Filter Database Records

Database filters in Notion allow you to display only specific records that meet your criteria, helping you focus on relevant information and organize your data effectively. This guide covers how to create, configure, and manage filters for database properties.

When to Use Database Filters

Filters are essential when working with large databases where you need to:

• Show only records with specific property values (e.g., tasks assigned to you)
• Hide completed or archived items
• Create focused views for different team members or project phases
• Analyze data by filtering for specific date ranges or categories

How Database Filters Work

Filters work by setting conditions on database properties. When you apply a filter, Notion evaluates each record against your criteria and only displays records that match. You can create multiple filters that work together, and each filter can use different operators like 'equals', 'contains', 'is greater than', etc.

Creating and Managing Filters

To access filtering options, you'll need to be in a database view. From there, you can create, modify, and delete filters as needed.

1

In your database view, locate and click the Filter button in the database toolbar. This button is typically found in the top section of your database, near other view controls like Sort and Group.

2

When the filter menu opens, you'll see a dropdown showing available database properties. Click on the property you want to filter by, such as Name, Status, Date, or any other property in your database.

3

After selecting a property, you'll see the filter configuration panel. Here you can:

• Choose the filter operator (equals, contains, is empty, etc.)
• Set the filter value or criteria
• Preview how the filter affects your database records

4

If you need to change which property you're filtering by, click on the property name in the filter configuration. This will open a dropdown where you can select a different database property.

5

In the filter value field, clear the existing input and enter your new criteria. In this example, entering "id" would filter records to show only those where the selected property contains or equals "id".

6

To access additional filter options like deleting or modifying the filter, click on the menu icon (usually represented by three dots or a dropdown arrow) next to the filter.

7

From the filter actions menu, click Delete filter to remove the filter completely. This will restore the database to show all records without the filtering criteria.

Advanced Filter Options

Notion databases support several advanced filtering capabilities:

• Multiple filters: Apply several filters simultaneously using AND/OR logic
• Complex operators: Use operators like 'is empty', 'is not empty', 'contains', 'does not contain'
• Date-based filters: Filter by specific dates, date ranges, or relative dates like 'this week'
• Property-specific filters: Each property type (text, number, select, etc.) has relevant filter operators

Best Practices for Database Filtering

• Start with simple filters and add complexity as needed
• Create separate views for different filter combinations rather than constantly changing filters
• Use descriptive names for filtered views to make them easy to identify
• Test filters with a small dataset first to ensure they work as expected

Troubleshooting Common Issues

• Filter not showing expected results: Check that your filter operator and value match what you're looking for
• No records displayed: Your filter criteria might be too restrictive, or the property values don't match your filter
• Filter button missing: Ensure you're in a database view, not a regular page

Summary

Database filters are a powerful tool for organizing and focusing on specific data in your Notion databases. By learning to create, modify, and delete filters effectively, you can create customized views that help you and your team work more efficiently with large datasets.

Remember that filters work best when combined with other database features like sorting and grouping to create comprehensive, organized views of your information.