> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.amandamashburn.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Notion database settings > How I configure databases, pages, metadata, and views – and why. This page documents my preferred settings for standing up a Notion database. If you're building out your own extended mind system and want a concrete starting point, this is mine. A few things to keep in mind as you read: * These are preferences, not rules. Use what works for you and discard what doesn't. * Notion adds new features regularly. I'll update this page as relevant changes roll out. * For a foundational explanation of databases, metadata, and views, see [the building blocks of your system](/pages/extended-mind-building-blocks). ## The master template Rather than build a new database from scratch each time, I maintain a master database template with all my standard settings already in place – metadata fields, views, icons, sort order, page template. Whenever I need a new collection, I duplicate the master and layer in whatever modifications that specific collection requires. It keeps every database consistent from the start and eliminates a long list of small decisions (and clicks) I'd otherwise make over and over again. View and copy the template: [amandamashburn.notion.site/extended-mind-system](https://amandamashburn.notion.site/extended-mind-system). ## Visual defaults My overall aesthetic for Notion is clean and consistent. ### Icons **Databases** get a dark grey notebook icon – indicating a collection of pages. **Pages** get a dark grey page icon – indicating a single entry, the lowest level of the container. **Page templates** within a database also get the dark grey page icon by default. The logic: by standardizing icons across the board, the occasional deviation becomes meaningful. If I change a database or page icon to a yellow star, that's a visual flag – something worth highlighting. If I change it to a yellow broom, that's a reminder to clean it up. Those signals only work because everything else is the same. At roughly 3,000 pages in my Notion space, assigning a unique icon to each one would mean 3,000 small decisions introduced into my workflow. Two decisions – notebook for databases, page for pages – and I'm done. The exception serves as the signal. ### Colors All tags default to yellow. If a secondary color is genuinely needed, I use grey. That's the full palette. Same reasoning as icons: when every tag is a different color, color stops carrying information. When everything is yellow, a grey tag means something. Database headers are plain black. Pages have no header image. I find cover photos add visual noise without adding value, and the decision of which image to use for each database is one I'm not interested in making. ### Typography Pages use **Serif font**, **normal width**, and **normal font size**. For text heavy pages (e.g., knowledge articles) – 'full width' is toggled on. ## Standard metadata fields Every database in my system starts with the same four fields. For the full explanation of what these fields are and why they're in every collection, see [the building blocks of your system](/pages/extended-mind-building-blocks). What follows here is the configuration specifics. ### Name Required. No configuration needed beyond ensuring it's the first column. ### Created on | Setting | Value | | ------------- | ------------ | | Property type | Created time | | Date format | Full date | | Time format | 24-hour | | Maintenance | Auto-update | ### Last edited | Setting | Value | | ------------- | ---------------- | | Property type | Last edited time | | Date format | Full date | | Time format | 24-hour | | Maintenance | Auto-update | I set every database to sort by last edited in descending order by default. Whatever I've touched most recently sits at the top – a natural reflection of where my current focus is. ### Tag(s) | Setting | Value | | ------------- | -------------------------------- | | Property type | Multi-select | | Tag color | Yellow (grey as secondary only) | | Sort | Alphabetical (auto-sort enabled) | | Maintenance | AI-generated or manual | A few configuration notes specific to tags: **Single color.** All tags are yellow. When I started using Notion I assigned different colors to different tags – until my tag list grew past the available colors and I realized I was spending real mental energy on a decision that added no value. Yellow across the board, done. **AI autofill.** I turn on *AI autofill* and *Generate new options* for the tag field. In the *What to generate* field I use the following prompt: *Read the page title and content, then identify high-level themes it covers. Prefer broad category tags over specific details, and choose fewer tags if unsure..* AI will sometimes surface a category I wouldn't have thought to assign on my own. It also removes the cognitive overhead of categorization from my workflow – I review the suggestions, keep what fits, and adjust what doesn't. **Keep tags broad.** A useful test: would I still reach for this tag five years from now? Hyper-specific tags accumulate fast and clutter the list. Broad, durable categories stay useful. **Never leave the field blank.** If there's genuinely nothing to assign, mark it NA. A blank field is ambiguous – it could mean no tags apply, or it could mean the field was skipped. NA removes that ambiguity. ## Additional database settings A few settings I apply to every database beyond the metadata fields: **Count on name field.** I add a count to the name column so the total number of entries is visible at a glance. **Hide vertical lines.** Cleaner visually. **Open pages in side peek.** For all views. Keeps context without fully navigating away from the database. **View tabs: text only.** No icons on view tabs – keeps the tab bar clean. **Black page header.** Applied at the database level. ## Standard views Every database starts with three views. Additional views are created as needed – duplicated from the table view and modified. The primary table view always stays intact. ### Table – all entries The default view. Full picture of the collection at all times. | Setting | Value | | ---------------- | ----------------------- | | Layout | Table | | Properties shown | All | | Sort | Last edited, descending | | Vertical lines | Hidden | | Page icon | Shown | | Field wrapping | Wrap all | | Open pages | Side peek | ### Gallery A grid of index cards. Same underlying data as the table view, different lens. | Setting | Value | | ---------------- | ----------------------- | | Layout | Gallery | | Properties shown | Last edited, Tag(s) | | Sort | Last edited, descending | | Card preview | Page content | | Card size | Large | | Page icon | Shown | | Content wrapping | On | | Open pages | Side peek | ### TODO A filtered table view that surfaces only pages with TODO in the title – a quick list of everything that needs attention. | Setting | Value | | ------- | --------------------- | | Layout | Table | | Filter | Title contains "TODO" | One useful Notion behavior: if you create a new page directly from the TODO view, Notion automatically prepends TODO to the page title. ## Standard page template Each database has a default page template applied to new entries. Mine: **Icon:** Dark grey page icon **Font:** Serif **Width:** Normal for pages with less text (e.g., recipes, quotes). For text heavy pages (e.g., knowledge articles) – 'full width' is toggled on. **Comments:** Disabled **Set as default:** Yes – so every new page opens with these settings already in place *** Last update: 2026.04.17 ***