# Notion's Massive Updates – The Sweet Setup  ## Notion Layouts - Notion has released a series of massive updates, including Notion Layouts, Notion Forms, and updated [[Automation | Automations]], which significantly elevate the app's customizability and may allow users to replace other paid services. - The Notion Layouts feature allows users to customize the layouts of their database entries, which was previously not possible, and can be accessed by opening a database entry, hovering over the title, and selecting Customize Layout. - The Customize Layout feature includes several options, such as the Heading, where the page title lives, and properties can be pinned to always be visible; the Property Group, where all properties live and can be customized; and the Side Panel, where properties can be hidden and accessed when needed. - Users can also add a mini section to feature one property prominently, but cannot have the same property in multiple sections, and must click Apply to all pages to update the layout for all pages in the database. - The author of the article applied the Notion Layouts feature to their editorial calendar database, making it more user-friendly by pinning important properties to the heading, adding sections to the property group to differentiate between types of posts, and moving less frequently used properties to the side panel. - The author also notes that users can emphasize a specific property by creating a section for it below the property group, and can choose to put the entire property group in the side panel if desired. - Notion has introduced several massive updates, including a custom layout feature that allows users to organize their pages more efficiently, making it easier to find the properties they need quickly. ## Notion Forms - Notion Forms is a new addition to the Notion tech stack, enabling users to create forms that automatically add responses to their databases, eliminating the need for third-party form builders like [[Typeform (service) | Typeform]] or [[Zapier]]. - When building a form, users have two options: creating a new form that corresponds to a new database or creating a form for an existing database, with the ability to choose from various question types and edit questions to make them required or add descriptions. - Each question created in a form corresponds to a property in the database, and users can change the database title to something other than the question name. - Forms can be shared internally or externally, with options to share only with workspace members or make it publicly accessible via a link. - Notion Forms is expected to be incredibly useful for internal usage, such as creating forms for reporting software bugs, submitting receipts for reimbursement, or filling out onboarding contact forms. - Users with a Notion Plus plan can further customize their forms by changing the color, confirmation title, and body text. ## Automation Builder - The new Automation builder update includes formulas, dynamic data, and new actions, making it easier to create [[Automation | automations]], although it is not available in the free plan. - The Automation builder allows users to create custom automations, such as automatically marking tasks as completed when a project status is changed to Completed, using triggers and actions. - Additionally, Notion has introduced new icons, emojis, and GIFs that can be uploaded and saved to the icon library, although Forms currently does not support logic like [[Typeform (service) | Typeform]]. - Notion has introduced a new automation builder feature that allows users to automate tasks, such as changing the status of tasks to "completed" when a project is finished. - To use this feature, users can set a variable to the tasks from the trigger page, then create an action to edit those tasks and change their status to "completed". - The automation builder has various actions, including sending an [[Email | email]] from any [[Gmail]] account, which can be useful for managing customer rosters. ## Notion Marketplace - Notion has also launched a [[Marketplace]] where users can buy and sell Notion templates, providing better template protection and payment processing for creators. - The Marketplace is expected to be a game-changer for Notion creators who sell templates, allowing them to monetize their work more easily. ## Notion Mail - Additionally, Notion has announced the upcoming release of Mail, a Notion [[Email | email]] app, in early 2025, which promises to be a significant update. ## Conclusion - Overall, Notion's updates aim to make it a one-stop-shop for companies and power users, providing features like Forms to replace other form builders and [[Marketplace]] to support creators.