Charts, Flashcards, and Quotes can show data from a Notion database. You pick the database and its properties when you create the widget, and you can change them later in the editor. In the editor, new picks apply only after Refresh data succeeds.
Before you start, connect Notion and share the database with the Blocky integration. See Connect Notion to Blocky.
Pick a database for a chart
Every chart reads its data from Notion. These steps work for the Area chart, Bar chart, Line chart, Pie chart, Radar chart, and Radial chart.
- On the dashboard, click Create widget.
- Under Category, choose Chart. In Widget type, choose the chart. The Radial chart shows as Radical in this list.
- Under Style, choose a template, and then click Continue to data.
- In Notion Datasource, choose the database.
- In Label Field, choose the property that groups your rows into chart labels. This field is required.
- In Value Fields, choose one or more number properties. To count how many rows share each label, leave it empty.
- Click Open editor.
Pick a database for Flashcards or Quotes
Flashcards and Quotes can also use content that you write in the editor.
- On the dashboard, click Create widget.
- Choose Study and then Flashcards, or choose Misc and then Quotes.
- Under Style, choose a template.
- Turn on Add a datasource, and then click Continue to data.
- In Notion Datasource, choose the database.
- Choose the properties:
- For Flashcards, choose Question Field and Answer Field. For the Quiz template, also choose Options Field.
- For Quotes, choose Quote Field and Author Field.
- Click Open editor.
To write the content in the editor instead, click Skip for now.
If the dialog shows No Notion datasources found, Blocky has no Notion database to list:
- If you haven't connected Notion, click Sign in with Notion in the dialog. See Connect Notion to Blocky.
- If Notion is already connected, the list can be out of date, for example after you share your first database. Share the database with the Blocky integration in Notion. Then click Settings, click Connections, and click Refresh on the data sources list. Open Create widget again. See View and manage Notion connections.
If a database is missing from the list, click Refresh data sources beside Notion Datasource.
Change the Notion source in the editor
The editor's Source section holds the Notion settings of the widget.
- For Flashcards or Quotes, choose From Notion. Written here means that you write the entries in the editor.
- In Notion database, choose the database. If it is missing, click Refresh Notion databases.
- Choose the properties:
- For a chart, choose Labels from and Values from. To count rows, leave Values from empty.
- For Quotes, choose Quote and Author.
- For Flashcards, choose Question and Answer. For the Quiz template, also choose Choices.
- Click Refresh data. The button shows Refreshing… until the refresh ends.
Your picks apply only after Refresh data succeeds
While your picks are not applied, the Source section shows Not applied. Until Refresh data succeeds, the widget keeps its current data, and Save doesn't include the new picks. If you choose Written here, Blocky discards the picks that are not applied.
A chart without Notion data shows Sample data. After a refresh succeeds, it shows From Notion.
You can also refresh the data of a saved widget with Refresh data in its card menu on the dashboard. If you have a subscription, a private Embed also has Refresh Data. See Use owner actions in a private Embed. On the dashboard, a failed refresh shows Failed to refresh widget.
What each refresh error means
An error from Notion or from Blocky starts with Couldn't refresh the data or Couldn't apply the refreshed data, followed by one of these endings:
| The message ends with | What it means |
|---|---|
| Notion didn't respond as expected. Reconnect Notion from the dashboard, then try again. | Blocky couldn't read usable data from Notion. For a chart, this includes rows with no usable value in the label property. |
| the Notion connection or database wasn't found. Reconnect Notion from the dashboard, then try again. | Blocky can't find the connected Notion account or the database, for example after you disconnect the workspace. |
| you don't have access to this widget. | The draft belongs to another Blocky account. |
| your plan's limits don't allow this right now. | The data has more entries than your plan allows. |
| sign in again, then try again. | Blocky couldn't confirm that you are signed in. |
| something failed on our side. Your widget is unchanged; try again. | Another failure happened, such as a lost connection. The widget keeps its data. |
The editor can also show these messages below Refresh data:
| Message | What it means |
|---|---|
| Choose every Notion property this widget reads, then refresh. | A property that the widget needs has no pick. |
| The source changed while refreshing, so that data was not applied. Refresh again. | Your picks or the widget's source changed during the refresh. |
| The refreshed Notion data doesn't fit this widget. Check the chosen properties. | The data from the chosen properties can't be shown in this widget. |
| This draft's data source changed in another tab or window. Reload the editor to continue. | The same draft is open somewhere else, and its source changed there. |
| Your changes couldn't be saved, so that data was not applied. Retry saving, then refresh again. | The editor couldn't save your other changes, so it didn't apply the data. |
| Chart data exceeds the chart limits (at most 500 categories) | The chart data is over the chart limits, such as more than 500 labels. |
| Two chart value properties map to the same series key | Two properties in Values from map to the same chart series. |
| No valid flashcards were created from the provided data | The database has rows, but none of them made a flashcard. |
| Widget is too large to save. | The widget with this data is larger than Blocky can save. |
| Widget updates are temporarily unavailable. | Blocky has paused widget changes. Try again later. |