How do I troubleshoot errors in Notion formulas?

Formula errors can bring your Notion workflow to a frustrating halt, but most issues stem from a handful of predictable causes. The good news? Once you understand these common patterns, you can quickly identify and resolve problems that might otherwise leave you puzzled. Whether you're seeing cryptic error messages or getting unexpected results, there's usually a straightforward explanation and solution waiting to be discovered.

Start by checking the most frequent culprits: permissions and property references. If your formula references other databases or pages you can't access, it'll fail silently or throw errors. Similarly, when you copy formulas between databases, property references often break, leading to "not defined" errors. Always verify that property names match exactly—they're case-sensitive and must correspond to your current database schema.

Return type mismatches cause significant headaches, especially in automations. Your formula might work perfectly in a database property but fail when used in an automation that expects a specific data type. For instance, if an automation expects a person but your formula returns text, you'll hit a "wrong return type" error. Check what your formula outputs and ensure it matches what Notion expects in that context.

Notion imposes a 15-layer depth limit on formula references, meaning you can't nest formulas and rollups indefinitely. If you're getting "formula depth limit reached" errors, simplify your approach by consolidating multiple formulas or reducing rollup dependencies. While this constraint might seem limiting, it actually encourages cleaner, more maintainable formula design.

For systematic troubleshooting, break complex formulas into smaller parts and test each component individually. Use Notion's "Show Types" feature in the formula editor to verify output types, and don't hesitate to leverage Notion AI for formula generation and debugging if you're on a Business or Enterprise plan. Remember that syntax matters—use functions like `empty()` for checking property existence and `.includes()` when working with multi-select or relation properties instead of simple equality operators. With these strategies, you'll transform formula troubleshooting from a source of frustration into a manageable part of building powerful Notion workspaces.