sign
Learn how to use the sign function in Notion formulas.
The
sign()
function returns the sign of its argument. It indicates whether its argument is positive, negative, or zero.1
sign(number)
1
sign(-5) // -1
2
3
sign(5) // 1
4
5
sign(0) // 0
6
7
sign(+"-1") // -1
The example database below lists bank account balances. The
sign()
function is used to determine the output of the Status property.
1
// Compressed
2
sign(prop("Balance")) == -1 ? "🔴 Negative Balance!" : sign(prop("Balance")) == 0 ? "🟡 $0 Balance" : "🟢 Balance OK"
3
4
// Expanded
5
sign(
6
prop("Balance")
7
) == -1 ?
8
"🔴 Negative Balance!" :
9
sign(
10
prop("Balance")
11
) == 0 ?
12
"🟡 $0 Balance" :
13
"🟢 Balance OK"
This simple formula uses a nested if-statement (written in the ternary operator syntax with
?
and :
) to return one of three status messages.The output is determined by the
sign()
function's output.
My name is Thomas Frank, and I'm a Notion-certified writer, YouTuber, and template creator. I've been using Notion since 2018 to organize my personal life and to run my business and YouTube channel. In addition to this formula reference, I've created a free Notion course for beginners and several productivity-focused Notion templates. If you'd like to connect, follow me on Twitter.

Last modified 4mo ago