What is Notion?

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So, What is Notion?

Notion has evolved significantly since our original document was written in early 2024. While the core principle of an all-in-one workspace remains intact, the platform has undergone a fundamental shift toward AI-powered automation, making it more powerful—and more distinct from Google Workspace—than ever before.

Following is a comprehensive, updated account of what Notion is and how it is used, now with a step-by-step guide to creating your own templates.

Press ‘space’ for AI, ‘/’ for commands…

Notion is a category-busting productivity and project management tool that combines notes, tasks, databases, and calendar functions into a single platform. It can be classified under the umbrella of productivity software, but its versatility and customization options make it unique and difficult to pin down to a single category.

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Notion: A Comprehensive Overview

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Core Definition

Notion is a powerful all-in-one productivity workspace that defies easy categorisation. It combines the functionality of several dedicated apps into a single, unified platform, including:

• Note-taking (like Evernote)
• Project management (like Trello, Asana)
• Database organisation (like Airtable)
• Document collaboration (like Google Docs)

This integration allows users to create, organise, and manage notes, tasks, wikis, projects, and databases in one place, rather than switching between multiple apps. It is a productivity and collaboration tool designed for both individuals and teams.

Key Characteristics & How It Is Used

1. An All-in-One Workspace (AIO)

Notion serves as a single source of truth for work and personal organisation. A team can use a shared Notion workspace to manage an entire project, including task lists with deadlines, meeting notes, a project wiki, and a database of client files—all within the same environment. This eliminates the need to piece together separate tools for each function.

2. Highly Flexible and Customizable

This is Notion’s standout feature. Unlike more structured tools (like Google Workspace), Notion is built on a block-based system. Every piece of content—a paragraph of text, an image, a to-do checkbox, a database entry, or a video embed—is a “block” that can be dragged, dropped, and rearranged. This allows users to structure their workspace exactly how they want, from a simple journal to a complex company knowledge base or a custom CRM (Customer Relationship Management).

3. For Content Creation AND Organisation

While tools like Google Workspace excel at real-time content creation (documents, sheets, slides), Notion is equally focused on information organisation and project management. Users can build structured databases to track everything from editorial calendars and bug reports to inventory levels and client information.

4. Collaboration for Teams

Notion is a powerful tool for team collaboration. Teams can create shared workspaces where they add tasks, deadlines, notes, and files. While it supports real-time co-editing, its strength lies in structuring collaborative workflows. However, the documents note a significant security consideration: making a page fully public is not recommended. Instead, sharing should be done by granting specific individuals or groups controlled access (e.g., “can edit” or “can view”).

5. Unique User Interface (UI)

Notion offers a distinct user experience based on its block-based approach. This allows users to combine different types of content (e.g., a database, a video, and a text explanation) within the same document. One notable feature mentioned is the ability to press the spacebar to quickly access AI commands and other functions.

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Recent Updates: What’s New in Notion (2025–2026)

Notion has evolved significantly, with a major focus on AI and automation. Here are the most notable updates:

Custom Agents: Automated AI Teammates

Notion has launched Custom Agents, automated AI “teammates” that can run workflows on a schedule or in response to triggers inside the workspace. These agents can:

• Answer repeated questions using knowledge in Notion and connected tools (Instant Q&A)
• Capture incoming requests, prioritise them, and assign them to teams (Task triage and routing)
• Gather updates and deliver reports on a set cadence (Automated reporting)

Custom Agents are available for Business and Enterprise customers. They are free to try until May 3, 2026, after which they will operate on a usage-based model using Notion Credits. Notably, Custom Agents can now be up to 35–50% cheaper to run across the board, with certain models like GPT-5.4 Mini & Nano using up to 10× fewer credits.

AI Advancements

• Multiple AI Models: Notion now supports GPT-5.2, Claude Opus 4.5 (and now Claude Opus 4.6), and Gemini 3, or users can let Auto select the best model for the job.
• Mobile AI: AI Notes and the Notion Agent now work seamlessly on mobile devices, with features like one-tap AI note transcriptions that continue even when switching apps or locking the screen.
• AI Autofill: Powered by Custom Agents, this feature can automatically enrich, extract, and categorise information across database rows, keeping data fresh without manual review.
• AI Meeting Notes: A new block can capture system audio from tools like Zoom, Meet, or Teams and auto-summarise decisions and action items.
• AI Custom Blocks: Saved AI prompts that can be turned into clickable buttons on any Notion page or database template.
• Agent Skills: Users can save their best workflows as “skills” (e.g., drafting weekly updates, reshaping a document in a team’s format) that the Notion Agent can perform on command.

Database & Organisation Enhancements

• Dashboards: A new dashboard view for databases brings together charts, KPIs, and metrics into one beautiful view.
• Redesigned Sidebar: The sidebar is now organised into four new tabs (Pages, Agent chats, Meetings, and Notifications) and is highly customisable.
• Tabs: Pages can now be split into clean sections using the /tabs command, keeping related content together without long vertical scrolling.
• Library View: A full-page view for important content (Teamspaces, Recents, Favourites, Private pages, Shared pages) reduces sidebar clutter.
• Page Archiving: Pages can now be marked as outdated and archived, removing them from search results and sidebar while keeping them accessible.
• People Directory: A pre-built database showing everyone in your workspace, customisable or importable from HR systems.
• Verified Property: The “Verified” property is now available in all databases to track approvals and verifications.

Automation & Forms

• Recurring Automations: Automations can now run on a schedule (daily, weekly, monthly, or custom intervals) without manual triggers.
• Webhook Actions: Automations can now trigger events in external apps like Zapier and Make, unlocking 1,000+ workflows.
• Button-based Notifications: Buttons can now send in-app notifications or customised Gmail emails.
• Conditional Logic in Forms: Notion Forms now support conditional logic, showing follow-up questions based on previous answers.
• Agent-built Forms: The Notion Agent can now build forms in seconds for collecting requests, feedback, and surveys.
• Edit Form Submissions: Users can now edit their form responses without resubmitting an entire form.

Integrations & Other Improvements

• Jira Integration: Improved integration syncs development work from Jira, allowing users to add their own Notion properties alongside it.
• GitHub AI Answers: Notion AI can now search GitHub to surface issues, PRs, and markdown alongside workspace content (beta).
• Asana Integration: The Notion Agent can now find Asana projects and tasks, answering queries like “Show me overdue tasks, grouped by assignee”.
• Notion Mail: Multiple email accounts can now be managed within the same Notion account.
• iOS Shortcuts: Quick actions like “New page,” “Search,” or “Append text” can be created from Apple Shortcuts.
• Performance Improvements: Windows page opening speed increased by 27%, Mac speed by 11%.

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How to Create Notion Templates: A Complete Guide

Notion templates are pre-made pages or databases designed to make your life easier. They help maintain consistency, save time, and provide a structure that might be daunting to create from scratch. Notion offers three distinct methods for creating templates, each suited to different situations:

Method 1: Template Buttons (For Reusable Content Blocks)

Template buttons let you add preformatted content blocks to a page with a single click. This is ideal for adding repeated content like weekly meeting notes or daily project updates.

Step-by-Step:

1. Open the page where you want to add the button
2. Type / to bring up the list of Notion blocks and search for “Button“
3. Give your button a descriptive name (e.g., “New Meeting Notes”)
4. Click “New action” and select “Insert blocks“
5. Design your content layout in the configuration window using headers, bulleted lists, to-do checkboxes, or any blocks you need
6. Choose whether blocks appear above or below the button (select “below” to keep the button accessible)
7. Click “Done” to save

Using the Button: Click the button and all preconfigured content appears instantly. You can freely edit the created content without affecting the original template. To update the template, click the gear icon next to the button.

Method 2: Database Templates (For Standardising New Database Entries)

Database page templates let you configure blocks and properties that populate new database items. This is ideal for standardising data entry across a team.

Step-by-Step:

1. Open the database where you want to add your template
2. Click the arrow next to “New” and select “New Template“
3. Name your template (e.g., “New Blog Post”)
4. Configure the template page with:
   • Default content blocks
   • Property values (e.g., Status set to “To Do”, Assignee set to current user, Tags set to “Bug”)
5. To set up repeating templates, activate the “Repeat” option and define the recurrence (daily, weekly, monthly, or custom), along with start time, end time, and time zone

Multiple Templates: You can create multiple templates for different use cases within the same database by clicking the arrow next to “New” and selecting “+ New Template” each time.

Method 3: Public Templates
(For Sharing with Others)

Public templates enable sharing your designs with others or preparing them for marketplace sales. The Notion Marketplace now features over 30,000 community templates, with successful templates typically selling between $19 and $79.

Step-by-Step:

1. Open the Notion page you want to turn into a template
2. Click on the three dots (…) in the top right corner of the page
3. Select “Turn into template” from the dropdown menu
4. Give your template a name and add a description if desired
5. Click “Create template” to finalise
6. Share the template link publicly or list it on the Notion Marketplace

Best Practices for Creating Effective Notion Templates

1. Keep it simple: Start with a clean, well-organised page structure that’s easy to understand and customise
2. Use clear headings and sections: Organise your template with distinct sections and descriptive headings to guide users
3. Incorporate instructions: Add comments or tooltips to explain how to use different parts of the template
4. Leverage Notion’s features: Utilise databases, toggles, and other Notion-specific elements to create dynamic and interactive templates
5. Regular updates: Continuously refine your templates based on user feedback and changing needs
6. Define properties carefully: Consider including Status (for tracking progress), Priority, Due Date, Assignee, and Tags
7. Add sample data: Include a few example entries to help users understand how to use the template effectively

Template Use Cases

• Project management: Templates for project briefs, timelines, and status reports
• Meeting notes: Designs for different types of meetings to ensure consistent and comprehensive note-taking
• Content creation: Templates for blog posts, social media content, or product descriptions
• Personal development: Build templates for goal setting, habit tracking, or journaling

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Getting Started with Notion

1. Sign Up: Create a free account on their website
2. Use Templates: Notion provides numerous templates (e.g., task lists, meeting notes, project trackers). These are excellent for beginners to understand what’s possible and adapt to their own needs
3. Join the Community: Engage with the vibrant Notion community on platforms like Twitter, Reddit, or Facebook to learn, ask questions, and find inspiration

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Potential Drawbacks & Alternatives

• Can Be Overwhelming: Notion’s immense flexibility and power can feel overwhelming for some users
• Alternative – xTiles: For users who find Notion overwhelming but want a similar all-in-one workspace, xTiles is a more “visually intuitive alternative” for idea generation, project management, and note-taking

Summary

Notion is a powerful, flexible, and customisable all-in-one workspace that goes beyond traditional note-taking or document editing. It is designed to help individuals and teams structure information, manage complex projects, and build internal knowledge bases.

With the recent introduction of Custom Agents, AI Autofill, recurring automations, and advanced template capabilities, Notion has evolved into a platform that not only organises information but actively automates workflows.

Its primary value lies in its ability to replace multiple specialised apps with a single, unified platform, but this power comes with a learning curve that may lead some users to seek simpler, more visual alternatives like xTiles.

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