts on your Notion page.

1. Open your Notion database, click the + icon and select Chart.
2. Notion inserts a chart based on the available information.
3. Click the three-dot menu, pick one of the chart styles and pick what you want to display on X axis and Y axis.

As always, the customization options are endless here.

Fall in love with Notion all over again

These Notion hacks have completely changed the way I use this incredible tool. Not only have these tips saved me time, but they also boosted my productivity and, honestly, made Notion even more enjoyable. That said, they are just the tip of the iceberg. I encourage you to experiment to discover even more hidden gems within Notion. Check out my dedicated guide if you are looking to use Notion to stay on top of your life.