Database buttons

Database buttons are a type of database property that automates your workflows. For example, you could use a button to approve a document or mark a daily habit as complete. When a database button is clicked, it’ll take actions on your behalf to save you time.

• Database buttons are available on all plans, but certain database button actions are only available on paid plans. You can learn more below →

• If someone has Full access or Can edit permissions in a database, they can create and edit database buttons.

• If someone has Full access, Can edit, or Can edit content permissions in a database, they can click database buttons.

To add a database button property:

1. Select ••• at the top right of your database → Properties → New property → Button.

2. Add a label for your button, like Approve or Complete.

3. Select Edit automation.

4. Select New action and choose an action. Learn more about button actions below →

5. Add more actions if you’d like, then select Save.

As you set up your button actions, you can pull in certain pages, people, and more by using mentions and formulas. To do this, select @ in the field if you want to include a date, person, page, or group. Select ∑ in the field if you want to create a formula. Learn more about using mentions and formulas below →

• Edit property will edit the properties of pages in the database you are currently in.

• Add page to will add a page to a database of your choosing, and edit the properties of that page.

• Edit pages in will edit pages and properties in a database of your choosing.

• Send notification to will send a notification to specific people in your Notion workspace. Your recipient can be up to 20 people in your workspace, or people who are associated with a certain People property in your database. Add a message that you want to go along with the notification.

• Send mail to will send an email from your Gmail account to one or more recipients. This action is only available to users on paid plans. Learn more about this below.

• Send webhook will send an HTTP POST requests to the specified URL. This action is only available to users on paid plans. Learn more in this article →

• Show confirmation will open a small confirmation screen anytime someone clicks the button. For example, you can use it to show a warning before a page or database is changed by the button.

• Open page or URL will open a selected page or link. If you choose to set the button to open a Notion page, this could be an existing page or a page that’s created within the button itself.

• Send Slack notification to will send a notification to the Slack channel you want.

• Define variables will allow you to create a custom variable using mentions and formulas. You can then use this variable in other database button actions. Learn more about this below.

The Send mail to action for a database button will send an email from your Gmail account to one or more email addresses when a trigger occurs. This is helpful if you want to send an email to someone to remind them to complete their past-due task, or to update your team on the status of all of your open projects.

To set up a button to send an email:

1. Select ••• at the top right of your database → Properties → New property → Button.

2. Select Edit automation.

3. Select Add action → Send mail to….

4. If your Notion account is already tied to a Gmail account, you’ll see your email address next to Send mail from. If you want to use another Gmail account for this automation, click on your email address → Add Gmail Account.

5. You can set up various parts of your email:

   • To: This could be a person property (like Whoever triggered or Page creator), a person in your workspace, or a specific email address. This email address can be external — it doesn’t have to belong to someone in your workspace or your organization.

     • Select CC/BCC next to the To field to optionally CC or BCC other people.

   • Subject: Enter a subject for your email. Select @ in the Subject field if you want your subject to contain a property from your trigger page, a time or date, a person or group in your workspace, or a link to a page in your workspace. Select ∑ in the Subject field if you want to create a formula for your subject.

   • Message: Enter a message for your email. Select @ in the Message field if you want your message to contain a property from your trigger page, a time or date, a person or group in your workspace, or a link to a page in your workspace. Select ∑ in the Message field if you want to create a formula for your message.

   • Send with display name: This optional display name will appear next to your email when your recipient receives it. Select @ in the display name field if you want your display name to contain a property from your trigger page, a time or date, a person or group in your workspace, or a link to a page in your workspace. Select ∑ in the display name field if you want to create a formula for your display name.

     

   • Send replies to: If you want replies to your email to be sent to someone other than the email address you used to send it, you can use this optional setting to send the reply to a person property, or a person in your workspace.

You can define a custom variable with mentions and formulas. You can then use this variable in other database button actions. To define a variable:

1. Select ••• at the top right of your database → Properties → New property → Button.

2. Select Edit automation.

3. Select New action → Define variables.

4. Click on Variable 1 to give the variable a name, edit the formula, or duplicate it. You can also select Add variable.

5. Select @ or ∑ in the variable field to define your variables.

6. You can use these variables in additional button actions.

You can use mentions and formulas in your button actions to make your automations work better for you. For example:

• You might want to mention the date in the name of a new page that your button creates in a particular database.

• You might want to set up a button to send a notification to someone that mentions a specific page in your Notion workspace.

To include a mention or formula in a database button automation action:

1. Select ••• at the top right of your database → Properties → New property → Button.

2. Select Edit automation.

3. Find an existing action or select Add action.

4. As you set up the button action, select @ in the field if you want to include a date, person, page, or group. Select ∑ in the field if you want to create a formula.

5. Select Save.