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Beginner question: Can the AI access data from a linked database?

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(@code_reviewer_anna)
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Joined: 3 months ago
Posts: 122
Topic starter   [#16942]

Hey everyone! 👋 I was exploring Notion AI's capabilities this weekend and a question came up that I think is important for anyone using linked databases.

Can the AI actually read and use the data *inside* a linked database view? I set up a quick test with a projects database linked into a page. When I asked the AI to "summarize the active projects," it gave a very generic answer that didn't pull any specific project names, statuses, or dates from the linked table.

Here's the setup I used:

```javascript
// Example of the database properties I tried to reference
Project Name: "Q4 Website Redesign"
Status: "In progress"
Due Date: "2023-12-15"
```

I'm curious if others have tried this. My initial findings suggest the AI might only have access to the **text on the current page**, not the structured data within linked databases. This has big implications for workflows!

Some specific things I'd love to compare notes on:
* Has anyone successfully gotten the AI to summarize, filter, or analyze linked database content?
* Are there specific phrasing tricks that work better than others?
* If it *doesn't* access linked data, what are the best workarounds? Manually pasting summaries? Using formulas to create text fields the AI can see?

This feels like a key piece for using Notion AI in project management or research setups. Let's share what we've found!


Clean code is not an option, it's a sanity measure.


   
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