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If you’ve started working with databases in Notion, this is an easy thing to get confused about.
You already have a database. Now you want to use its information somewhere else. Do you need a linked database, or do you need a relation?
They sound similar, but they solve two different problems.
Use a linked database when you want to show existing data somewhere else.
Use a relation when you want to connect one item to another.
Let’s build a tiny example and make the difference obvious.
Want a practical dashboard view? Build an overdue task view that excludes completed work, then bring it onto your dashboard as a linked view.
Choose by the job you need to do
| Your goal | Use | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Show existing projects on another page | Linked view | Displays records from the existing source |
| Assign a project to its client | Relation | Connects the project record to a client record |
| Show only Acme’s active projects | Both | Filter a linked Projects view using Client and Status |
For a ready-to-follow task example, build a project task dashboard. To check why an edit appears in the source, use the shared-record explanation.
Our example
Imagine you run a small studio. You have a database called Clients and another called Projects.
| Client | Status |
|---|---|
| Acme Studio | Active |
| North & Co. | Active |
| Marlow Design | Active |
| Project | Status |
|---|---|
| Website Redesign | Active |
| Brand Refresh | Active |
| Office Website | Planning |
We want every project to know which client it belongs to. Then we want to show our active projects on a separate dashboard. Those two jobs require two different Notion features.
1. Use a Relation to connect records
Website Redesign belongs to Acme Studio. We want Website Redesign → Acme Studio. That is a relationship between two pieces of information, which is exactly what a Relation property is for.
Create the relation
- Add a new property inside the Projects database.
- Choose Relation.
- Select the Clients database.
- Name the property Client.
- Connect each project to its client.
| Project | Client | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Website Redesign | Acme Studio | Active |
| Brand Refresh | North & Co. | Active |
| Office Website | Marlow Design | Planning |
This is an illustrative table: the Client column represents a Relation property pointing to a client page, not manually typed client text.
Nothing has been duplicated. We’ve created a connection between records. That connection can later be used for rollups, filtered views, dashboards and more advanced workflows.
2. Use a Linked Database when you want to show existing data somewhere else
Now imagine we create a page called Today and want it to show only our active projects.
We do not need another Projects database, and we do not need another Relation. We want another view into information we already have.
- Open a page called Today and type /linked.
- Choose the linked database option and select your existing Projects data source.
- Create a table view called Active Projects.
- Add a filter: Status → is → Active. Use your actual status option if it has a different name.
- If this is a shared view, save the filter for everyone when Notion offers that option.
With the fictional records below, the view should show Website Redesign and Brand Refresh, while Office Website stays out because its status is Planning.
| Active Projects |
|---|
| Website Redesign |
| Brand Refresh |
Check the connection: use fictional test records. Change Website Redesign to Planning from the Today view. It should leave the Active Projects view, while the same record remains in the source Projects database with its updated status. Restore Active in the source database to bring it back.
These aren’t independent copies of the projects. They are the same underlying records displayed somewhere else. Edits to pages and property values affect the original data source; the linked view can have its own filters, sorting and layout. See Notion’s documentation on data sources and linked databases.
A filter is not a privacy boundary. Sharing the Today page does not automatically grant access to the original Projects data source. Check the recipient’s source permissions before using a linked view for client-facing work.
Try both: show one client’s active projects
Now use the relation and the linked view together. With the fictional records above, build a private view for your own work with Acme Studio.
- In your linked Projects view, open View settings → Filter.
- Add a filter on the Client relation that includes Acme Studio.
- Combine it with Status is Active using AND. Both conditions must be true.
- Name the view Acme — active projects. If the view is shared, use Save for everyone when offered.
Expected result: Website Redesign appears. Brand Refresh belongs to North & Co., so it stays out. Office Website also stays out.
Why would OR show too much?
OR accepts either condition. Brand Refresh would appear because it is Active, even though it belongs to North & Co. AND requires both the selected client and the active status.
Website Redesign disappears after I change it to Planning. Did I delete it?
No. It no longer matches this view’s Active filter. Find the same record in the source Projects database, then restore Active if you are finishing the fictional test.
For the current filter controls, see Notion’s official guide to views and filters. This is a view for your own work; it does not create separate client permissions.
Website Redesign → Acme Studio
Connects a project record to a client record.
Projects → Today dashboard
Shows the existing project records elsewhere.
Client includes Acme Studio
AND Status is Active
Expected: Website Redesign
Illustrative workflow, not a Notion screenshot. The linked view uses the source records.
The difference in 20 seconds
Relation: connects records. Think Project → Client.
Linked database / linked data source: displays existing data somewhere else. Think Projects → Today dashboard.
Ask yourself one question
Am I trying to connect information? Use a Relation.
Am I trying to show existing information somewhere else? Use a Linked Database / Linked Data Source.
A real workflow often uses both
A useful Notion workspace does not necessarily choose between relations and linked views. It often uses both for different jobs.
CLIENTS → Relation → PROJECTS → Linked filtered view → TODAY DASHBOARD
The relation gives the data structure meaning: this project belongs to this client. The linked view gives you a useful place to work: show me only the active projects I need to care about.
What beginners often get wrong
Creating another database when you only need another view
If you already have a Projects database and want active projects on your dashboard, creating a separate “Active Projects” database creates unnecessary duplication. Use the existing data through a linked view instead.
Using a Relation just to display a database
A Relation is not a dashboard block. Its job is to establish a meaningful connection between records. If you simply want Projects visible on another page, you probably want a linked view.
Thinking a linked view is a copy
When you’re looking at a linked version of existing data, you’re still working with the underlying records. Your main Projects view might show everything while your Today dashboard shows only Status = Active: same underlying data, different view.
The useful mental model
Don’t memorize Notion terminology. Remember the job.
Relations create structure. Linked views create perspective.
Once that distinction clicks, a lot of Notion starts becoming easier.
Test shared records and view-specific visibility
Use the fictional Website Redesign record, related to Acme Studio, in a private practice dashboard. Keep the original Projects source available.
| Test | Expected result |
|---|---|
| Rename the project Website Redesign — test through the linked view | The original source shows that updated title too |
| Restore the title; change its Status from Active to Planning | It leaves Active Projects but remains in the source |
| Restore Active; add Client contains Acme Studio with AND | Website Redesign qualifies; North & Co.’s Brand Refresh is excluded |
Restore the source values and the view’s original filters when finished. A card leaving a filtered dashboard does not establish deletion.
Keep this dashboard internal while testing. A client filter is a display rule. Review source and record permissions separately before sharing it externally.
Use the database connection walkthrough for the Client relation and AND/OR filters guide for the dashboard’s selection.
Frequently asked questions
Is a linked database an independent copy?
No. Its pages and property values belong to the existing data source. Editing those values through the linked view affects the source records.
Can I use a relation and a linked view together?
Yes. Relate each project to its client, then filter a linked Projects view by that Client relation and the desired status.
Does a linked view need the same filters as the source view?
No. It can have its own filters, sorting and layout while displaying the same underlying records.
Does a client filter keep other clients’ records private?
A view filter is not a privacy boundary. Check permissions on the underlying source before sharing a dashboard.
Which record should I inspect during the rename test?
Inspect the same Website Redesign record in the original Projects source, then restore its title.
Is the linked view empty? Follow the empty linked database checklist before rebuilding or duplicating records.
Build the next part
For the full Clients and Projects setup, follow how to connect two databases in Notion. If you need totals from related records, compare Relations vs Rollups.