Notion: the slash inserts anything

In Notion, you don't click your way to features — you type for them. The slash command is the core control of the entire app: instead of hunting for a button in panels and submenus, you type the character / followed by a word, and Notion offers you exactly the block you need. Once you get this, you stop clicking around Notion the way you used to.

A typical scenario

Petr keeps meeting notes in Notion and needs a different type of content every time: a table to divide up tasks, a checklist for action items, a heading for a new section, sometimes an embedded image or a reminder for a specific date. Without knowing the slash command, he'd have to search the top bar, click small icons, and try to figure out what each one does — for every block, every time. With the slash, he simply types / and the name of what he wants on a new line, so the meeting notes are done in half the time and without opening any extra panels.

How to do it

1. On a new line (or anywhere you want to insert a new block), press /.
2. A block menu opens, sorted by relevance. Type what you want: “/heading” for a heading, “/table” for a table, “/todo” for a checklist, “/columns” to split the page into side-by-side columns.
3. The menu filters as you type, so typing just part of a word is enough to bring the block you're looking for to the top.
4. Use the up and down arrows to move through the offered blocks, and press Enter to insert the selected one.
5. Beyond the basic blocks, this is also how you add more advanced elements — an embedded database, a link to another page, a reminder for a specific date, or a synced block that shows up in multiple places at once.
6. The slash works exactly the same in the middle of text you've already written, not just on an empty line — just start a new line and type it at the beginning, even if the rest of the page has been finished for a while.

The best tools

• The slash command right inside Notion — a built-in feature, nothing to install or configure.
• Markdown shortcuts in Notion — an alternative, even faster way to insert blocks without opening the menu; see the Pro tip below.
• Database templates — for recurring structures (meeting notes, task briefs), a ready-made template is faster than assembling blocks from scratch every time.
• Quick search (Ctrl+P) — for jumping to a different page; pairs well with the slash, which only works within the page you have open.

What you get out of it

• Time: several minutes a day from not hunting for buttons in panels and menus.
• Flow: your hands stay on the keyboard, which means fewer broken trains of thought while taking notes.
• Fewer mistakes: you pick exactly the block type you want, instead of clicking blindly and then deleting the wrong thing.
• Faster onboarding for new teammates: anyone who knows the slash command can do practically anything in Notion without training.
• Discovering features: browsing the menu after the slash is also the fastest way to find out everything Notion can do without reading the documentation.

Pro tip

Faster than the slash is markdown syntax itself: a hash sign and a space create a heading, square brackets create a checkbox, a dash at the start of a line creates a bullet point. Notion recognizes these shortcuts instantly as you type, so you'll eventually only need the slash for less common blocks whose markdown shortcut you don't remember, or that don't have one at all.