Hey everyone! It's Miyavi from Small Wins. π
Ever tried using formulas in your Notion databases?
I'll be honest - when I first encountered Notion formulas, I thought to myself, "Oh my goodness, these look impossibly complicated!"
But you know what?
After diving deep into them, I was amazed by how much these formulas could actually do!
Sure, the advanced stuff still feels like solving math problems, but trust me - the satisfaction of cracking the perfect formula is absolutely worth it!
Today, I'm super excited to share with you my top 5 beginner-friendly formulas that I find incredibly useful. I'll include real-world examples that you can implement right away to level up your Notion database game. πͺ
π New to Notion Formulas? Start Here!
What Are Notion Formula Properties?
Think of Notion formula properties as powerful tools that can calculate, manipulate, and format data from other properties in your database.
Formula Basics You Should Know:
- When writing formulas, always wrap text in "quotation marks"
-
Formula structure = formula name + parentheses () + instructions inside. For example: length("hello") is a counting formula:
- Formula name: length
- Parentheses + instruction: ("hello")
- This formula counts the letters in "". When used with a list or database property containing multiple items, it counts the total number of items.
-
Fun fact: You can write the same formula two ways! Using length() as an example:
- length(list or text)
- list or text.length()
- Pro tip: Use shift+enter to format your formulas with line breaks - it won't affect the formula's function!
- Database properties show up as property names in the formula field, but outside of it, use prop("property name") instead. (Don't worry - Notion automatically converts this when you copy formulas in or out!)
Now, let's dive into those 5 must-know Notion formulas!
1. if / ifs - Setting Conditions
This is like telling Notion: "If the condition is true, show 1; if not, show 2."
For multiple conditions, use ifs():
ifs(
condition1, 1,
condition2, 2,
condition3, 3
)
I love using this in my task database to categorize tasks.
Here's my go-to formula for instantly identifying overdue and due-today tasks:
ifs(
today() > due_date, "Overdue",
today() < due_date, " ",
today() == due_date, "Due Today"
)
2. let / lets - Creating Variables
Think of "let" as your way of creating shortcuts.
In plain English, you're telling Notion: "Hey, from now on, when I say 'b', I mean 'today()', so I don't have to type out the whole thing every time!"
Just like if/ifs, use let() for one variable and lets() for multiple variables.
Let() and if() are often used together:
3. length - Counting Items
The length() formula is my go-to for counting letters or items in a list.
I particularly love using it to count related items in a database.
For example, in my summary board database that tracks tasks, I use it to count overdue and due-today tasks.
Super helpful for staying on top of things!
4. round - Rounding Numbers
Ever noticed how Notion shows way too many decimal places by default?
That's where round() comes to the rescue!
Here's how to control those decimal places:
- round(calculation) β‘οΈ No decimals
- round(calculation *10)/10 β‘οΈ One decimal place
- round(calculation *100)/100 β‘οΈ Two decimal places
- round(calculation *1000)/1000 β‘οΈ Three decimal places
This is especially crucial when you're using progress bars - it makes everything look clean and professional!
5. dateBetween - Calculating Time Spans
dateBetween(first_date, second_date, "days")
This formula calculates the time between two dates. You can use:
- Time points: now(), today(), or parseDate("2024-12-31")
- Time units: "years", "quarters", "months", "days", "hours", "minutes"
Perfect for tracking project deadlines or calculating time remaining on tasks!
I absolutely love exploring Notion database formulas.
They're like little magic spells that unlock endless possibilities.
If you're just starting out with formulas, try these five and see what creative solutions you can come up with!
Let your imagination run wild π₯
I hope you enjoy this issue. Have a nice day! βΊοΈ
Miyavi from Small Wins
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