How to Use Formulas in Notion

Notion is a powerful all-in-one workspace that offers a wide range of features to help you create and organize your digital workspace. One of Notion’s most versatile capabilities is the use of formulas in databases, allowing you to perform calculations and manipulate data right within your workspace.

Formulas in Notion are evaluated on a per-row basis and are useful for computing values such as totals, averages, dates, and even automating tasks based on specific conditions. For aggregations across rows, consider using Notion’s built-in summary functions or rollups. In this article, we’ll explore the basics of using formulas in Notion and provide several useful examples.

Understanding Formulas in Notion

Notion formulas are written using syntax reminiscent of spreadsheet formulas. They let you perform calculations on data within a database and display the results in a dedicated column. Notion uses its own custom formula language with a variety of functions and operators that have been enhanced over time.

Using Formulas in Databases

To employ formulas in Notion, start by creating a new database or opening an existing one. Within the database properties, add a new column and select the Formula type. Once your formula column is added, you can begin writing your custom formulas using Notion’s functions and operators.

Basic Formulas

Notion formulas support a mix of functions, operators, and values. Here are some examples of basic formulas you can use:

• SUM/AGGREGATE: Although the formula column operates on a per-row basis, you can display sums or aggregates at the bottom of the table using the built-in summary functions. For linked databases, rollups allow you to sum numbers across related rows.
• AVERAGE: Use the built-in summary functions to calculate the average of a column. For per-row calculations, you might use mean() on computed values if you’re aggregating within a rollup.
• COUNT: To count items, Notion provides built-in aggregation at the bottom of the column. For conditional counting within a row, you can use formula logic combined with if() statements.
• DATE: To display the current date, use the function now(). For example, writing now() in a formula column displays the current date and time.

Advanced Formulas

Notion’s formula language now supports a range of advanced calculations, including conditional statements, date manipulations, and string operations. Here are some examples:

• Conditional Logic with IF: Use if(condition, true_value, false_value) for conditional calculations. For example,
  if(prop("Status") == "Completed", "Done", "Not Done")
  will output "Done" if the Status property is "Completed" and "Not Done" otherwise.
• Date Differences with dateBetween: To calculate the difference between dates, use
  dateBetween(prop("Start Date"), prop("End Date"), "days")
  which returns the number of days between the Start Date and End Date properties.
• Concatenation with concat: To combine strings, use
  concat(prop("First Name"), " ", prop("Last Name"))
  which merges the First Name and Last Name properties with a space in between.
• Additional Functions: Recent updates have added functions like dateAdd(), dateSubtract(), and mathematical functions such as round() and abs(). These functions allow for more refined calculations and date manipulations.

Implementing Formulas in Workflows

Using formulas in Notion can greatly enhance your productivity and automate numerous tasks within your workspace. Here are some practical examples:

1. Automatically Calculating Totals
   Use summary functions or rollups to automatically calculate totals for numerical data, which is perfect for tracking expenses, sales figures, or other metrics.
2. Conditional Formatting
   Leverage the if formula to apply conditional logic for formatting rows based on specific criteria. For example, you can visually highlight overdue tasks or categorize items based on their status.
3. Date-Based Automations
   Implement date-related functions such as now(), dateAdd(), and dateBetween() to set up reminders for upcoming events or to update properties automatically based on the current date. For more details on setting reminders, check out this guide.

Conclusion

Formulas in Notion offer a robust way to manipulate and compute data right within your workspace. Whether you’re performing straightforward calculations or automating complex workflows with conditional logic and date manipulations, Notion’s enhanced formula features provide the flexibility you need. By mastering the basics of formulas and exploring their advanced applications, you can unlock new levels of efficiency and organization in your digital workspace.