How to Use Notion: A Friendly Beginner’s Guide

If you’ve heard the buzz about Notion and wondered, “How do people actually use this?”, you’re in the right place. I remember the first time I opened Notion—overwhelmed by blocks, databases, and templates—but after a few simple steps it became my go-to for notes, planning, and project management. This guide walks you through practical steps so you can start using Notion today.

Why Notion? (Short and Honest)

Notion combines notes, tasks, databases, and wikis into a single workspace. Instead of bouncing between apps, you can build systems that match how you work. If you’re into productivity, creativity, or just trying to organize your life, learning how to use Notion can pay off quickly.

Getting Started: Set Up Your Workspace

First things first—create an account at Notion. When you sign in, you’ll see a sidebar, a blank page, and a handful of built-in templates. Here’s how to set up a simple, friendly workspace:

• Create a Home page: Think of this as your dashboard—links to daily notes, projects, and quick links.
• Use sections: Add headers or columns to split work, personal, and ideas.
• Invite collaborators: Share pages with teammates or family members when needed.

Pro tip:

I keep a tiny sidebar section called “Daily” with links to a daily journal (a simple template). Small habits like that make Notion sticky.

Pages and Blocks: The Building Blocks

Everything in Notion is a page, and every page is made of blocks. A block can be a text paragraph, image, toggle, or even an embedded file. To add a block, hit the plus (+) or type “/” and pick what you want.

• Text and headings — for notes and structure.
• To-do lists — great for daily tasks.
• Toggles — hide details until you need them.
• Embeds — add Google Docs, Figma, or videos.

Try breaking a complicated idea into smaller blocks. It’s satisfying and makes things easier to reorganize.

Databases: Notion’s Superpower

Databases are where Notion shines. They look like spreadsheets but behave like interactive apps. You can create tables, boards (kanban), calendars, lists, and galleries. Start with a simple table for projects or a task list.

Basic database workflow

1. Create a new page and choose “Table” or type “/table”.
2. Add properties (columns): tags, dates, people, and status.
3. Use views: filter by due date, group by project, or show only outstanding tasks.

For example, I have a content database where every row is an article. Columns for “Status,” “Publish Date,” and “Tags” let me filter to what’s ready to publish. Want inspiration? Check Notion’s official templates to see common database setups.

Templates: Save Time and Reuse Good Ideas

Templates are lifesavers. Build a page or database pattern you like and hit “Duplicate” to reuse it. Notion offers built-in templates, and the community shares countless creative setups—meeting notes, product roadmaps, and personal planners.

Start with a couple of templates, then tweak them. My content template includes a checklist, SEO fields, and publishing steps—things I would’ve forgotten without a template.

Keyboard Shortcuts and Speed Tips

Notion is faster once you learn a few shortcuts:

• / — open block menu
• Cmd/Ctrl + P — quick find pages
• Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + L — toggle dark mode

Use the command palette to jump between pages. Small time-savers add up.

Collaboration: Sharing and Permissions

Notion makes collaboration easy. Share pages with teammates, set permissions (view, comment, edit), and leave inline comments. For teams, create a shared workspace with an organized structure: a main wiki, team pages, and project boards.

Integrations and Extras

Notion connects with calendars, Slack, and other tools using built-in integrations and third-party services. If you need automation, external tools can bridge gaps. The official help center is a good place to explore what’s possible.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

• Trying to do everything at once — start small: one project, one database.
• Over-structuring — don’t create 50 nested pages on day one. Keep it flat and evolve structure over time.
• Ignoring templates — reuse proven layouts instead of reinventing the wheel.

Real-Life Examples

Here are quick setups you can replicate:

• Personal planner: Daily notes + habit tracker + goal database.
• Freelancer hub: Client database, invoices table, project kanban.
• Team workspace: Company wiki, project boards, meeting notes linked to tasks.

I transformed my chaotic Google Docs pile into a tidy Notion wiki—now I can find everything in seconds.

Next Steps: Learn by Doing

Open Notion and create one page: a weekly planner or simple task list. Play with blocks, build a tiny database, and try duplicating a template. The more you tinker, the more ideas you’ll have for adapting Notion to your life.

If you want more deep-dive guides, the Notion team has great resources on their help site, and the templates gallery is fantastic for inspiration.

Final Thoughts

Learning how to use Notion doesn’t have to be intimidating. Start small, copy templates, and adapt tools to your workflow. A little setup today can save hours tomorrow. If you try one thing from this guide, make it a simple database view for your tasks—it’s a tiny win with big payoff.

Got questions about a specific setup? Tell me what you’re trying to organize and I’ll suggest a simple Notion layout you can copy.