Notion Database Views
A view controls how a database displays its entries. The same data can appear as a table, a calendar, or a board. Switching views does not change the underlying data, only how you look at it.
Available View Types
| View | Best For |
|---|---|
| Table | Seeing all details in rows and columns |
| Board | Tracking progress through stages |
| Calendar | Viewing entries by date |
| Timeline | Planning projects across a date range |
| List | Showing a simple scrollable list |
| Gallery | Displaying entries as visual cards |
One Database, Many Views
Picture your data as a single storeroom of boxes. Each view is a different window looking into that same storeroom. Moving a box in one window moves it in every other window too, since every view reads from the same underlying entries.
Same Data, Different Windows
| Data Source | Window 1 | Window 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Task Database | Table View | Board View |
Adding a New View
Click the plus icon next to the existing view tabs above a database. Choose a view type from the menu that opens. Give the new view a name to tell it apart from others, such as My Tasks or Overdue Items.
Board View in Detail
Board view groups entries into columns based on a property, often Status. Cards move between columns as their status changes. This layout works well for tracking a task through stages like To Do, Doing, and Done, giving a quick visual sense of workload at each stage.
Calendar View in Detail
Calendar view places each entry on the date stored in a date property. Entries without a date do not appear on the calendar. This view suits deadline tracking and event planning, showing gaps and clusters of activity at a glance.
Timeline View in Detail
Timeline view displays entries as horizontal bars across a date range, similar to a Gantt chart. Each bar spans from a start date to an end date property. Project managers use this view to spot overlapping tasks and plan resource allocation across a schedule.
Gallery View in Detail
Gallery view shows each entry as a card with an image or a chosen property on top. This view suits visual content, such as a portfolio of designs or a recipe collection. Cards can display a cover image pulled from a file property automatically.
Customizing a View
Each view can show or hide specific columns independently. You can set a different sort order per view. This lets a Table view show every detail while a Board view stays clean and simple, tailored to what each audience actually needs to see.
Practical Example: One Database, Three Views
Build a single Projects database with Status, Owner, and Due Date properties. Add a Table view for a full detail list used by managers. Add a Board view grouped by Status for the team's daily glance, and a Calendar view for deadline tracking across the month.