The form view is one of the ways Notion can display a database, built for data entry instead of reading. Every question in the form is a property in that database, and every submission becomes a new entry in it, so the form and your table, board or calendar are all looking at the same data. You add it like any other view, with the + next to your existing view tabs.
How the form view fits with other views
A view in Notion shows a database; it doesn’t copy it. Notion’s help on views says: “You can view the same database in multiple ways, and switch back and forth between them depending on your needs.” A table, a board and a calendar on one database show the same pages, each with its own filters and sorts. The Notion API’s view reference lists it next to table, board, calendar, timeline, gallery, list, chart, map and dashboard, and describes it in five words: “Form view for data entry.” The others show existing pages. This one creates new ones.
What happens when you add one
According to Notion’s forms help page, “each question in your form is connected to a property in your database.” When you add a Form view to a database you already have, Notion offers to create questions from the properties that are there. Responses land in a Table view named Responses by default.
The link works both ways. By default, editing the form edits the database: add a question and you get a new property, rename a question and the property is renamed too. If you want the form to ask “What’s your budget?” while the property stays Budget, turn off Sync with property name on that question.
A real example
Notion’s own guide on using forms to collect and act on responses describes a product manager who links separate forms for Customer Support, Customer Success and UX to one database.
The same guide suggests a Kanban board grouped by urgency (Low, Medium, High, Critical) to track incoming requests, a calendar view for submission dates, and a chart view for the breakdown of feedback types. The form needs no extra setup for any of them. It also shows an automation that sets Assigned to when Content needed is Blog post and sends a Slack notification.
Settings that belong to the form view
The developer guide to working with views names three settings that exist only on form views:
- Closed or open.
is_form_closedcontrols “whether the form is closed for submissions.” In the app, this is theNo accesssharing option. - Anonymous submissions. People who aren’t logged in can submit only if
anonymous_submissionsallows it. Forms shared with anyone on the web with the link are anonymous and work for people who don’t use Notion. - After submitting. A respondent’s access to the page they created comes from
submission_permissions: none, comment-only, reader or editor.
Form views also don’t support the properties setting other views use to show or hide columns. The questions are the form’s columns. For who can fill out a form, see how to share a Notion form publicly.
Common mistakes
Looking for it on a linked view. Notion’s guide is direct: “Forms are only available in the original database that contains the data source.” If your team works from a linked copy of a Requests database on a project page, the Form option won’t be there. Open the source database. Adding it also needs Full access to that database.
Trying to build it on a phone. You can only create and customize forms on desktop and web.
Exporting from the wrong view. You can’t export from a Form view. Switch to a Table view, such as Responses, and export from there.
Expecting branching on every plan. Notion added conditional logic in a March 2025 release, but it’s “available on Business and Enterprise plans.” We cover the details in Notion forms conditional logic.
When the form view is the right tool
My take: the form view is the best reason to use Notion forms at all. It’s a view, so there is no sync to break and no second copy of the data to reconcile. Anyone who can see the board sees new submissions as they arrive.
The limitation: a form view is only as flexible as the database behind it, and it inherits Notion’s form rules. Design is plain, logic is limited to the top plans, and you can’t build on mobile. The full list is in the limitations of Notion forms. If you need logic on a Free or Plus workspace, a tool that builds a form from your Notion database can write each submission as a new row, and its logic works with any Notion plan.
To set one up step by step, follow how to create a form in Notion.
FAQ
Where is the form view in Notion?
Open the original database, select + next to your existing views, and choose Form. You need Full access to the database, and you have to be on desktop or web.
Why can’t I add a form view to my linked database?
Notion says forms are only available in the original database that contains the data source. Open the source database and add the Form view there.
Does changing a form question rename the database property?
Yes, by default. Turn off Sync with property name on that question if you want the wording on the form to differ from the property name.
Can I export responses from a form view?
Not from the Form view itself. Switch to a Table view, such as the default Responses view, and export from there.