Notion's New Feature: "Notion Automations"

Have you ever found yourself drowning in a sea of tasks, wishing for a magic wand to automate your workflow? What if I told you that Notion has just rolled out a feature that does exactly that? Introducing "Notion Automations," a game-changing feature that allows you to set up sequences of actions triggered by specific changes to a database.

Now, you might be wondering, "How does this work?" or "Is it complicated to set up?" The answer is no, it's not complicated at all. In fact, Notion has made it incredibly user-friendly. Let's dive into the steps you need to follow to create your first automation in Notion.

Creating a Database Automation

Creating an automation in Notion is a straightforward process that can be broken down into a few simple steps. Here's how to do it:

Step 1: Navigate to Your Database

First, open the database where you want to set up the automation. Look for the ⚡ icon on the top right corner of the database; this is your gateway to Notion's automation features.

Step 2: Add Triggers

Click on the ⚡ icon and then click on "+ New automation." You'll be prompted to add a trigger. Triggers are the conditions that initiate the automation. Notion offers two types of triggers:

• Page added: This trigger activates when a new page is added to the database.
• Property edited: This trigger activates when a specific property in the database is edited.

Step 3: Add Actions

After setting up the trigger, you'll need to specify what action should be taken. Actions are the tasks that are automatically performed when the trigger condition is met. Notion offers four types of actions:

• Add pages to another database: This allows you to add new pages to a different database.
• Edit pages in another database: This allows you to edit properties in pages of another database.
• Send Slack notification: This sends a notification to a specified Slack workspace and channel.
• Edit property in this page: This allows you to edit a property within the same database page where the trigger occurred.

Step 4: Finalize and Create

Once you've set up your triggers and actions, click "Create" to finalize the automation. Your new automation is now live and will run whenever the specified trigger conditions are met.

Managing Automations: Keeping Things Under Control

Once you've set up your automations, you might find the need to pause, edit, or delete them. Managing existing automations is just as easy as creating them.

Step 1: Access Your Automations

Click on the ⚡ icon on the top right corner of the database where your automation resides. This will display a list of all the automations you've set up.

Step 2: Choose an Automation to Manage

Hover over the automation you wish to manage. You'll see a "•••" (three-dot menu) appear next to it.

Step 3: Edit, Pause, or Delete

Click on the "•••" and you'll be presented with three options:

• Edit: This allows you to modify the existing triggers and actions.
• Pause: This temporarily disables the automation without deleting it. You can reactivate it later.
• Delete: This permanently removes the automation.

Choose the option that suits your needs, and you're done!

Use Cases

• Assign tasks when their status changes: Imagine you're managing a project with multiple team members. Wouldn't it be great if tasks could automatically be assigned to the right person as soon as their status changes? With Notion Automations, you can do just that.
• Send Slack notifications when a task changes status to "done": If you're using Notion to manage content, you can set up an automation to send Slack notifications whenever a task is completed. This ensures that everyone on the team is immediately aware when a task is completed.
• Automatically Archive Completed Tasks: If you have a "Tasks" database with a status property that can be set to "To Do," "In Progress," or "Completed," you can set up an automation to automatically check the archive checkbox for tasks marked as "Completed" and move them to an "Archived" filtered database. This keeps your active tasks database clutter-free and makes it easier to review completed tasks at a later date.

You can duplicate the template in the image to your workspace from this link!

To sum it up, Notion Automations is not just a feature; it's a productivity powerhouse. If you're a project manager, a content creator, or just someone looking to streamline their workflow, this feature has something to offer. It's like having an extra pair of hands that work tirelessly in the background, ensuring that your databases are always up-to-date and your team is always in the loop.