Notion 3.4

What is Notion 3.4?

Notion 3.4 is a release update to the Notion workspace platform, adding new ways to view and present information, organize content, and improve developer and AI-related capabilities. It focuses on dashboarding, a redesigned (opt-in) sidebar experience, and a presentation mode that lets you present directly from a Notion page.

The release also introduces content blocks and workspace tools intended to keep materials easier to navigate and reuse—such as “tabs” for organizing sections of content, image generation in-context, and the ability to archive pages while keeping them accessible.

Key Features

• New dashboard view for databases: Bring charts, KPIs, and metrics into a single dashboard view, positioned as easier to maintain than workarounds built from linked views.
• Dashboard building via Notion Agent: Start by describing the dashboard you want, and the agent can build and update it for you.
• Completely redesigned sidebar (opt-in): Replace a crowded sidebar with four tabs—pages, agent chats, meetings, and notifications—and allow you to toggle sections on or off.
• Presentation mode for any page: Present directly from a Notion page using keyboard shortcuts (⌘ + opt + p on Mac, Ctrl + alt + p on Windows), without rebuilding your work.
• “Tabs” block for content sections: Organize content into clean, clickable sections without relying on subpages.
• Generate images, charts, slides, and diagrams in-context: Create visuals where you work, with the intent that visuals remain connected to the plan, brief, and decisions on the same page; the agent is also referenced as a way to help start.
• Archive pages for better search and AI results: Mark old pages as archived instead of deleting them; archived pages are hidden from search by default to reduce clutter and improve AI responses.
• Developer-facing improvements: Updates include Markdown Content API support (Markdown tools can now read and write Notion), SDK improvements (including automatic retries and support for Markdown and Meeting Notes), and clearer setup warnings to reduce workflow breakage.

How to Use Notion 3.4

1. Try the redesigned sidebar: If you want the new navigation layout, opt in and then customize which of the four sidebar tabs are visible.
2. Build a dashboard from a database: Use the new dashboard view and describe what you want to see (KPIs, charts, and metrics) to your Notion Agent so it can build and update the dashboard.
3. Present directly from a page: Open the doc or page you want to show, then start presentation mode with the provided keyboard shortcut for your operating system.
4. Organize content with the tabs block: Add the tabs block where you need clickable sections, replacing less structured layouts that depend on subpages.
5. Generate visuals where the work lives: Use the image/chart/slide/diagram generation tools in the context of your page and iterate on outputs tied to your written plan.
6. Archive older pages: Instead of deleting, archive pages you no longer need daily; archived pages are hidden from search by default.

Use Cases

• Team reporting dashboards: A team can create database dashboards that consolidate KPIs and metrics in one place, reducing reliance on multiple linked views and making it simpler to keep the overview current.
• Agent-assisted dashboard creation: Someone who knows what they want to measure can describe the dashboard intent to a Notion Agent and use the agent to build and update the dashboard.
• Live walkthroughs and demos: During a meeting, a presenter can use presentation mode to present directly from the existing page content rather than exporting or rebuilding slides.
• Structured docs without subpages: When documentation needs multiple sections that users should navigate quickly, a “tabs” block can provide clickable organization while staying in a single page.
• Reducing noise for search and AI: As a workspace grows, archiving older pages can keep the navigation and search results cleaner and can help improve the quality of AI responses by hiding archived content from search by default.

FAQ

• Is the redesigned sidebar available to everyone? The release states the redesigned sidebar is opt-in to try it out.

• What operating systems are supported for presentation shortcuts? Keyboard shortcuts are provided for Mac (⌘ + opt + p) and Windows (Ctrl + alt + p).

• Which plans include presentation mode beta access? Presentation mode is described as being in beta for Plus, Business, and Enterprise.

• Do archived pages stay accessible? Yes. Archived pages remain accessible, but they are hidden from search by default.

• What developer changes are included in this release? The release mentions the Markdown Content API (Markdown tools can read and write Notion), SDK improvements (automatic retries, Markdown and Meeting Notes support, clearer setup warnings), and other integration reliability enhancements.

Alternatives

• Spreadsheet dashboards (e.g., built-in BI/dashboarding in spreadsheet tools): Useful when your primary data workflow is spreadsheets; unlike Notion dashboards, these are typically not as closely tied to page-based docs and context.
• Presentation tools (slide decks): If you already maintain slide-based workflows, presentation software may fit better; Notion’s presentation mode is designed to present from the page content you’re working on.
• Knowledge bases with page-section navigation: Documentation platforms that support sectioning (headings, collapsible sections, or linked sections) can be an alternative to Notion’s tabs block for organizing content.
• Content/automation tools with templates and agents: Tools that automate page or report generation can be an alternative approach to agent-assisted dashboard creation, though Notion emphasizes agent-driven building inside the workspace.