How to Build and Populate a Calendar Database in Notion Workspace

Overview

A calendar database in Notion allows you to visualize and organize information by date in a calendar view. This is useful for tracking events, deadlines, schedules, and any other date-based data.

Here’s what we’ll cover in this guide on how to create a fully-functional calendar database in Notion:

• Creating a new calendar database
• Adding properties like titles, descriptions, times, etc.
• Viewing the database as a calendar
• Populating the calendar with entries
• Pulling calendar data from other Notion databases
• Syncing the calendar across devices

Step 1: Create a New Calendar Database

To start, create a new blank page in your Notion workspace. Then:

• Click on the + button in the bottom left corner
• Select Database from the options
• Choose the Calendar database template
• Give your new database a name

You now have a blank calendar database you can customize.

Step 2: Add Properties

A calendar database relies on date properties to organize information chronologically. Let’s add some properties:

• Date: This default property stores the date for each entry
• Title: Name or short description for each calendar event
• Description: Longer description and details for each event
• Time: The time associated with an event
• Location: Where the event takes place

To add a property:

• Click the ... button next to your new database name
• Select Properties
• Click Add property for each new property
• Give it a name and select the appropriate property type

Step 3: View as a Calendar

Once your properties are set up, you can view your database as a calendar.

• Click the database name to open its options
• Select Calendar view from the dropdown menu

You’ll now see a monthly calendar with dates along the left side.

Step 4: Populate with Entries

To add calendar events:

• Click on any date square on your calendar
• A quick add form will open on the right side
• Fill in the event details like title, description, times, etc.
• Click Save to add the event to your calendar

Events will appear as colorful dots on days that have calendar entries.

Step 5: Connect Other Databases

You can also pull calendar data from other databases in your Notion account:

• Click on the ... next to your calendar database name
• Select Link to existing database
• Search for and select another database you want to sync
• The entries from that database will now also populate your calendar

Step 6: Sync Across Devices

As a final step, make sure your calendar database syncs properly across devices:

• Click your profile picture in the bottom left corner
• Select Settings & Members
• Confirm that syncing services like iCloud, Google Drive, etc. are enabled
• Your calendar will now stay updated across phone, tablet, computer, etc.

Recap

In summary, here are the key steps covered to create a fully-functional calendar system in Notion:

• Made a new blank calendar database
• Added title, description, time, and other properties
• Viewed database as a calendar
• Manually populated calendar with entries
• Pulled data from other databases
• Enabled syncing across devices

With these steps, you can build a shareable calendar in Notion to visualize all your date-based tasks, events, and schedules.