What is a multi-select property in Notion?

A multi-select property in Notion is a database field that allows you to assign multiple tags or labels from a predefined list to a single record. Think of it as giving each item in your database the flexibility to belong to several categories simultaneously—like tagging a recipe as both "Vegetarian" and "Quick Prep" or marking a project task as "High Priority," "Client Request," and "Bug Fix" all at once. This powerful feature transforms how you organize and filter information, making your databases more nuanced and useful for complex workflows.

Creating a multi-select property is straightforward: click "Add a property" in your database, choose "Multi-select" from the dropdown, name your property, and start adding your tag options. Each tag can be color-coded for visual organization, helping you scan through records quickly. When you need to tag a record, simply click the property cell and select as many options as you need—there's no limit to how many tags you can apply.

The real power emerges when you start filtering and grouping your data. You can create views that show only items containing specific tags or group records by their multi-select values in board views. This flexibility proves invaluable for project management, content workflows, and skill tracking. For instance, a recruitment database might use multi-select properties to tag candidates with multiple skills like "JavaScript," "Python," and "Leadership," then filter to find candidates with specific skill combinations.

Multi-select properties also integrate seamlessly with Notion's formula functions. You can use contains() to check if a specific tag exists or join() to combine all tags into a text string for reports. This technical capability opens doors for workflow automation and advanced data manipulation that goes beyond simple tagging.

However, there are some limitations to consider. Multi-select properties don't support hierarchical tags—all options exist on the same level. When importing tags in bulk, you'll need to manually set colors afterward, and some third-party integrations might only process a single tag due to API limitations. Despite these constraints, multi-select properties remain essential for anyone looking to create flexible, searchable databases that reflect the multi-faceted nature of real-world information. The key is defining your tag lists thoughtfully upfront and maintaining consistency as your database grows.