Notion Databases: Filters and Forcing Functions

Notion lets you add filters to databases in order to see certain content - but that's not all filters can do. Filters can also act as forcing functions, adding default content to new rows as they're created. In this tutorial, you'll learn all about forcing functions in Notion and how to use them.
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⏱ TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - Intro
00:16 - What are Forcing Functions?
00:51 - Date-Based Forcing Function Example
01:52 - Board-View Forcing Function Example
02:33 - Applying a Default Select Property to New Rows
04:02 - Forcing Functions in Ultimate Tasks
05:16 - Properties That Don't Work as Forcing Functions
07:31 - Relation Forcing Function Example
09:15 - Self-Referential Filters in Database Templates
11:32 - More Notion Resources and Templates
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[@arielguaqueta9780]

You are doing a great job teaching Notion. Thank you for your effort. I have learn a lot from you.

[@juani4718]

I would like to see a video explain the "formula funtions" in Notion. Great video Thomas!

[@evilmarc]

Forced functions is so underrated and a lovely feature. Really speeds up all kinds of entries. I notice it mainly for my cookbook and expense tracker.

[@synp_]

Really need forcing functions for web clipper contents!! Thanks to Frank, your videos really help a lot!

[@ThomasFrankExplains]

Agreed - I reached out to Notion support a few days ago to ask for that, and the same for CSV merges (which I care about a lot more personally). If you haven't already, you might also request it so they can prioritize it higher!

[@marinanascimento1804]

you saved my life with the self-referential filter, thank you so much

[@GraceJudson]

THANK YOU for this. I had it set up correctly and ended up completely hosing it through a series of self-inflicted errors. I had to disentangle those - and then couldn't remember how to do the self-referential thing and YAY - you've solved it for me. Phew. Your videos are *so* helpful. Thank you also for going *quickly*! :)

[@marcoaureliorocca]

Very nice!! Thank you!!

[@Wiggs138111]

Thank you , your the man !

[@geoffreyriveros4648]

Without knowing how , I discovered the forcing function on templates by my own, trying to create my "personal project database" . Nice video

[@dakotacooperr]

😂😂😂😂😂😂 "wake up I know your eyes glazed over a little bit" Thomas I love you and your content

[@zvjezdanaagatics4490]

What a great channel for understanding how Notion works! 🙂 I really appreciate your work. 🙏 Is there any possibility to filter a linked database by a rollup?

[@tribetransformers2297]

great videos thank you.. do you have any videos explaining the basics of using advanced filters? i don't understand when to choose empty, not empty, is, is not.. i don't understand how choosing not empty in your example creates a force function..

[@nobodyknows3260]

Forcing functions for rollups is what I need right now. :D

[@ThomasFrankExplains]

That would definitely be cool! But I'm not sure if it's feasible anytime soon, as it would require a filter to literally change the properties of a different row, potentially in a different database.

[@ruhikaradal6880]

Great video, thank you. Is it possible to set up a self relational filter against a property other than the name on a template? I.e. a linked database? So I would like the template to show me items from a linked database which is one of the properties

[@nwilson97]

I've watched all your videos so far. You're the first person to be able to put Notion into perspective for me. I'm working on a variation of your master tasks database and I'm having trouble with forcing functions. Your information here explains how to use them for self-referential and read only properties, but where I'm struggling is to force the name of a relation in the same item as the self-referential name property. Perhaps this isn't supported yet? Are these considered writable properties like you explained?

[@ThomasFrankExplains]

Hmm - do you mean the default Name property that opens the page for that database row? I don't believe it is possible to force that property to have any sort of "variable" default value (such as the name of a Relation). It acts as a sort of Text property, so you can force it to have a hard-set value set in the filter, but that's it. You'd probably have to build something with the API to get around that limitation.

[@nwilson97]

@@ThomasFrankExplains I've confirmed with notion that forcing a non-name property is not possible. What I'm running into is this. I have a master task database, a client database, and a project database. From a client, I create a project and the filter applies the client name to the project as expected. When creating tasks or subtasks from the project level, there doesn't seem to be any automated way to maintain that client relationship on all child items. They're all connected through a chain, so they can be traced back to the client. My goal is to ensure any child items created under the client maintain that property relationship

[@laurakennedy9464]

Quick question - when I try to use a "template" (under the little arrow to the right of the NEW button) in the database I'm already working from, I can't seem to get the forcing functions to apply to that template. Is the only way for forcing functions to work to manually add them? Thanks so much - your videos have been so helpful!

[@HardIsEasy]

I find new Status Property is also not working with forcing functions? Edit: Ah seems like there is something wrong only with "is not" filters with new status

[@Intenzity]

In the Self-Refential filter section @9:25, you have another db with a relation called "Class" and put your templates in there in order for that to work? How do you put Templates in a database and still have them seen by Notion as templates for that db. There is no "class" choice to filter by the Filter menu. Are they just pages you store somewhere else?

[@Farquad123]

Is there a way to force the date to go up by 1 day when you create new items in the database?

[@shivangsingh8810]

Thanks a lot for your awesome videos. Because of your video on dashboards, I was able to replicate it. I hope to customize it to my needs. As a university student, I need access to class notes and the courses which I'm taking along with the preview of the calendar. How do you think I should implement all that. Should I create a new page for University and link it to the dashboard?

[@ThomasFrankExplains]

If I were building this, I'd have a note-taking system with areas for each class, and then I'd probably created a Linked Database or use actual links on my dashboard for each class. I'd also use a Linked Database for the calendar (guessing this is for assignments?)

[@petrkrnavek2420]

Hi, can I ask you? I don't understand the Next due formula from Ultimate Tasks, it's so long and I understand why? Because if I want Recure Task I can use something like this - dateAdd(prop("Due"), prop("Recur Interval - (Days)"), "days"). Can you explain to me, please? Thank you and have a nice day, Pete.

[@ThomasFrankExplains]

The extra logic is there in case the task is overdue and you're completing it after the due date. It does some calculations to see just how far overdue it is (in case it's many multiples of the interval overdue, e.g. two weeks overdue on a task that recurs every 3 days), and then suggests the correct "Next Due" date.

[@notyetforkliftceritified373]

dope

[@Mohammedbasim]

Hi, is there any way to show a databases column sum as a property of another database. For example "vehicle" is a database with a page named cars in its first row. Inside this cars page there is another database which shows "types of cars" and it's price. Now in the "vehicle" database, i want to show the total price of all the cars from the " types of cars" database as a property. Please note: the next row in "vehicle" database would be truck which should show the total price of all the trucks from "the types of truck" database

[@MrEderB]

I'm having trouble using filters with relations when I publish a page. The filters work just fine when I'm accessing them myself, inside my account, but once I publish the page the relation type filters won't work, only filters inside that same database keep working. Maybe you can help me with this issue. Thank you!

[@framerwme]

Hey Thomas, I applied filters to different view of my database. But it doesn't seem to save. When I switch between my laptop and computer. I need to put back the filters. Any solution? Thank you!

[@ThomasFrankExplains]

Did you hit the new "Save for Everyone" button in the right corner that shows when you create the filter? If you don't, I know the filter only applies to you (instead of your whole team). I haven't test this, but it's possible that the filter also only applies to the device you're on. Here are all the details on the new database update: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mmjZkGOepdmgq80

[@framerwme]

@@ThomasFrankExplains Yes I did and I’m the only one using my workspace as of now so maybe it’s because of that. Thank you for your response

[@rejo1479]

Why does that shirt logo look like the logo for the old ska-punk band, The Impossibles?

[@DemetriPanici]

Filter maketh man. I think that's a quote. Maybe not

[@ThomasFrankExplains]

* Free Bird starts playing *

[@mauricioaugustin6301]

I just figure i would love to see some keyboard shortcuts for Notion

[@ThomasFrankExplains]

My video on Notion's writing system goes over those, and links to official docs with more of them! thomasjfrank.com/a-guide-to-editing-and-formatting-text-in-notion-notion-fundamentals/

[@rayflanagan9970]

Have a question in Notion I hope someone can help me. I created a multi-select list of properties but didn't enter them in an alphabetic order. So now, when I try to sort my database (table) by "Property" , it sorts it how I entered them in the multi-select list.... Is there a way (other than clicking and dragging to re-arrange) to alphabetize my list after the fact of entering them non-alphabetically. I find it hard to believe that NOTION would not allow me to edit the property of the multi-select list and not right-click to sort alphabetically. Super frustrating. any help would be greatly appreciated.

[@ThomasFrankExplains]

Hey Ray! Looked into this for you. There's no native option to sort select/multi-select items without manually dragging and dropping them yet, but there are a couple workarounds. The first is to create a Formula property that simply references your Multi-Select property - e.g. prop("Tags"). Then you can sort by the formula property, which outputs a string and will hence be sorted alphabetically. I've created an example for you here: thomasfrank.notion.site/Sort-Selects-and-Multi-Selects-Alphabetically-b66355829c1b455288c10aff3be93344 The only downside is that you'll need to make sure the tags are applied alphabetically on each database row. The other option is to group your database view by the multi-select property. Oddly, when you group by this type of property, the options default to being sorted alphabetically - but only in the grouping configuration. Here's my tutorial on grouping: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3KtgKOFbJiXbrs

[@rayflanagan9970]

@@ThomasFrankExplains appreciate the reply. Thanks. I solved the issue in a roundabout way. I exported my table into a .csv where I sorted the list alphabetically. I then I created another column and made the properties “text”. Pasted the alphabetical list into it and then made the text property a “Multi sort”. I feel I went around my elbow to get to my backside but it worked. I then deleted my original multi sort list after setting the new column to match the orig list. Hope this makes sense? I do hope in the future Notion let’s you simply alphabetize a multi sort list. I really do appreciate it though that you took time to look into it. Thanks a million.

[@Cgluca-Digital]

Hi Thomas, I’m sorry, I’m Italian and my English is not very well. But I want ask to you, Is it possible to insert subtitles in the video in Italian? it would allow me to fully understand your explanations, sorry I understand most but sometimes your speaking is too fast.

[@ThomasFrankExplains]

Hey Giovanni - I wish I could do this, but unfortunately adding non-English subtitles that are professionally created and verified for accuracy is monstrously expensive, especially for this channel where the videos are significantly longer than on my main channel. That said, KZbin's player has speed controls you can use to slow the video down if I'm talking too quickly, and you can use this extension to get more fine-tuned control over the speed: chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/youtube-playback-speed-co/hdannnflhlmdablckfkjpleikpphncik?hl=en-US Hope that helps!

[@dfreshness2006]

I appreciate the content, but don't know why you call it 'forcing function' like it's some fancy feature. It's just the default setting for properties when you put on a filter.

[@ThomasFrankExplains]

When I started using Notion, the use of filters to add default properties to new rows was not obvious to me and it was a really cool revelation. So I feel a dedicated term for communicating it is useful.

[@DodaGarcia]

It still sounds like a major hack tho tbh

[@suneasmussen2650]

I clicked away the very second you tried to manipulate me to stay by telling me what you were gonna tell me later instead of just naming the four properties. Make a good video that viewers can use and we won't click away. Manipulate us to stay and what you are communicating is that you don't believe in your own product - because why would you resort to manipulation if you did...

[@ThomasFrankExplains]

I included a timestamp that takes you directly the exact spot where those properties are mentioned. The fact that you defaulted to assuming it was a manipulation tactic says a lot more about you than it does about me. Sorry my tutorials aren't up to your standards.

[@suneasmussen2650]

@@ThomasFrankExplains Let's agree that this tactic has become really prevalent across KZbin within the last year or so. The competition is fierce and content creators have responded by becoming hyper professionalized using every little trick in the book including, lately, this one. Why don't you and I just silently agree, Thom, that the probability that you did it somehow by chance while everyone is doing it left and right is so fascinatingly close to zero that it's almost interesting in itself?

[@ThomasFrankExplains]

@@suneasmussen2650 ​ nope. I just mentioned it naturally and put a pin in it because I wanted to cover the basic examples first. As I mentioned earlier, my video includes chapter markers so you can skip around and get to the exact place you want right away. All of my videos on this channel have these chapter markers. This video in particular is a technical tutorial. If I truly cared only about watchtime, I would never have made this video - it's hyper-niche and I could have spent the time on a more click-bait worthy topic. Those two obvious facts aside, I'd recommend you familiarize yourself with Hanlon's Razor.

[@suneasmussen2650]

@@ThomasFrankExplains Thanks I'll check him out.