5 Notion Hacks Every Developer Should Know

As a developer, you likely have a lot of tasks, projects, and information to track. Notion, a flexible productivity and organization tool, can help you streamline your workflow and increase your productivity. 

Notion combines key features from top productivity apps to create a highly versatile tool that exceeds the capabilities of individual apps. It serves as a customizable platform for users to create a personalized system, incorporating elements from Airtable, Excel, Google Docs, Trello, Asana, Evernote, Todoist, Jira, and others. Moreover, it offers versatility by allowing users to customize its appearance and functionality to their specific needs. It serves both professional and personal purposes, such as work projects, personal journals, studying, recipe management, and resource link collection. There are a variety of tools included in the platform, such as a database editor, a text editor, lists, mathematical formulas, and kanban boards.

Here we have listed 5 hacks in Notion that a developer should use to speed up the workflow and improve productivity.

5 Notion Productivity Hacks For Developers

Now that we are pretty clear on Notion's use cases for devs, let's see how to make the most of Notion.

1. Use Templates

Templates are pre-made structures in Notion that allow you to quickly set up a page or database for a specific type of task or project. Notion offers a variety of templates, including project management, personal knowledge management, and more, to help you streamline your workflow and increase your productivity.

Using a template can save time and effort compared to creating a page or database from scratch. Templates come with pre-set fields, categories, and views, making it easy for you to start adding content right away. For example, a project management template may have fields for the project name, deadline, status, and categories for tasks, milestones, and team members.

One benefit of using Notion templates is that they are customizable. You can add or remove fields, change the order of categories, and modify the template to fit your specific needs. For example, if you're using a personal knowledge management template, you can add fields for notes, sources, and keywords, and categorize information by topic or type.

2. Utilize the Power of Databases

Notion’s databases are a powerful tool for organizing information and tracking tasks. You can create custom databases for your projects, set up fields to track specific information and use filters and views to display information in the way that works best for you.

It also offers advanced database features, including formulas, relations, and rollups, that enable users to manage and analyze their data with ease. Formulas provide a way to perform calculations and automated updates within a database, making data analysis quick and efficient. Relations allow users to link data between different databases, enabling them to create complex relationships and eliminate redundant information. Rollups allow users to aggregate data from multiple databases into a single view, providing a high-level overview of the data and making it easier to identify trends and patterns. These advanced features make Notion a powerful tool for data management and analysis, making it a valuable resource for professionals and businesses of all sizes.

3. Take Advantage of Keyboard Shortcuts

Notion offers a wide range of keyboard shortcuts, including shortcuts for formatting text, creating new pages, and accessing different parts of the app. For example, you can use the keyboard shortcut "cmd + b" to bold text, "cmd + n" to create a new page, and "cmd + k" to create a link. This allows you to perform tasks quickly and easily, without having to switch between the keyboard and mouse. And, because they're easy to remember, you'll soon be able to use them without even thinking about it.

In addition to the built-in keyboard shortcuts, you can also create your own custom shortcuts in Notion. This allows you to create your own key combinations for frequently used tasks, making it even easier to access the tools and features you use most. To view the list of keyboard shortcuts in Notion, simply go to the "Help" menu and select "Keyboard Shortcuts." Here, you can see a list of all the shortcuts available in Notion, as well as any custom shortcuts you've created.

4. Connecting with Third-Party Apps

Notion offers a variety of integrations with other tools and services, including Zapier, Google Calendar, Trello, and more, allowing you to access information from other tools within Notion. By using integrations, you can automate tasks, such as adding new tasks to your Notion database when you receive a new email, or quickly access information from other tools within Notion. For example, you can integrate Notion with Google Calendar to see your upcoming events and deadlines directly within Notion or use Zapier to automate tasks such as sending an email or adding a task to a Trello board when a new page is created in Notion.

To use an integration in Notion, simply go to the "Integrations" tab in the Notion menu and select the integration you want to use. You will then be prompted to connect your Notion account with the third-party app, after which you can start using the integration.

5. Share Pages and Databases with Others

One of the most useful features for collaboration in Notion is the ability to share pages and databases with others. Notion offers a range of tools to support collaboration, including shared pages and databases, comments, and more. You can share a page or database with specific people, or make it public for anyone with the link to view. This makes it easy to work together on shared projects, collaborate on documents, and keep everyone up-to-date with the latest information.

Another key feature for collaboration in Notion is the ability to leave comments on pages and databases. This allows you to communicate with others and get feedback on your work, all within Notion. You can also use comments to assign tasks and get updates on the progress of projects.

Notion also offers a number of collaboration tools to help you work with others more efficiently. For example, you can use the "Task" feature to assign tasks to others and track their progress, or use the "Status" feature to see what everyone is working on.

To collaborate with others in Notion, simply share a page or database with the people you want to work with. You can also invite others to join your Notion workspace, making it easier to work together on shared projects and tasks.

Conclusion 

Notion is a powerful productivity tool for developers, offering a range of features and tools to help you get more done in less time. Whether you're using templates to streamline your workflow, connecting with third-party apps to extend Notion's capabilities, or taking advantage of keyboard shortcuts to save time, there are many ways to boost your productivity with Notion. By leveraging these five productivity hacks, you can maximize your efficiency and get the most out of this powerful platform. So, whether you're just starting with Notion or you're a seasoned user, be sure to put these tips into practice and start enjoying greater productivity and success with Notion today!

However, simply using shortcuts and hacks sometimes might not be enough to get the best out of your project space, or solve real-time collaboration hassles; an engineering analytics tool can equip you with the data-driven insights you need to place your team on top. Hatica offers metrics across 13 dashboards, powered by CI/CD pipeline tools, Jira and GitHub. By collating tool activities at one place, Hatica helps teams streamline their workflow and improve productivity. Request a demo with Hatica today!