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Data Sources

A data source is the underlying collection of pages that a database draws from. Every database needs at least one — it's what the database is actually displaying. But Closot takes this further: a single database view can pull from multiple data sources simultaneously, letting you combine related information from different databases into one unified workspace.

What Is a Data Source?​

Think of a data source as the raw material a database view consumes. If you have a Vendor Contracts database, the data source is the collection of all vendor contract pages inside it. The database view is just a window into that data — organized, filtered, and sorted to your preferences.

When you create a database, you're also creating its first (and initially only) data source. But you can add more.

Creating a Database with a Data Source​

New Database with a New Data Source​

This is the standard flow — you're creating a fresh database from scratch.

  1. Create a new page and select ••• → Database
  2. Or type /database on any existing page and press Enter
  3. Select New empty database

New Database Linked to an Existing Data Source​

This creates a new database view that points to an existing database's data — useful when you want a different visual arrangement of data that already exists elsewhere without duplicating it.

  1. Follow the same initial steps above
  2. Select Link to existing data source
  3. Search for and select the database you want to pull from

Using Multiple Data Sources​

The real power of data sources becomes apparent when you combine more than one. Closot lets you add multiple data sources to a single database, and each source contributes its items to the shared view.

Example use cases:

  • Unified Project Hub — A single dashboard that draws from separate Design Tasks, Engineering Tasks, and QA Tasks databases, giving the project manager visibility across all workstreams in one place without merging the actual databases
  • HR Overview — A combined view pulling from Full-Time Employees, Contractors, and Interns databases, showing all people in one filterable table even though each group lives in its own database
  • Support Dashboard — Pulling from both a Bug Reports database and a Feature Requests database into one prioritized backlog view

Add a Data Source to an Existing Database​

  1. Click the slider icon at the top of your database
  2. Select Manage data sources
  3. Choose:
    • Add data source — creates a new database and adds it as a source
    • Link existing data source — connects an existing database as a source

Permissions and Data Sources​

note

Only users with Can edit access to a database can move or configure its data sources. Access levels for any linked source respect the permissions set on the original database — if you have view-only access to the source database, you can see the data in the combined view but cannot edit it.

Editing Linked Data Sources​

When you edit items visible through a linked data source:

  • Custom views, filters, and sorts you apply to the linked view are isolated — they don't affect the original database or any other view of it
  • Changes to titles, property values, or page contents are reflected in the original data source — editing here is the same as editing the original

This means you can safely create a custom view of an external data source without worrying about disrupting how others see that database. But be aware that any actual data edits you make do change the real records.

Up next: Optimize database load times & performance — Keep your databases fast as they scale.