Notion is one of the most powerful productivity tools available, offering a flexible way to organize notes, tasks, projects, and more—all in one place. If you're new to the platform, getting started with Notion can feel overwhelming, but this guide will walk you through everything you need to know. From navigating the interface to creating and formatting pages, you'll learn the essentials to help you set up and customize your workspace.
For a visual guide on getting started with Notion, check out the video walkthrough below. It covers everything from navigating the interface to managing pages and using essential features, making it easy to follow along and set up your workspace.
If you prefer a detailed breakdown with images, this step-by-step guide will walk you through everything you need to know. You'll learn how to navigate Notion, customize your workspace, and use its core features to stay organized and productive.
In this guide, we will be using the Getting Started basics guide that Notion offers when you first sign up for an account. If you haven’t signed up for Notion yet, you can create your free account here and follow along as we go through the basics!
On the left side of the main Notion dashboard is the Sidebar. This sidebar contains access to important features, settings, and pages inside of Notion.
At the top of the sidebar, click on your name.
This will show a dropdown menu of settings for whichever account is currently signed into Notion.
From this menu, you can see:
Next to the account name, is a button that will allow you to close and open the sidebar.
Once clicked, the Notion sidebar will hover until the mouse is moved away. When the mouse leaves the sidebar area, it will move out of view, providing a cleaner area for editing.
Next to the button to close and open the sidebar is the Create a new page button. Clicking this will create a new page inside of Notion.
Below those options are sections in the sidebar that provide quick links to popular features, access to your pages, and other functions inside of Notion.
These links include:
On the right side of the main Notion dashboard is the Editor. This section of the interface is where you can edit and format pages, create databases, and change page settings.
In the top left corner of the editor is the page name that you are currently working on. This will update into a breadcrumb menu as pages are nested inside one another.
You can also find the page name in the sidebar on the left hand side of the interface.
The page name can be changed in the editor. It is the bold text at the top and cannot be changed into another block type; you can only edit the text for the page name.
In the top right hand corner of the editor are some quick links and additional information. The first thing you will see is the last time the page has been edited.
Besides that is an option to share the page to others.
Next to that is a button to view all comments on the page in one convenient place.
After that is a button to view all page updates.
Next is a favorite button so that you can mark the page as a favorite for quick reference in the future.
When this has been selected, it will add the page into a new section in the sidebar called Favorites.
Finally on the right side of the editor is the page settings button.
When clicked, you will be able to make edits on the page level.
The page settings you can change include:
In the main area of the editor, you will see some additional options for the page.
These additional page options include:
Everything in Notion is made up of blocks and pages. When you highlight or click on a block in Notion, you will be given different formatting options depending on the block type selected. For instance, if text is highlighted, you will see formatting options for text.
When you hover over a block in Notion, you will see some options appear to the left of the block. On the left hand side is a plus button, that allows you to add a new block.
Once clicked, a new block will be placed under the current block. A menu will appear giving you the option to choose which type of block you'd like to create.
On the right hand side is a six dot menu button.
When clicked and dragged, you can reorder the blocks on the page. You will see blue lines populating the page. This is where the block will be placed when you release the mouse.
If you click the six dot menu one time, it will give additional options for that block type.
These options will be different depending on which block type is selected. The block options you can choose for text blocks include:
To delete a block, select the Delete button in the block options.
When you create a new account in Notion, you will be presented with a Getting Started with Notion page that will walk you through some more of the basics. On this page and directly inside of Notion, you will learn:
If you need help going through this information, then we suggest that you watch this Getting Started With Notion video tutorial.
Now that you’ve learned the basics of getting started with Notion, you’re ready to start organizing your workspace and making the most of its powerful features. As you explore, don’t be afraid to experiment with different layouts, templates, and customization options to find what works best for you. For more tips and resources, check out our Notion guides and tutorials to continue leveling up your productivity!
