What is a last edited by property in Notion?

The "last edited by" property in Notion is an automatically-generated metadata field that tracks which user account made the most recent change to any database entry, page, or block. This system-managed feature provides instant transparency about who last modified content, making it invaluable for teams working collaboratively on shared projects. Unlike the "last edited time" property that only shows when changes occurred, this feature answers the crucial question of who was responsible for the latest updates, creating clear accountability in your workspace.

Adding this property to your databases is straightforward—simply click the "+ Add a property" menu in any database view and select "Last edited by." Once enabled, Notion automatically updates this field whenever anyone makes changes, displaying the editor's full name or avatar for instant recognition. The property works across all database views including tables, boards, and galleries, and you can customize the property label to match your team's terminology preferences.

The practical applications are extensive and particularly valuable for collaborative workflows. Content teams use it to identify who last updated knowledge base articles, project managers filter tasks by specific contributors, and editorial teams track which writers have recently modified drafts. You can sort and filter databases based on this property to surface all content touched by particular team members or create custom views for review processes. This capability proves especially useful for audit trails, workflow coordination, and resolving version conflicts when multiple people work on shared documents.

While this feature offers significant benefits for transparency and collaboration, it does have limitations worth considering. The property only shows the most recent editor—it doesn't provide a complete history of all contributors to a piece of content. Additionally, some users report that changes made through certain API integrations don't always trigger updates consistently, which could lead to occasional inaccuracies if your workflows heavily rely on external automation tools.

Understanding the "last edited by" property empowers you to build more accountable and transparent workflows within your Notion workspace. Whether you're managing a content calendar, tracking project contributions, or simply wanting better visibility into who's actively working on what, this automatic feature provides the human context that timestamps alone can't offer. By leveraging this property strategically in your database views and filters, you'll create clearer communication pathways and more efficient collaboration patterns for your team.