How do I create a Kanban board in Notion?

Creating a Kanban board in Notion involves setting up a visual project management system that organizes your tasks into columns representing different stages of your workflow. You can accomplish this through two primary methods: creating a board database from scratch or converting an existing table database into a board view. Both approaches leverage Notion's database functionality to provide the flexible, customizable task management that makes Kanban boards so effective for tracking project progress.

The quickest method starts with creating a new page in Notion, then typing "/board" and selecting "Board - Inline" to insert a Kanban board database directly onto your page. This automatically generates columns based on a "Group by" property, typically a Single Select field called "Status" that contains options like "To Do," "In Progress," and "Done." You can customize these column names by editing the Select property options, and add new tasks by clicking the "+ New" button in each column. Each task becomes a card that you can drag between columns to update its status dynamically.

For more control over your setup, you might prefer converting a table database to board view. Create a table database first, add relevant columns like Name, Status, Assignee, and Due Date, then click "Add a view" and choose Board view. This method allows you to switch between table and board perspectives of the same data, which proves valuable for different types of analysis and reporting.

The real power of Notion's Kanban boards lies in customization options. You can add properties like Priority using Select fields, Due Dates, Tags with Multi-select, or Assignees using Person fields. Color coding your status options helps visually distinguish different stages, while filters and sorting keep large projects manageable. However, be mindful of potential pitfalls: overcrowding cards with too many visible properties can create clutter, and failing to set up the correct "Group by" property will result in non-functional columns.

While Notion's Kanban implementation offers exceptional flexibility compared to dedicated project management tools, it does require understanding database concepts that might feel complex initially. The learning curve pays off through integration capabilities that combine task management with notes, documents, and rich media in a single workspace, making it particularly valuable for teams who need more than basic task tracking.