Default values & formulas

When 2sync creates new items in Notion, you can automatically set values for properties that aren't mapped. Default values ensure database consistency and enable smarter workflows.

How do default values work?

Default values apply when:

• A new item syncs FROM an external app TO Notion
• The property isn't mapped to an external field
• 2sync needs a value for required properties

Example: Every Google Calendar event gets a 📅 icon automatically, without mapping anything.

How do I set default values?

1. Open your automation
2. Go to Default Values section
3. Click + Add Default Value
4. Select the Notion property
5. Enter the default value

Supported property types

What are common use cases for default values?

Page icons

Assign consistent icons to synced items:

• 📅 for calendar events
• ✅ for tasks from Todoist
• 📧 for emails
• 👤 for contacts

Setup:

• Property: Page Icon Emoji
• Value: Your chosen emoji

Source attribution

Track where items came from when aggregating multiple sources:

• Property: Source (Select)
• Values: "Google Calendar," "Todoist," "Gmail," etc.

Benefit: Filter views by source, run automations based on origin.

Status initialization

Set default status for incoming items:

• Property: Status
• Value: "Not Started" or "Inbox"

Benefit: New tasks enter a triage workflow automatically.

Type categorization

Categorize items automatically:

• Property: Type (Select)
• Value: "Meeting," "Task," "Email," etc.

Benefit: Different views per type without manual categorization.

Project assignment

Assign new items to a default project:

• Property: Project (Relation or Select)
• Value: "Inbox" or "Uncategorized"

Benefit: Nothing gets lost; everything has a home.

How does default duration work?

For calendar automations, set a default duration for events created from Notion without an end time.

Problem: Create a Notion page "Meeting at 2pm" without an end time. What duration should the calendar event have?

Solution:

• Setting: Default calendar event duration
• Value: 60 minutes (or any duration)

Result: "Meeting at 2pm" becomes 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM in Google Calendar.

How do filter-based defaults work?

When you use filters, filtered properties automatically get their filtered value as a default.

Example:

• Filter: Calendar Name equals "Work"
• Default: New Notion events sync to "Work" calendar

This happens automatically, no manual default setting needed.

How do I use formulas?

Map Notion formulas to sync calculated values to external apps.

Formula requirements

1. Set sync direction to one-way to external app
2. Map the formula property to a compatible field
3. Ensure all referenced databases are connected to 2sync

Common formula uses

Combining fields:

prop("First Name") + " " + prop("Last Name")

Map to: Event Name or Title

Conditional values:

if(prop("Priority") == "High", "🔴 " + prop("Title"), prop("Title"))

Map to: Event Name (adds prefix for high priority)

Date calculations:

dateAdd(prop("Due Date"), -1, "days")

Map to: Reminder date

Formula permissions

Formulas that reference relations or rollups need access to related databases:

Problem: Formula shows empty in synced output.

Cause: Formula references a relation to a database not connected to 2sync.

Fix: Connect the related database to 2sync via (•••) > Add connections > 2sync. See Notion property types for details on formula compatibility.

How do I set conditional defaults?

2sync doesn't support conditional defaults directly, but you can achieve similar results:

Multiple automations

Create separate automations with different defaults. See Use multiple automations for guidance:

1. Automation A: Filter to "Work" calendar, default icon 💼
2. Automation B: Filter to "Personal" calendar, default icon 🏠

Notion formulas

Use formulas to calculate values based on other properties:

1. Sync the raw data
2. Use formula properties to derive conditional values
3. Use those formulas in views and workflows

What is the difference between default values and field mapping?

What are the best practices for default values?

Keep defaults simple

Use defaults for truly constant values, not complex logic. If values should vary, map the field instead.

Document your defaults

Note why you set each default. Months later, you'll need to know why every event has a specific icon.

Test with new items

After setting defaults, create a test item to verify:

1. Create item in external app
2. Wait for sync
3. Check Notion page has expected defaults

Avoid conflicts

Don't set defaults for mapped fields. The mapped value overrides the default anyway.

Related

• Default asset configuration for setting where new Notion items are created
• Notion property types for supported property types and formula compatibility
• Use multiple automations for splitting defaults across automations
• Google Calendar fields for available calendar fields to map
• Todoist fields for available Todoist fields to map

FAQ