Recurring tasks in Notion are a must-add to any project management setup. But until recently, it was quite tough to create recurring tasks in Notion. You had three options: manually advance the due date of a task instead of checking it off, using the limited recurring template functionality or creating an automation using a third-party tool. Luckily, thanks to the recent update to Notion Database Automations, we can finally create robust and flexible recurring tasks, directly in Notion. In this article, you’ll learn everything you need – from simple recurring tasks in Notion all the way to creating a system that adds new tasks keeping your historic data alive and even applies a specific template.
Keep reading for step-by-step instructions or scroll down to the bottom to download the free template. With the template, you can add Notion recurring tasks even if you’re on the free plan!
How To Create Simple Recurring Tasks in Notion
Let’s say you want a simple system: whenever you complete a task, Notion automatically pushes the due date to your chosen frequency and resets the task’s status.
This is one of the easiest ways to add repeating tasks to Notion. For this setup, you’ll need a Tasks database with the following properties:
- Name (Default Name property)
- Status (Status property)
- Due Date (Date property)
- Frequency (Select property)
In the Frequency property, you can set any interval you like—weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, yearly, etc. Using Notion automations, you’ll configure rules for each frequency, allowing you to customise them however you want.
Before you proceed, make sure to add some sample tasks and fill in these properties. With this in place, let’s set up the automation in Notion.
Click on the Automation icon (⚡) to open the configuration window. You can rename the automation if you like.
Now, add the triggers and actions for your recurring tasks automation. Here’s how to set it up:
Triggers:
- Status > Complete
- Frequency > Weekly, Monthly, Daily
Be sure When all apply is selected so that the automation only runs when all triggers are met.
Actions:
- Due Date: Edit property > Due Date > Custom formula
- Set Status to Not Started
For the Due Date custom formula, use this one:
Page that triggered automation . Due Date .dateAdd( ifs( Page that triggered automation . Frequency == “Weekly”, 7, Page that triggered automation . Frequency == “Monthly”, 30, Page that triggered automation . Frequency == “Daily”, 1 ), “days” )
With this automation, whenever you complete a task, Notion will automatically push the due date to the specified frequency (like, 30 days for monthly, 7 days for weekly).
So, overall the automation setup looks something like this:
Pro Tip: Ensure that the Frequency labels in your formula match the labels in the Frequency (Select property) in your Tasks database exactly. If you change the labels, update the Automation trigger, and you’re good to go.
This setup works for most use cases. However, if you don’t want to use labels and need more flexibility with custom frequencies, here’s another approach:
For this, just add a Number property in your Tasks database, called Repeat every…
Also, add some dummy data here as the recurring frequency (number of days). Now, update the Due Date custom formula as follows:
Page that triggered automation . Due Date .dateAdd(Page that triggered automation . Repeat every… , “days” )
With this updated formula, the due date will be based on the exact number of days you set—whether that’s 30, 20, 45 days, or any interval you need.
Pretty handy, right?
This setup and the following two require Notion’s automation feature, which isn’t available on the free plan. But if you’re using a template that includes automation, you can use Notion automations even if you’re on the free plan.
To make it easy for you, I’ve created a Notion template with all the use cases and automation setups. You can download it here and get started right away!
Now, let’s move on to the next use case — recurring tasks based on the completion date.
How To Repeat Tasks in Notion Based On Completion Date
In this setup, you’ll build on the previous automation to set the new due date based on the task’s completion date instead of the previous due date.
For example, if you complete a task on November 5th and the frequency is set to 30 days, the new due date will be December 5th.
To set this up, simply update the Due Date formula as follows:
Trigger page.Due Date .dateAdd(Trigger page.Repeat every…, “days” )
It’s the shortest formula that you can use to repeat tasks but it also requires you to input a value for every tasks that you want to repeat.
Alternatively, you can make everything more robust by adding some fallback logic as explained in the next step.
How To Set Up Recurring Tasks with Fallback Logic
There might be a situation where you want to combine both versions and update a tasks next due date based on the previous due date if it exists – and use the completion date as a fallback if the due date was empty.
You can do so by combining both formulas with an if() statement:
if( empty( Page that triggered automation . Due Date ), Date triggered , Page that triggered automation . Due Date ) .dateAdd( Page that triggered automation . Repeat every… , “days” )
With this updated formula, each recurring task will automatically set a new due date based on its completion date (the date when the automation is triggered).
This fallback is often useful because, without a due date, the automation would fail and currently, Notion hasn’t built proper error handling into database automations.
You can also alternate the fallback and have it repeat a task always by a fallback value of x days in case you forget to set a frequency.
Now, let’s move on to the next use case — creating new recurring tasks while keeping the older ones in Notion.
How To Create A New Recurring Task And Keep The Old One In Notion
Now that you know how to create recurring tasks in Notion by automatically updating due dates, what if you want to create a new instance of the task while keeping the older ones?
You can absolutely do this! In fact, there are two ways to set it up.
Option 1: Using Notion Database Automations To Duplicate The Task
For this setup, Notion automations will create a new task and mirror the database properties from the completed task to the new instance.
As before, click the Automation icon (⚡) and set up the triggers as follows:
Triggers:
- Status set to Complete
- Frequency set to Weekly, Monthly, or Daily
Actions:
Now, configure the automation to create a new database item and map each property from the completed task:
- Add page to Tasks
- Name: Page that triggered automation . Name
- Due Date: Page that triggered automation . Due Date . dateAdd(Page that triggered automation . Repeat every…, “Days”)
- Frequency: Page that triggered automation . Frequency
- Repeat Every…: Page that triggered automation . Repeat Every…
These may seem complex at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s pretty straightforward. Just follow the previous methods to setup the formula for each properties.
Essentially, you need to map all the properties that should carry over from the original instance to your cloned recurring task. This setup ensures Notion will create an exact duplicate of the recurring task with an updated due date.
However, a minor drawback exists. If any property other than Status, such as Task Name or Assignee, is altered in the original task, those changes will carry over to the newly created instances, which might not always be what you want.
You risk playing a Notion version of silent post, with tasks getting more and more altered with every repetition.
If you’d like to avoid this, there’s a second method: creating recurring tasks based on a specific template.
Option 2: Recurring Tasks Based On A Template
With this method, you’ll create a template for each recurring task type to ensure consistency, even if someone edits the database properties.
Start by creating a template for the recurring task and set all the properties to your preference. For example, if you need a weekly task for Weekly Sprint Meeting, create a template named Weekly Sprint Meeting with all the necessary details. To differentiate this task type, add a Task Type property and set it to Weekly Sprint Meeting.
With this template ready, configure the automation as follows:
Triggers:
- Status set to Complete
- Type is set to Weekly Sprint Meeting (or anything you have)
Actions,
- Add page to Tasks as Weekly Sprint Meeting
- Due Date: Date triggered .dateAdd (Page that triggered automation . Repeat every…, “Days”)
This setup will create a new task based on the Weekly Sprint Meeting template each time you mark the current task as complete. Even if anyone made any changes to individual instances, there wouldn’t be any impact on the future instances, as each new task is created from the template itself.
This method is especially useful for maintaining consistent recurring tasks. Although not as scalable as other options (since you’ll need separate templates for each task type), it’s ideal for a limited number of recurring tasks in Notion.
Now, let’s look at a way to create recurring tasks without using Notion automations. Ready?
How To Create Recurring Tasks In Notion Without Database Automations
In this final use case, let’s look at how to create recurring tasks in Notion without using any automations. While this method isn’t as powerful as the others, it’s perfect for simpler scenarios.
To set this up, you’ll need to create a template in the Tasks database. For this example, let’s reuse the Weekly Sprint Meeting template from the previous methods.
Start by opening the template’s three-dot menu (•••), then click on Repeat.
Here, you’ll find options to set the task to repeat daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly. Choose the frequency you need, and you’ll have access to additional configuration options:
- Frequency: Set a custom interval in days, weeks, months, etc.
- Starts: Choose the starting date for Notion to begin repeating the tasks.
- Create at: Decide when new tasks should be created.
You can customise these options to fit your schedule, even specifying which days of the week to repeat the task.
To set the Due Date so that it’s automatically applied to each new task created by Notion, go to the Weekly Sprint Meeting template. Click on Due Date property and you’ll see two options there — Now (which adds both date and time) and Today (date only). Choose Today if you want each new instance to appear with that day’s date.
With this simple setup, Notion will automatically create the tasks for you and add the due date without using Notion automation.
This method is especially useful if you’re on Notion’s free plan and prefer a lighter setup.
Get Your Free Notion Template
Now that you’re familiar with all the use cases and methods for creating recurring tasks in Notion, it’s time to put them into your system and elevate your Notion game. If you’re aiming for a robust task management system for yourself or your team, definitely consider using Notion Automation to set up recurring tasks. However, if you prefer a simpler approach, the template’s Repeat feature is an excellent alternative. Ultimately, the choice is yours. It depends on your unique needs, your team’s dynamics, and the overall goals of your business. So, give it a shot and find out what works best for you!
You can download this Notion Template plus another 21+ other free templates here:
