Quick answer
Open any database view, click Filter in the toolbar above the table or board, choose a property to filter by, then set a condition such as equals, contains, or is before. Add multiple filter rules and combine them with 'And' or 'Or' logic to narrow results down to exactly the pages you need.
Steps at a glance
- Open the database view you want to filter.
- Click the Filter icon in the toolbar.
- Select a property to filter by.
- Choose a condition and value for the filter.
- Click Add filter rule to add more conditions.
- Set And/Or logic between multiple filter rules.
- Click outside the menu to apply the filter.
Summary
Filtering a database in Notion lets you hide pages that don't match specific criteria, so you only see the rows or cards relevant to your current task. Filters work on any property type — text, select, date, checkbox, relation, and more — and can be combined for precise results.
Step-by-step guide
Step 1
Open the database view you want to filter
Navigate to the page containing your database, whether it's a full-page database or an inline one embedded in a larger page. Filters apply per view, so make sure you're on the table, board, gallery, or calendar view you actually want to narrow down.
Step 2
Click Filter in the toolbar
Look above your database rows or cards for a small toolbar with Sort, Filter, and Search options. Click Filter to open a menu where you can start building your first rule.
Step 3
Choose the property to filter by
Select which property you want to base the filter on, such as Status, Due Date, Assignee, or a custom Select field. If your database uses a relation property linked to another database, you can filter based on values from that connected data too — this pairs well with setups covered in the guide on how to /guides/notion/add-a-relation.
Step 4
Set the condition and value
Pick a condition appropriate to the property type, such as 'Equals,' 'Contains,' 'Is before,' or 'Is not empty,' then enter or select the value to match against. The database instantly updates to show only pages meeting that condition.
Step 5
Add more filter rules if needed
Click Add filter rule to layer on additional conditions, then choose whether the rules should be joined with 'And' (all conditions must match) or 'Or' (any condition can match). This is especially useful in a kanban board where you want to see only high-priority cards in a specific status.
Step 6
Group filters for advanced logic
For more complex needs, click the three-dot menu next to a filter rule and choose 'Turn into group' to nest conditions together. This lets you mix And/Or logic, such as showing items that are either overdue OR high priority, but only if they're also unassigned.
Step 7
Save or adjust the view for reuse
Filters you set stay attached to that specific view, so you can create multiple views of the same database with different filters for different purposes. Rename the view tab to reflect its filter, or duplicate the view before changing filters if you want to preserve the original.
Why this matters
You're staring at a project tracker with hundreds of tasks and need to see only what's overdue and assigned to you. Filtering turns that overwhelming list into a focused, actionable view without deleting or moving a single piece of data.
Frequently asked questions
Can I filter a database by a relation property?
Yes. If your database includes a relation property connecting it to another database, you can filter based on whether that relation contains, doesn't contain, or is empty for a specific linked page.
Do filters delete or move the pages that don't match?
No. Filters only hide non-matching pages from the current view; the underlying pages remain in the database and are visible again once you remove or adjust the filter.
Can I combine filters with sorting and grouping?
Yes. Filters work alongside sorts and groups in the same view, so you can filter to relevant items, group them by a property like Status, and sort within each group by due date.
Will my filters carry over if I turn this into a template?
Filters saved on a specific view are included when you duplicate that view or use it as part of a template, making it easy to reuse a preset filtered view across projects — see the guide on how to /guides/notion/add-templates for setup details.
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