How to Automate Recurring Tasks in Notion Using Templates

Tracking recurring income, like monthly salaries or freelance payments, can become tedious if you manually input data every month. Notion’s template and Repeat button features make it easy to automate these repetitive tasks.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through setting up an income database for salary payments and automating the process with recurring templates.

Step 1: Create Incomes Database

Let’s set up a simple database to track recurring incomes such as salaries, project payments, or any other regular income streams.

Create a new database: Type /database and select Database - Inline. Name it Income Tracker.

Add properties:

• Income Source: A text property for the source of income (e.g., Salary, Freelance Project, Rental Income).

• Amount: A number property to record the payment amount.

• Payment Date: A date property to track when the payment is received.

Step 2: Create a Salary Template

Now, let’s create a reusable template for your recurring salary or any other steady source of income.

Create a template: In the income tracker database, click the arrow down (↓) at the top-right and select + New Template.

Customize the template:

• Name the template, for example, "Monthly Salary."

• Set amount for the salary

• Leave the Payment Date to @Today - (the current date when duplicated).

Save the template: Save it once you have set up the salary template.

Step 3: Using the Repeat Button for Recurring Salary Payments

Now that you’ve created your salary template, let’s automate its recurrence using the Repeat button.

• Locate the Repeat Button: Go to your income tracker database and click on the three dots (⋮) next to the salary template you just created. In the dropdown menu, you’ll see the Repeat option.

• Click on Repeat and choose the interval:

  • Daily: For tasks that occur every day.

  • Weekly: For weekly payments or tasks. You can also choose specific days of the week for payments (e.g., every Monday).

  • Monthly: Select this option for salary payments. Choose the frequency (e.g., every 1 month, 2 months) and the start date and time.

  • Yearly: For tasks or payments that repeat annually, like a yearly bonus or renewal.

• Customize the Frequency, for monthly payments like salaries, select Monthly and configure the following:

  • Frequency: Set how often the task should repeat (e.g., every 1 month).

  • Start Date and Time: Choose the date and time when the first salary entry will be created. Notion will automatically generate the next salary payment on the same monthly date.

Save and Automate: Once you’ve set the recurrence, Notion will automatically create a new monthly entry based on your template. You won’t need to manually input salary data again.

Use Cases for Recurring Income Tracking

Here are a few examples of how you can use the Repeat feature to automate other recurring incomes:

• Freelance or Contract Payments: If regular freelance gigs pay monthly or quarterly, set the repeat interval to match the project’s payment schedule (e.g., every 3 months).

• Rental Income: Automate monthly or yearly entries for those receiving rental income by setting the repeat frequency accordingly.

• Annual Bonuses: Set up yearly entries for bonuses or large payments that occur at the same time every year.