Notion provides many ways to organize your content — Notion backlinks are internal hyperlinks that support lateral linking - enabling you to create a web of interconnected notes and ideas. The nested folder-subfolder structure, on the other hand, allows for hierarchical segmentation.
In this guide, we'll explore how to create backlinks within your Notion workspace.
1. Open the page where you want to add the backlink
We will refer to a habit tracker database, displayed in the image below.
We will add a backlink to the Treadmill Progress page under the Treadmill Efforts column of this table.
2. Type “@” followed by the name of the page that you want to backlink
In our example, typing @tread displays the Treadmill Progress page.
Clicking on it inserts a backlink to the Treadmill Progress page, as demonstrated in the image below.
3. Click on the backlink to jump to the linked page
Clicking on the backlink takes us to the Treadmill progress page, as intended.
You will notice the count of backlinks to the page under its title, if backlink visibility is enabled. Clicking on it will display the list of pages that contains a backlink to this page.
Clicking on any page in the list will take you to it.
This way, Notion allows two-way links between topically relevant pages.
How to add a Notion backlink to block?
A Notion backlink need not necessarily link to another page - it can link to a block as well.
Continuing with our example, we will link a timer block to the Treadmill efforts, instead of a page.
Here's how:
1. Copy the link to the block
Click the six-dots icon that appears to the top-left when you hover over the block and click the Copy link to block option.
2. Paste the link and select the Mention block option
Notion adds a backlink to the timer block, as highlighted in the image below.
How to always show backlinks in Notion?
Notion backlinks are turned off by default but you can modify the settings.
Here's how:
1. Click the “...” icon at top right and select the Customize page option
2. Select either option to display the backlinks
Here’s why your Notion backlinks are not showing up
1. Linked pages have been archived
Archiving a Notion page removes it from view, making it unavailable unless it's restored. If you're unable to see a backlink, check if the linked page has been archived, and consider restoring it to make the backlink visible again.
2. Insufficient Access
Linked pages, like any other content in Notion, are subject to access permissions and sharing settings. If you don't have the necessary permissions to view a page, any backlinks to it will also be hidden from your view. Ensure that you have the appropriate access rights or request access from the workspace/page owner to reveal any missing backlinks.
3. Page settings do not permit displaying backlinks
Check the backlink visibility settings for the relevant pages, as covered in the previous section and adjust them accordingly.
4. Notion Cache or Sync Issues
On rare occasions, caching mechanisms or temporary sync issues, may prevent Notion from properly displaying all backlinks. This temporary glitch resolves itself, but if you notice backlinks disappearing unexpectedly, try refreshing the page, forcing a workspace sync, or clearing your browser cache to see if that fixes the issue.
5. Version History
Notion keeps track of version history for all pages, allowing you to revert to previous versions if needed. However, if you revert to an older version of a page, any backlinks that were added in more recent versions may not be visible in that older version. Try reverting to a newer version to see if that fixes the issue. If not, add the backlinks again to the older version.
FAQs
Does Notion support backlinks?
Yes, you can easily add a backlink from one page to another by using the ‘@’ operator. Simply type ‘@’, followed by the name of the page. Notion will display the full page name and clicking on it will add a backlink to the page. You can easily link all related pages using this backlinking method.
How to remove Notion backlinks?
The only way to remove a backlink in Notion is by deleting the text block that contains it.
How to show Notion backlinks in a table?
Click into any cell of your Notion table and type ‘@’, followed by the name of the page. Notion will display the pages that match with the name you typed. Clicking on any page from the list will add a backlink to that page within the table cell, as demonstrated in the image below.
You need to ensure that the property type of the column that would contain the backlink should be set to Text.
