How to Use Notion for Beginners

Learn Notion basics: create pages, add content blocks, organize workspaces, and build your first database. Complete beginner guide to get started.

1. Create your first page. Click the '+ New page' button in the sidebar or press Cmd+N (Mac) or Ctrl+N (Windows). Type a page title and press Enter. Notion automatically saves your page and adds it to your workspace sidebar.
2. Add content with blocks. Type '/' to open the block menu. Select Text for paragraphs, Heading for titles, or To-do list for checkboxes. Each piece of content in Notion is a block that you can drag, duplicate, or delete independently.
3. Insert your first database. Type '/table' and select 'Table - Inline' to create a database. Add columns by clicking the '+' button and selecting property types like Text, Date, or Select. Each row represents an item you want to track.
4. Organize pages with a sidebar structure. Drag pages in the sidebar to nest them under other pages. Click the arrow next to any page to expand or collapse its sub-pages. Use this hierarchy to group related content together.
5. Format text with markdown shortcuts. Type '**text**' for bold, '*text*' for italic, or '`text`' for inline code. Use '#' for headings, '-' for bullet points, and '1.' for numbered lists. These shortcuts work as you type.
6. Share and collaborate on pages. Click 'Share' in the top-right corner of any page. Add team members by email or create a public link. Set permissions to 'Can edit', 'Can comment', or 'Can view' depending on your collaboration needs.