Notion

A workspace for notes, documents and task lists. Each paragraph, heading or table is a block you can move and edit.

Last reviewed: 28 October 2026 · Applies to: Notion Web & Desktop App (Windows & macOS, English/QWERTY layout)

These instructions were checked against official product documentation on the review date. Menus, features and availability may change or vary by device, software version and subscription. If your screen looks different, check the official help links below or contact AAT Solutions.

Keeping Notion structured and calm

Because every paragraph, heading, checklist, and table in Notion is a movable block, a shared workspace can either be a clear, well-organised hub or a tangle of nested pages and wide tables.

Focusing on three core habits keeps Notion easy to read and navigate: building pages with real Heading blocks (/h1, /h2, /h3), jumping directly to pages with Quick Find (Ctrl + K or Ctrl + P on Windows, Cmd + K or Cmd + P on Mac when no text is selected), and viewing busy databases as a clean Table or List with extra columns hidden.

Getting started: pages, blocks, toggles, and databases

  1. Create a page and insert headings, checklists, and toggles with the slash (/) menu: To create a new page in your web browser or desktop app, click the New page (compose) icon in the left sidebar (in the Notion desktop app, you can also press Ctrl + N on Windows or Cmd + N on Mac). On any blank line, type / followed by the block name and press Enter:
    • /h1, /h2, /h3 — Large, medium, or small headings (shortcut while editing text: Ctrl + Shift + 1/2/3 on Windows, or Cmd + Option + 1/2/3 on Mac).
    • /todo — A checkbox item for a simple action list (or type [] followed by Space, or press Ctrl + Shift + 4 on Windows / Cmd + Option + 4 on Mac).
    • /toggle — A collapsible toggle block (or type > followed by Space, or press Ctrl + Shift + 7 on Windows / Cmd + Option + 7 on Mac). Press Ctrl + Alt + T on Windows (Cmd + Option + T on Mac) to toggle all collapsible sections on a page open or closed.
  2. Know the difference between a Simple Table and a Database: Typing /table inserts a Simple Table (useful for basic rows and columns without filters). A Database in Notion is a structured table or list where each row is its own page and each column is a property (such as Status, Assignee, or Due Date) that you can filter and sort. Choose /table view or /list view to create a database (or convert a simple table via its ••• menu → Turn into database).
  3. Create a calm view of a shared database:
    • Choose a clear layout and hide extra columns: Switch from a multi-column Kanban board to a Table or List view, and use Property visibility to hide columns you do not need right now.
    • Filter on an existing property: Add a filter such as Status is not Done or Assignee is Me (if you want to filter by project, first add and populate a Project property on the database).
    • Avoid changing a shared view for everyone: Creating a new saved view directly on a shared database is visible to everyone by default. For temporary personal filters, do not click Save for everyone; for an independent personal layout, create a linked database view (/linked view of database) on your own private page and filter it there (note that editing a record's fields inside a linked view still updates the shared underlying item).
  4. Summarise or refine text with Notion AI (where included in your plan): To edit or summarise existing content on a page, select the text or blocks and choose Edit with AI (or click the AI option in the block menu) and review the proposed changes before accepting them. Separately, if you have the Notion desktop app running, pressing Shift + Ctrl + J on Windows (Shift + Cmd + J on Mac) opens the global Notion AI window. (Note: Notion AI features—including /meet AI Meeting Notes on supported plans and platforms—are included on eligible Business/Enterprise plans, with limited trial responses on Free/Plus plans.)
  5. Exporting a page for offline reading: Open the top-right page menu (•••) and select Export to download the page as PDF, HTML, or Markdown & CSV (where permitted by workspace settings). Notion's native Export menu does not export directly to .docx (Microsoft Word), and Markdown export saves plain text with # markup characters rather than a formatted Word document. If you need a formatted Word document, either copy and paste the structured page content directly into Microsoft Word or export as HTML and open it in Word, then inspect the document's heading styles.

Common problems, and what to do

  • The left sidebar tree goes on forever. Star your 3 to 5 everyday pages so they stay pinned under Favourites at the top of the sidebar, and use Quick Find (Ctrl/Cmd + K or Ctrl/Cmd + P when no text is selected) to open pages by name.
  • Collapsed toggles hide text while reading. Content inside a closed toggle is hidden until opened. Press Ctrl + Alt + T on Windows (Cmd + Option + T on Mac) to toggle collapsible blocks open before reading through a full page.
  • Comments are easy to miss. Inline comments sit alongside a block rather than in the flow of the text. Check your Inbox in the left sidebar to review @mentions and comment replies in one place.

Short practice exercise

  1. Open Notion and create a new private page titled Weekly Workspace by clicking the New page (compose) icon in the left sidebar (or pressing Ctrl + N on Windows / Cmd + N on Mac in the Notion desktop app).
  2. Type /h2 and press Enter to create a heading called Today's Focus.
  3. Below it, type > followed by Space (or press Ctrl + Shift + 7 on Windows / Cmd + Option + 7 on Mac) to create a Toggle list titled Background Notes, press Enter and Tab (or click inside the open toggle) to nest a short sentence inside it, then test collapsing and expanding Background Notes (Ctrl + Alt + T on Windows / Cmd + Option + T on Mac) to verify the sentence hides when collapsed and reappears when expanded.
  4. Type /table view and choose New empty database. Click the + column button to add a Status or Checkbox (Done) property, add three sample tasks, mark one task complete, and then add a Filter on that Status/Checkbox property to show only incomplete tasks (confirming the completed row disappears from the filtered view).
  5. Click an empty spot on the page (with no text selected) and press Ctrl + K (Cmd + K on Mac) to test finding your Weekly Workspace page by name via Quick Find.

Official Notion help links

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