Notion Beginner Tutorial: Master Database Relations in 15 Minutes
TL;DR: You’ll link a “Teapot Inventory” database to a “Tea Set Collections” database so each porcelain teapot shows which set it belongs to, and each set shows all its teapots. Use the “Relation” property, then roll up details like glaze type or firing temperature.
This tutorial uses a real-world example: managing a porcelain teapot and tea set shop. You have two tables—one for individual teapots (e.g., “Blue Willow Teapot,” “Jingdezhen Gaiwan”) and one for curated tea sets (e.g., “Imperial Breakfast Set,” “Celadon Afternoon Set”). Relations let you avoid duplicate entries and instantly see which teapots are missing from a set.
If you want to dig deeper, check out our guide on 5 Health Benefits of Drinking Tea From Porcelain Teapots.
Step 1: Create Your Two Databases
In Notion, create a new page called “Porcelain Teapot Shop.” Inside, add two databases: “Teapots” and “Tea Sets.” For “Teapots,” include properties: Name (title), Porcelain Type (select: Bone China, Celadon, Blue-and-White), Glaze (select), and Price (number). For “Tea Sets,” use Set Name (title) and Number of Pieces (number). Populate a few rows—e.g., teapot “Peony Bloom” and set “Garden Party Set.”
Step 2: Add a Relation Property
Open the “Teapots” database. Click “+” at the top-right of the properties row, choose “Relation,” and name it “Belongs to Set.” Select the “Tea Sets” database as the target. Now click on any teapot row, find the “Belongs to Set” cell, and click “+ Add” to link it to a tea set. For example, link “Peony Bloom” to “Garden Party Set.” Repeat for 3–5 teapots so you have data to test.
Step 3: See the Reverse Relation
Go to the “Tea Sets” database. Notion automatically adds a reverse property called “Teapots (from Belongs to Set).” Click on “Garden Party Set” to expand it—you’ll see all linked teapots listed. This is a two-way connection: add or remove a teapot from one side, and the other updates instantly. This is your core relational power.
Step 4: Use Rollups for Instant Insights
Add a “Rollup” property in “Tea Sets.” Click “+” → “Rollup,” then choose the relation “Teapots” and a property like “Price.” Set the calculation to “Sum.” Now each tea set shows the total value of its porcelain teapots. Add another rollup for “Porcelain Type” with “Show original” to see all glaze types in a set. This saves you from manually counting or cross-referencing.
Step 5: Filter and Group by Relation
In the “Teapots” database, click “Filter” → “Belongs to Set” → “is not empty.” This shows only teapots already assigned to a set. Then click “Group” by “Belongs to Set” to see teapots organized under each tea set name. For your shop, this reveals which sets are missing a teapot—e.g., if “Imperial Breakfast Set” has only 2 teapots but should have 5.
Pro Tips for Porcelain Inventory
Use relation to track “vintage vs. modern” by creating a third database for “Suppliers” and linking each teapot to a supplier. For damage tracking, add a checkbox “In Stock” and use a rollup in “Tea Sets” to count
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