How to create a database in Notion on Mac: step by step for the desktop app

A Notion database is a table of pages. Each row is a page, and each column is a property such as a status, a date, or a number. You can build one for a reading list, a client tracker, or a recipe box. This guide covers the path that works in the Notion desktop app on a Mac, and it notes where Notion's own help center is silent.

What you need before you start

The Notion desktop app runs on macOS 13 or later. Notion's system requirements page lists macOS 13 or above and advises running the latest macOS for the best experience. It doesn't list RAM or disk requirements, so check those yourself if your Mac is older.

Notion publishes three Mac builds: Intel (x64), Apple silicon (arm64), and Universal. The Universal build works on both chip types, but its installer is much larger. Each build downloads from its own link, and the app installs to /Applications by default. It updates itself with each new release.

If the app isn't installed yet, follow how to install the desktop app on Mac. Then sign in to your workspace. You need an account that can create pages in that workspace, which matters later when permissions come up.

Start from a new page with ⌘N

Press ⌘N while the desktop app is in front. Notion creates a new page. Under Get started with, you'll see a few choices. The help center lists ••• → Table, Build with AI, suggested templates, and More templates. Pick Table when you want a blank grid. Pick a template when you want a head start.

Build with AI is free on Business and Enterprise plans. On other plans it uses workspace credits, including complimentary credits. Check the pricing page before you rely on it for a team workspace.

Type /database in a page you already have

Open an existing page, click an empty line, and type /database. Press Return. This works well when you already have notes, a project brief, or a meeting page, and you want the database to sit inside it. Notion's keyboard shortcuts page lists no shortcut for creating a database. The slash command is the quickest route in an existing page.

Full-page or inline: where the database lives

A database you create from a new page is a full-page database. It appears in the sidebar like any other page. To make a database inline, drag it under another page, open that page, and choose Turn into inline from the ⋮⋮ menu. An inline database sits inside the page, among your text and other blocks. You can expand an inline database to a full page with ⤡.

Pick full-page when the database is the thing you open every day. Pick inline when the database supports a longer page, such as a project brief with a task list at the bottom.

Add properties, the columns of your database

Properties are the columns. Click a property name, then choose Edit property → Change type to see every property type. Pick the type before you fill in rows, so you don't have to rebuild the column later. Use Edit property → Add an option to add choices for a property that offers them.

A worked example: a reading list

Say you're building a reading list for a book club. The Title column is already there. Add a Status property with choices, then add three options: To read, Reading, and Done. Add a Rating property with a number type. Add a Finished property with a date type for the day you close the book.

• Title: the name of each book. This column is already there.
• Status: a choice property with To read, Reading, and Done.
• Rating: a number you fill in after you finish the book.
• Finished: a date for the day you close the book.

Use the + button to the right of an existing property to add the next one. A short list of well-chosen columns beats a long list you never fill in.

Add views, filters, and sorts

A view is a way of looking at the same rows. Click + next to the database name and choose Board to see the reading list as cards grouped by status. Each view keeps its own filters and sorts. Open the settings menu at the top of the database to set them.

Use a filter to hide finished books in one view while another view shows everything. Changes to one view don't reset the others. This is how you can keep a Board for planning and a Table for logging, both on the same data.

Lock views and duplicate without breaking the setup

Open ••• at the top right to lock views. Locking blocks changes to properties and views, but not to the data in rows. Anyone with editing access can switch the lock on or off. A lock keeps the layout steady. It doesn't protect the content.

To duplicate an inline database, use the ⋮⋮ menu. For a full-page database, use the ••• menu at the top right. Notion asks whether you want to copy with or without content. Pick without content when you want the structure and a fresh start.

Why you can't add pages to a database you can see

Database permissions work separately from page permissions. Notion's sharing help describes a person with access to only one task page who can't create new pages in the database. Notion's suggested workaround is a form. The Can create permission lets people add pages without seeing the other content. The sharing help page says it's available on Business and Enterprise plans.

Notion added Can create in its March 5, 2026 release. The release note doesn't mention Mac support or which plans include it. If the option is missing on your Mac, check your plan and update the app before you assume it's broken.

What a database costs before you build

Databases are included in Notion's Free plan, including custom properties. Solo Free users can add unlimited pages and blocks. Free workspaces with several members have a block limit, but the pricing page doesn't state the number. Check the pricing page before you plan a team rollout.

Notion's pricing page lists Custom Agents as free to try, then $10 per 1,000 monthly Notion credits. Those credits are separate from the database itself. Plan for them only if you plan to use Notion's AI features.

Common mistakes people make

• Choosing Database when you wanted Table. Database opens templates first, so a blank grid takes one extra step.
• Dragging a database to the wrong place. A full-page database goes to the sidebar. An inline one lives inside the page you dragged it under.
• Filtering a view and thinking the whole database changed. Filters belong to the view where you set them.
• Locking views and assuming the data is safe. Locking views doesn't stop row edits.
• Changing a property type after you fill in rows. Pick the type first.
• Pressing ⌘N in a browser tab. The help center documents this shortcut for the desktop app only.

Where Notion's help center stops

Notion's help describes database steps as clicks on the page, such as ••• → Table. It doesn't list a File, Edit, or View menu path in the Mac menu bar. The steps above use the labels you see on the page. The database help pages show no version or date, so these steps reflect the help center as of November 7, 2026.

Notion's database steps had no change in 2026, according to the help center. Desktop build numbers vary across third-party sites, so don't rely on a build number to find the right menu. If a label on your screen differs from this guide, trust the screen.

What to do next

Once the database exists, add a few real rows and check the view you'll use each day. If the app won't open on an older Mac, read the application not supported fix. If you're still choosing a Mac setup, check the system requirements first.