Easy Tech TutsHow to Put Image in Table in Notion, Add Image to Table Database Easily 2025
By Impran M NLast checked against official docs
Text-only rows make a Notion database hard to scan fast, which matters for anything visual: a product catalog, a mood board, or a simple asset library where you need to recognize an item at a glance instead of reading its name. The fix is a dedicated Files & Media property, a column type built specifically to hold an image (or several) per row. This guide walks through creating that property from a fresh database, attaching an image to a row, and the size limit that catches people out on the free plan.
01Create a new database for your table
Add a page and title it for whatever you're cataloging, then insert a database block. The New database panel offers a New empty database, Build with AI, Import CSV, or linking to an existing database, plus suggested databases like Creative Projects or Tasks Tracker if one already fits.
For a fresh image table, New empty database is the simplest start. It gives you a bare Name column and an Add property button to build out from there.
02Add a Files & Media property
Click Add property next to your existing columns and choose the Files & Media type. It's the one property type in Notion built to hold attachments (images, PDFs, or other files) instead of plain text, a number, or a select tag, which is what makes it the right choice for a visual table.
03Attach an image to a row
Click into the Files & media cell for a specific row and Notion opens a small panel with an "Add a file or image" option. From there you can upload a file from your device or paste a direct image URL to link one instead, and the cell fills in with a thumbnail once the image attaches. Free-plan workspaces cap each upload at 5MB; paid plans raise that to roughly 5GB per file, so a large photo straight off a camera can occasionally get rejected on a free account.
04Preview images inline versus opening them larger
In table view, an attached image shows as a small thumbnail in its cell, enough to recognize at a glance but not much more. Click the thumbnail and Notion opens the image at full size in an overlay, which is the better view when you need to inspect detail instead of just scanning rows for the right item.
05Attach more than one image where it's useful
The Files & Media property isn't limited to a single attachment. Click Add a file or image again in the same cell to stack a second or third image on the same row, useful for a product with multiple angles or a mood board entry with several references. Each attachment gets its own thumbnail in the cell, in the order you added them.
06Show the same image in Gallery or Board view
Add a Gallery or Board view of the same database, open its Layout settings from the ⋯ menu, and check Card Preview. It defaults to None on a new view, so nothing shows until you change it. Set it to your Files & Media property instead of None or Page Cover, and the image that's just a small thumbnail in Table view becomes the actual card image, usually the more natural way to browse a visual catalog once the table is populated.
When it doesn't work
An upload doesn't finish, or Notion says the file is too large
Why: Free-plan workspaces cap individual uploads at 5MB. Paid plans raise that to roughly 5GB per file.
Fix: Compress the image before uploading, or paste a direct image URL instead — a linked image doesn't count against the size limit at all.
The image doesn't show up as the card in Gallery view
Why: Card Preview defaults to None on a new gallery view, so no image displays until it's set.
Fix: Open the view's Layout settings from the ⋯ menu, choose Card Preview, and select the Files & Media property instead of None or Page Cover.
Frequently asked questions
Can I add more than one image per row?
Yes. The Files & Media property accepts multiple attachments in a single cell, so a row can hold several images, not just one.
Is there a size limit on images I upload?
On the free plan, yes: 5MB per file. Paid plans raise that to roughly 5GB per file. Pasting a direct image URL instead of uploading avoids the limit entirely, since Notion just links to it.
Can I use an image URL instead of uploading?
Yes. The same "Add a file or image" option that lets you upload from your device also accepts a direct image link, which keeps your storage usage down and skips the file-size cap.
Will the image show up in Gallery or Board views too?
Only once you set it to. Open the view's Layout settings, choose Card Preview, and pick the Files & Media property — it defaults to None, so a new gallery view won't show any image until you change that.
What's the difference between Files & Media and pasting a link in a text cell?
A text cell with a pasted link just shows text; you have to click through to see the image. Files & Media renders an actual thumbnail in the cell and can be set as the Gallery card preview, which a plain text property can't do.
Sources and last check
Click path and screens come from a walkthrough recorded in July 2025. The property behavior, file size limits, and Gallery view's Card Preview setting were re-checked against Notion's official help documentation and pricing page in September 2026. That check added the free-plan 5MB upload limit and corrected the Gallery step, which previously described setting a card cover without noting that Card Preview defaults to None and has to be pointed at the Files & Media property deliberately.
About the author
Impran M N
I've been hooked on technology for as long as I can remember — especially the new tools and AI apps that seem to land every other week. Easy Tech Tuts is where I write up whatever I've just worked out: I do the task in the real product, record the screen, and turn it into the guide I wish I'd found first.
