Notion (private beta)

Notion is a versatile tool that combines note-taking, project management, and relational database capabilities. This makes it a more powerful data management solution than simple spreadsheets, allowing you to store all your data in one place and streamline workflows and collaboration.

Using Notion databases for your Softr application, you can easily build Client Portals, Internal tools, and other business apps to:

To create an app using a Notion database, the first step is to add Notion as a data source in Softr. You can do this either through the Data Sources section of the Softr dashboard or by adding a new data source directly to a block within your application.

After selecting Notion as the data source, you’ll be redirected to the Notion Authorization page. On this page, select the workspace and top-level pages containing the databases you wish to connect to Softr.

To finalize the connection, click the "Allow Access" button to grant Softr permission to access your Notion account.

Now that Notion is connected as a data source, you can use it to power new or existing applications in Softr. You can map Notion data to various Softr blocks, such as a List block.

Once you select the Notion database, the pages within that database will display as individual records in your application.

Once your data source is connected to a block, you can map individual fields to display the desired information.

In Notion, properties are essentially the columns in the database, with each property having a predefined type, such as Files, Status, Date, and more. Similarly, Softr offers a variety of field types to choose from when displaying your data. It's important to select the appropriate field type when mapping fields from Notion to Softr.

For example, in the image below, we’ve mapped a File property from Notion to an Image field type on Softr’s List block to display photos.

You can learn more about Softr field types in the List block overview.

Most fields that can be edited in Notion are also editable in Softr. However, there are exceptions. Fields that are automatically generated by Notion, such as Rollup and Formula, can be displayed but not edited within Softr.

The Relation property in Notion is essential for creating a relational database. It allows you to link records from one database to another, enabling seamless display of related information across your boards.

For example, if you have two Notion databases—Clients and Projects—you can add a Relation property to Clients to link it with Projects. This lets you easily display all projects associated with a specific client.

In Softr, you can display Relation fields within a List Detail block and use them in Edit/Add Record Action buttons.

Conditional filters allow you to display specific records based on set conditions. This feature is especially useful when showing related records between databases. For example, if you have a "Client Detail" page, you can display a list of projects related to a specific client.

However, due to limitations in the Notion API, Relation fields cannot be directly used as filtering conditions. To work around this, we recommend adding a Rollup field based on the Relation field, which you can use for filtering.

Sub-items in Notion enable you to add extra layers of detail to your database items. You can sync these sub-items to your Softr application and display them as a Linked List.

When adding a List block to display sub-tasks on a detail page, you’ll have the option to specify whether your database contains sub-items and how you’d like them to be displayed:

If you choose Sub-items, you must identify the parent field for each sub-item. In this case, only the sub-items will be displayed and automatically filtered by the Task details being viewed.

With this private beta launch, we don’t offer Softr templates yet. As a workaround, you can use Softr templates by copying data to a free Airtable account or Google Sheets. Then, you can remap app blocks to connect to Notion.