Whenever someone asked me what has been THE game-changing Notion tip I've learned over the years, it would be the Relations & Rollup properties. I've never looked back since.
If you're just starting out with Notion, formulas, and databases might seem overwhelming to you, but it doesn't have to be. This simple tutorial will tell you what these properties are, the benefits of these properties, and what they can be used for.
What are Relations & Rollup Properties in Notion?
Before diving into the benefits of these properties, let's first understand what Relations & Rollup properties are in Notion. Relations and Rollup properties are two types of properties available in Notion databases.
Relations properties
Relations allow you to link records from one database to another. This is useful for creating relationships between items and displaying related information in a centralized view.
rollup properties
The Rollup propertie enables you to aggregate and summarize data from linked records in another database. Display only the information you want, such as a sum, average, or count of a specific properties.
Benefits of Relations & Rollup Properties
The primary benefit of using Relations and Rollup properties is the ability to create a powerful relational database in Notion. This means that you can connect and view data from multiple databases all in one place. Here are a few other benefits:
1. Easy & improved data management
The biggest value of these properties is how it easily manages data from multiple databases in one place. This means you don't have to switch between different spreadsheets or databases to view or update data. This also provides you with an understanding of the relationships between different records, making it easier to understand and analyze your data.
2. automated data collection
The Rollup Properties can automatically collect and summarize data from linked records, which saves time and reduces the risk of errors. This means you can spend less time entering data and more time analyzing it.
3. CUSTOMIZABLE & VERSATILE
These properties are adaptable to your specific needs and can be used for a wide range of applications. Here, I'll show you how:
Use cases for relations & rollup
Project management
As a project manager, you will probably have different databases for tasks, team members, and timelines. By using these properties, you can link tasks to timelines and display important information such as deadlines and progress in a centralized view.
Content creation
If you're creating content, you might have different databases for your ideas, drafts & published articles. By using these properties, you can link ideas to drafts and published articles, and display information such as word count and publication date in a centralized view.
APPLICATION
Step 1: create two (or more) databases
Before using these properties, you should have at least 2 databases in your workspace.
Step 2: add relations property
In this example, I'm looking to track the progress of my ongoing projects which are related to my daily tasks.
This is where I use the Relations property on my Tasks database to link to my Projects database. I turned on the settings to show Projects because I would also like to refer to the Tasks database there as well.
Step 3: add rollup property
As mentioned, the objective is to track my Project progress based on the tasks completed daily. This is why on my Projects Database, I added the Rollup property and relate it to the Tasks relations to track progress.
In the settings for the Rollup property, the relation is to Tasks, and the property is based on the Progress column of the Tasks database. I've also decided to calculate the average percentage of subtasks so the progress will never be more than 100%.
It's as simple as that! By using the Relations and Rollup properties in Notion, you can create a powerful and automated relational database that can help you streamline your workflow and increase productivity. Furthermore, many pre-set templates use the Relations and Rollup properties. Understanding how these properties work can unlock so much potential when it comes to streamlining your work.
Whether you're managing projects, tracking customers, or analyzing data, these properties can help you save time and make better decisions. So why not give them a try and see how they can transform your Notion experience?