How to make a shared habit tracker in Notion

By Rootmates editorial. AI-assisted article.

This setup suits friends who already use Notion and want their habit log beside their notes. It is a manual recipe, not a downloadable template or an automated streak counter.

If you want to track together rather than build a database, download Rootmates on the App Store. Add habits, invite a friend to your squad and see daily progress without configuring properties or filtered views.

1. Create a database, not a simple table

On a new Notion page, type /database and create a database with a table view. Name it “Our habit log.” A database gives you properties and views; a plain table is not the same thing. See Notion's database setup guide.

Rename the first, title column to Habit. Use Add property or the plus beside the columns to add:

• Friend, type Text: a short name, such as Alex or Sam.
• Date, type Date: the day this action is planned.
• Done, type Checkbox: tick it after completing that action.

These types are documented in Notion's property reference. The Friend field is a label, not an access rule. Start without formulas, relations or a separate database for every person.

2. Add planned sessions, not just successes

Here is an invented example for two friends:

• Read five pages | Alex | September 24 | unchecked
• Read five pages | Alex | September 25 | unchecked
• Walk after lunch | Sam | September 25 | unchecked

Alex has two planned sessions; Sam has one. When Alex reads on September 24, Alex checks that row only. Tomorrow gets a different row. Do not change yesterday's date or clear yesterday's box to reuse it.

Add the coming week's planned sessions before you start it. Otherwise a log containing only completed actions cannot show which planned sessions you missed. Days with no planned session need no row. In this simple setup, an unchecked future row is not a missed day, and an unchecked past row only means it has not been marked done.

3. Keep history, change the view

Leave the original view unfiltered and name it All entries. Add another table view using the plus beside the views, or the current view menu's New view option. Call it This week.

In that view's settings, choose Filter, select Date and set the range for the week you want to see. Add a Date sort from oldest to newest. Use Save for everyone if you want your friend to see the same filter. Notion explains these controls in its views and filters guide.

You now have two ways to look at the same entries, not two copies. If you choose fixed start and end dates, update that filter next week. Keep adding new dated rows to the database; do not erase the older ones. If something seems missing, check All entries before adding a duplicate.

4. Invite your friend without publishing the log

Open Share, enter your friend's email and keep general access set to Only people invited. Your friend needs a Notion account. For the database, use Can edit content when available: it permits editing entries without changing the database structure. Check guest limits and workspace restrictions before inviting. Notion's sharing guide covers the controls.

That is shared editing, not “each person can edit only their own row.” Agree to update only your own entries. A view filtered to Alex is not a privacy boundary. Keep private notes outside this shared log, and review access if you stop tracking together.

Keep Notion for customization, or use Rootmates for check-ins

Notion makes sense when building the tracker is part of what you enjoy. This version still needs someone to add planned rows, keep dates correct and maintain the views. It does not automatically generate your schedule or calculate a streak.

Rootmates is the simpler option when you want the shared habit check-in without that database upkeep. You choose your habits and mark them done; your squad can see your daily progress. This is a separate way to track, not a Notion import or sync.

Download Rootmates and invite one friend. For the sharing details, read how Rootmates works with friends. Prefer a browser? Use the web app.