Get the Notion Cleanup Checklist
Every fix from my posts on one page, each with the exact clicks.
Here's your checklist. Save this page or print it.
Your Notion should save you time, not create more of it. These are the fixes I see small teams need most. Each one takes a few minutes. Start with the one that bugs you the most.
1. Edit It Once, Update It Everywhere
The problem: the same instructions are pasted on ten pages, and three are already out of date.
The fix: turn them into a synced block.
- Select the blocks, click ⋮⋮ next to them, then Turn into → Synced block.
- Click the copy icon and paste it wherever it's needed.
- Edit any copy and every copy updates.
Good to know: people need access to the page that holds the original block to see the copies, and edit access to the original to edit them. To let one copy go its own way, hover over it and choose ••• → Unsync.
2. Stop Copying Tables Onto Other Pages
The problem: a second team needs to see your table, so someone copies it, and now there are two versions.
The fix: add a linked database.
- On the other page, type /linked, press Enter and pick the database.
- Copy an existing view or create a new one, then filter and sort it to show only what that team needs.
Good to know: edits to the entries flow back to the original. Filters and views stay on the linked copy only.
3. Turn Repeat Clicks Into One Button
The problem: you do the same five clicks every Monday.
The fix: type / on the page, choose Button, name it and add actions.
- Add page to creates a page in a database and fills in its properties.
- Edit pages in changes properties on pages in a database, like setting Status to Done.
- Insert blocks adds a ready-made checklist or section to the page.
Good to know: buttons work on every plan, but some actions (Send mail to, Send webhook) are only on paid plans. Anyone with Can edit access on the page can click the button.
4. Give Recurring Pages a Template
The problem: every meeting note starts blank and every one looks different.
The fix: open the dropdown next to New in the database and choose + New template.
- Add the headings, properties and content every note should have.
- To create the page on a schedule, choose Repeat next to the template and set daily, weekly, monthly or yearly.
Good to know: a template lives only in the database where you made it.
5. Let a Formula Spot Late Work for You
The problem: you scan the task list every morning to find what's late.
The fix: add a Formula property with Notion's own example:
if(and(now() > Due Date, Status != "Done"), "Overdue", "")
Rename "Due Date" and "Status" to match your property names, then filter or sort by it.
6. Automate the Status Changes Nobody Remembers
The problem: approvals stall because someone has to change three fields by hand.
The fix: database automations run actions when something in the database changes.
Good to know: database automations are on paid plans. On the Free plan you can create Slack notification automations only. A button (step 3) is the free alternative.
7. Check Who Your Links Really Reach
The problem: you sent a Notion link and you're not sure who else can open it.
The fix: click Share at the top of the page and review every person, group and general access setting.
- Choose the lowest level that works: Full access, Can edit, Can comment or Can view.
- If general access is set to Anyone on the web with link, anyone with the link can open it. You can set the link to expire.
Good to know: guests need their own Notion account. Visitors on a public link have to log in to Notion to comment or edit.
8. Remove Tools Nobody Uses Anymore
The problem: apps were connected to your Notion by people who've since moved on.
The fix: on each important page, select ••• at the top right, open More, and look at the Connections group. Hover over a connection you don't need and press Disconnect. Workspace owners can also review connections under Settings → Connections.
Good to know: keep integration tokens in a password manager, never on a Notion page.
9. Show Which Docs People Can Trust
The problem: nobody trusts the company docs because nobody knows if they're current.
The fix: in a wiki, open a page you own, click Verification at the top and verify it until a date or indefinitely. When it expires, the owner is reminded to re-verify.
Good to know: verifying pages outside a wiki needs a Business or Enterprise plan.
Your 10-Minute Cleanup
Want to know how secure your workspace really is? Take the free Notion Security Check: 12 questions, about 3 minutes.
By Anthony, Notion Certified Consultant · anthonytoday.com
Here's your checklist. Save this page or print it.
An AI teammate should take work off your plate, not add a new thing to babysit. Here's how I set mine up with Grok Bot so it follows my rules, shares context and keeps going while I'm away. Most of these ideas work with any AI agent.
1. Know What You're Setting Up
An AI teammate does work, not just answers. Grok Bot's Bots can use a persistent cloud computer, connected tools, websites and files. They can keep going in the background, keep role-specific context and coordinate with other Bots.
Do this: write down 3 tasks you'd hand to a new assistant this week. Start there.
2. Give Each Teammate One Lane
Several Bots can work at the same time, and each keeps its own role context.
Do this: make one Bot per lane (for example inbox, research, content) instead of one Bot that does everything.
3. Write the Rules Down Once
Don't repeat your rules in every chat. The FAQ recommends putting standing boundaries in each Bot's description, plus narrow Ask first rules for actions like sending, publishing, deleting, purchasing or changing production systems.
Do this: write 3 to 5 standing rules in the description, and add Ask first rules for anything you can't undo.
4. Teach a Task by Showing It
Some tasks are easier to show than to explain. Where Teach a task is available, you record one browser workflow and the Bot turns it into a draft skill you review and test.
Good to know: the rollout may be gradual, and a recording is limited to ten minutes, so split long workflows into smaller skills.
5. Turn Repeat Work Into a Routine
A skill describes how to do a task. A routine assigns a workflow to one Bot and tells it when to run: on a schedule or, where supported, after an event.
Do this: test the skill on a real one-time task first, then make it a routine.
6. Stop Being the Middleman Between Bots
Shared files, browser sessions, group messages and direct handoffs can move context between Bots.
Do this: put Bots that work together in one group thread, or keep shared notes in files, instead of pasting answers from one chat into another.
7. Connect Apps the Reliable Way
Bots can use many browser-based tools, even without a dedicated connector. Some sites still block automation or ask for a login, a CAPTCHA or a human confirmation, and the Bot should hand those steps to you rather than get around them.
Do this: use a connector when one is available. It's more structured and reliable.
8. Check Sources for Important Answers
A Bot can remember stable preferences, role context and summaries of past work. For important decisions, the FAQ advises asking the Bot to check the current source instead of relying on memory.
Do this: add a standing rule: "For numbers, prices and dates, check the source and link it."
9. Know What's Shared and What Isn't
All your Bots run on the same cloud computer, so they see the same files, browser sessions and logins. That computer belongs to your account, not to any single Bot. In practice, splitting work across Bots organizes it, but it doesn't wall anything off.
Do this: only log in to accounts on that computer that you're comfortable with all your Bots reaching.
10. Share a Good Bot Safely
A Bot you like can be shared as a template, with a link that's either public or limited to your team. Whoever opens it gets their own copy. Your computer, logins and chat history stay with you. The setup itself is visible to them, though, so take any secrets out before you share. Going the other way, adding a Bot someone else shared means agreeing to the third-party bot terms, so give them a read first. If the whole team should talk to one Bot, a Team Bot is the better fit.
Do this: before sharing, reread the Bot's description and remove anything private.
11. Hand Off Work From Anywhere
Because the work happens on the cloud computer, you can close your laptop or put your phone away and background work and routines keep running. Desktop apps cover macOS, Windows and Linux, mobile apps cover iOS and Android, and the same Bots and chats show up on each.
Do this: start a task at your desk, then check on it from your phone.
Your First-Week Setup
Learn more from the official docs: docs.x.ai/grok-bot/faq
By Anthony · anthonytoday.com · Built with Grok Bot