How to Use Relations & Rollups in Notion (Explained Simply!)

I remember the first time I opened Notion and saw the endless possibilities—the clean, blank pages, the customizable databases, the promise of ultimate organization. It felt like discovering the secret to productivity bliss. But then… I encountered Relations and Rollups.

At first glance, they were intimidating. What are these mysterious database properties? Do I really need them? Can’t I just use plain text and call it a day? But trust me, once you understand them, everything clicks into place, and your Notion setup becomes a well-oiled machine.

If you've stumbled upon Relations and Rollups but aren’t quite sure how they work, you’re in the right place. Let’s break it down together, as simply as possible.

What Are Relations in Notion?

Think of Relations as connections between different databases. If your Notion setup were a giant family tree, Relations would be the lines linking relatives. They allow you to link an entry in one database to an entry in another, making information more interconnected and easier to navigate.

For example, imagine you have:

• A Projects database where you track ongoing tasks.
• A Clients database where you store details about people you work with.

With a Relation, you can connect each project to a specific client, so you always know which client goes with which project—without retyping their name every time. It’s a small setup tweak that saves SO much time.

How to Set Up a Relation

Let’s say you want to connect your Projects and Clients databases.

1. Open your Projects database and click on a column header to add a new property.
2. Choose Relation as the property type.
3. Select the other database you want to link (in this case, your Clients database).
4. Now, when you add or edit a project, you can link it to a specific client by selecting their name.

And just like that, your databases are talking to each other! This keeps things dynamic, linked, and easy to track—no more scanning lists or manually cross-referencing.

What Are Rollups?

Now, Relations are great on their own, but Rollups take things to the next level. A Rollup pulls in specific data from a Related database and displays it in a way that’s actually useful.

Let’s go back to our Projects and Clients example. Maybe you want to see how many projects each client has in progress. Instead of counting manually (no, thank you), a Rollup can do this for you.

How to Set Up a Rollup

1. Go to your Clients database (the one receiving the info).
2. Add a new property and select Rollup.
3. Choose the relation that links to your Projects database.
4. Pick what information you want to pull in (for example, the project name or the status).
5. Select how you want it displayed—maybe a count of active projects or a list of project names.

Now, every time you open the Clients database, you’ll see a neat summary of their projects automatically. It’s like having an assistant whisper valuable insights in your ear without you having to lift a finger.

Why Should You Use Relations & Rollups?

If you’re still wondering if they’re worth the effort, here’s what they bring to the table:

1. They Keep Your Data Connected

Instead of duplicating information across multiple places, everything stays linked. Updating a project name? It auto-updates everywhere it’s related.

2. They Save You Time

No more manual cross-referencing. If you need to see how many unfinished tasks you have per project, a Rollup can calculate that instantly.

3. They Improve Organization

Your Notion workspace becomes much more like an actual system, where data flows naturally instead of getting lost in a maze of disconnected tables.

4. They Are Surprisingly Fun to Set Up

Okay, maybe "fun" is a stretch, but once you see the magic of interconnected data, you might actually enjoy tweaking your setup.

Real-Life Use Cases

To give you a few ideas on how Relations and Rollups can supercharge your Notion experience, here are some setups I’ve found life-changing:

🔹 Content Planning

If you manage a blog, podcast, or social media schedule, you can link a Content Calendar to a Topics database, so each post is connected to its focus topic. A Rollup can then show when each topic was last covered.

🔹 Personal Finance Tracker

Love keeping an eye on your budget? You can link Transactions to a Category database (Groceries, Bills, Entertainment, etc.), then use Rollups to see monthly spending totals per category.

🔹 Habit Tracker with Monthly Summaries

If you have a Daily Habits tracker, you can relate each entry to a Monthly Review database and use Rollups to count how many days you exercised, journaled, or meditated each month.

Whatever you track, if you need a way to consolidate information across multiple places, these two tools are the answers.

Common Pitfalls (And How to Fix Them)

Even though Relations and Rollups are game-changers, they can feel confusing at first. Here are some common frustrations and how to handle them.

❌ “I Don’t See Any Data in My Rollup!”

If your Rollup is empty, it's likely because:

• The Relation isn’t set up correctly. Double-check that there are actual linked entries.
• You picked the wrong property to roll up. Make sure you're pulling data from a property that actually exists in the related database.

❌ “I Can’t Figure Out What to Roll Up”

Start simple! Try rolling up something obvious (like counting related tasks) before diving into more complex setups.

❌ “I Keep Adding the Same Information in Multiple Places”

This usually means you’re not fully using Relations yet. If you’re manually entering data that could be linked, pause and rethink your database structure.

(P.S.—I definitely went through these struggles myself, so if this happens, don’t worry, you’re not alone!)

Final Thoughts

Here’s the best part: Once you wrap your head around Relations and Rollups, you start seeing ways to use them everywhere. Your Notion setup stops feeling like a collection of isolated lists and starts resembling a true second brain—one that works for you instead of against you.

So, if you've been hesitant to try these features, give it a go! Pick two databases and link them, even if just for practice. The moment you see information flowing seamlessly, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it.

Let’s make Notion work smarter, not harder. You got this!