add

Learn how to use the add (+) operator in Notion formulas.

The add (+) operator allows you to:

  • Perform addition on numbers
  • Concatenate strings – i.e. combine them
number + number string + string add(number, number) number.add(number)

Note that when using + with two different data types, they’ll both be converted to strings:

"It's " + now() /* Output: "It's @August 18, 2023 4:07 PM" */ 1 + true /* Output: "1true" */

When used in mathematical equations, the + operator follows the standard mathematical order of operations (PEMDAS). For more detail, see Operator Precedence.

You can also use the function version, add(), though this version will only work with numbers.

2 + 5 /* Output: 7 */ "Monkey D." + " Luffy" /* Output: Monkey D. Luffy */ add(4, 7) /* Output: 11 */ 4.add(7) /* Output: 11 */ "There's " + prop("Number") + " members." /* Output: "There's 12 members." */

Since add is a binary operator, it can only work on two operands – the objects which are being operated on (if – the ternary operator – is the only operator that works on three operands).

If you need to work with more than two operands, the shorthand + is by far the easiest way to do it.

4 + 3 + 6 + 9 /* Output: 22 */ add(add(4, 3), add(6, 9)) /* Output: 22 */ 4.add(3).add(6).add(9) /* Output: 22 */ "King" + " of the " + "Pirates" /* Output: King of the Pirates */

The example database below tracks a week of treasure-collecting by three pirates. The Total formula adds up all the treasure gathered by the three pirates collectively.

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Note how I’ve set the number format of each column to U.S. Dollar. I’ve also set each column’s Calculate value to Sum, allowing me to see the total of all rows put together.

prop("Luffy") + prop("Zoro") + prop("Nami")

Instead of using hard-coded numbers, I’ve called in each property using the prop() function.

About the Author

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.

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Fill out the form below and I’ll answer as soon as I can! ~Thomas