Linked databases

The short answer

A linked database in Notion is a view, placed on a different page, of a database that already exists. Add a task in the linked view and it appears in the source. Delete it in either place and it is gone from both. Filters, sorts, and which properties are visible belong to the view, so the linked view can show 'this week' while the source page shows everything.

Searches for linked database and database linking mean this feature. Notion's guide on using linked databases is the product documentation. People also say 'database linking' when they mean a Relation property, which is different: a relation connects a row in one database to a row in another. A linked database does not create that connection. It only displays an existing database somewhere else.

When a relation is the right tool

Use a link (a linked view) when you want the same tasks on a dashboard and on the project page. Use a relation when a row needs to point at another row: a class note that points at a course, or a bill that points at a budget category. Relations are how the assignment tracker can point at a course without pasting the course name by hand every time.

How to set it up

1. Open the page that should show the data. Type /linked and choose the source database. Do not choose a new database.
2. Set a filter on the view. The filter does not change the source view. Check the source page if you are unsure.
3. Name the view. Call it 'This week' or 'Unpaid', not 'Linked database'.