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Best Practices
Jan 3, 20265 min read

5 Notion Database Properties Every Client Portal Needs

The right database properties keep your Notion client portals clean, filterable, and secure. These five are the foundation for a portal that clients trust.

If clients see the wrong tasks or can't find the next milestone, your portal loses credibility. The solution is a consistent set of properties that power every view, summary, and filter in your Notion-powered portal.

Client (Relation or Select)

Tags every record to a client so you can filter views and avoid cross-client leaks.

Status (Select)

Keeps clients oriented: Not Started, In Progress, Blocked, Done. Use colors that match your brand.

Due Date (Date)

Feeds timelines and reminders. Show the next milestone prominently in the portal.

Owner (Person)

Gives clients a clear point of contact. Pair with an avatar for trust.

Visibility (Checkbox/Select)

A safety gate to prevent accidental exposure. Only items marked client-visible get published.

Keep clients focused with visibility rules

A simple Visibility flag prevents internal notes from leaking. Publish only the blocks that meet two filters: the right client and visibility set to true. Combine it with a curated navigation so clients never feel lost.

Templates for repeatability

Turn your best structure into a template: prefill status options, default owners, and hidden properties. This keeps every new client portal aligned and reduces setup time.

Practical tips

  • Hide internal fields (budget, margin, internal notes) from client views.
  • Use saved filters like Visibility = Client and Client = [Name] to avoid mistakes.
  • Create templates that prefill properties to keep every client consistent.
  • Add rollups to surface next milestone and risks into a summary block.

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