In this article, we will explore Notion Icons.
Let’s start with the fundamental question: What is an icon?
Icons are pictograms. They are symbols that represent something – take, for instance, a megaphone, which often stands for marketing or advertising. Or the light bulb: It symbolizes knowledge and information.
Icons facilitate communication, as we humans as visual beings process images faster than text.
Notion has embraced this visual language and now offers its own icons to not only make Notion workspaces more organized but also aesthetically enhanced.
Initially, only emojis were usable in Notion; while they are helpful in digital communication, they can sometimes appear a bit childish. Therefore, users started to upload individual graphics or include them via links years ago.
This was already easy to do in Notion back then, and this option is still available today: simply click on the Custom tab in the emoji menu and insert a link to a graphic or upload your own graphic.
With an update about a year ago, Notion introduced its own icons – including a selection of 10 different colors.
Users can now use icons on individual pages as well as in databases – even properties and database views can be enhanced with icons.
How to add icons to a Notion page:
Above the title of the page, you will find the option “Add Icon”. A left click brings you to the emoji menu. In the tab, you will also find options for Icons and Custom Uploads. If you select Icons, a list of all available symbols will appear. You can also filter icons using search terms to find relevant results more quickly for your purposes. When you select an icon, a color selection will also appear. You can choose from Notion’s 10 design colors.
For more color variety, you would need to rely on individual icons.
How to add icons to a Notion database:
Open the database as a page and add the icon as previously described. The icon will now appear next to the title of the database.
You can also add icons to individual properties or database views.
Properties: Click on the properties and then on the symbol next to the title of the property. The icon menu will now open. You can proceed as described before.
Database Views: Select ‘Edit View’ and click on the icon next to ‘Show Name’. This will also open the icon menu.
Despite this update, many users still prefer uploading their own custom icons. There are many websites on the internet that offer a huge selection of icons.
Here is a small selection:
- notion.vip: This site offers icons for both the light and dark modes of Notion. To use the icons, you simply need to click on the desired icon, and the link to the icon will be automatically saved to your clipboard.
- icons8.de: This site offers icons, graphics, photos, music, and design tools. This includes a dedicated set for Notion. Here too, the icons are saved to the clipboard with a click on the symbol.
- super.so: The web builder Super also offers simple icons that harmonize well with Notion’s aesthetics.
- notionicons.so: This site has over 8400 icons. A feature I particularly like is the Hex color selection, which allows me total freedom in choosing the icon color.
However, there is a small catch when uploading your own images or links: the graphics are not stored directly in Notion and are thus difficult to find again if you want to reuse them as a user.
A simple solution is to create an icon database within Notion itself; there, you can store all used symbols along with links to the original image or direct upload for easier access when needed.