Notion is a popular productivity app that allows users to create customizable workspaces for notes, tasks, wikis, calendars, and more. One of Notion’s most useful features is templates – reusable pages that you can quickly duplicate instead of building from scratch every time.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk through the steps to turn any existing Notion page into a template that you can reuse again and again.
Table of Contents
Benefits of Using Templates
Here are some of the key benefits of using templates in Notion:
- Save time – Building an intricate page layout in Notion takes time. With a template, you skip the busywork of structuring and formatting since you only have to do it once.
- Increase consistency – Templates allow you to standardize structures and layouts across your Notion workspace. This makes it easier to navigate between pages.
- Improve organization – Applying the same template to multiple pages keeps your workspace tidy and cohesive. This clarity helps you stay focused.
- Enhance productivity – The time savings and consistency from using templates compounds over time, allowing you to get more done with less effort.
How to Make a Page a Template
Follow these simple steps to turn any existing page in your Notion workspace into a reusable template:
First, open the Notion page that you want to save as a template. This is the “source page” that contains the structure, content, and formatting you want to reuse.
2. Click the “Template” Button
In an empty line on the source page, type /template and press enter. This will insert a “Template” button.
3. Name Your Template
Double click on the default “Untitled” template name and give your template a descriptive name.
4. Drag Content Into Template Button
Select all the content on your source page and drag it down into the template button you just created. This content now lives inside the template.
5. Use the Template
Now when you create a new page in the same Notion database, your template will be available to insert pre-populated with the source content.
And that’s it! With just a few clicks, you’ve created a Notion template from an existing page.
Tips for Using Templates Effectively
Here are some tips to help you make the most of templates:
- Keep templates generic – Avoid including content specific to a single page. For example, don’t include dates, names, or details that can’t be reused.
- Use conditional formatting – Leverage options like toggles, checkboxes and formulas so template content can adapt based on user input.
- Create documentation – Add instructions so anyone using your template understands how it’s meant to be used and customized.
- Organize templates – Store templates together in a Notion page or database for easy discovery and access.
Advanced Template Options
Beyond the basic template button method covered above, Notion offers a few other powerful options for creating and managing templates:
Database Templates
For databases, you can create templates that pre-populate properties or content for new items. Access templates from the “New” button at the top right of any database.
Template Gallery
Browse Notion’s public template gallery to discover templates shared by other users for personal and professional use cases.
Nested Templates
Use templates inside of other templates for a flexible “lego brick” approach to page building. This takes some planning but allows extensive customization.
Template Linking
You can publish a Notion template page publicly then share or embed the link for others to duplicate. Useful for teams or external sharing.
Use Cases for Notion Templates
With the ability to template any Notion page, the use cases are endless. Here are just a few ideas to spark your creativity:
- Meeting notes
- Project plans
- Client proposals
- Blog posts
- Recipes
- Workout tracker
- Invoice generator
- Onboarding checklist
No matter what you use Notion for, templates can help you transform your workflows.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about Notion templates:
How do I delete a Notion template?
To delete a template, open the source page and delete the Template button. This will erase the template completely.
Can I edit an existing template?
Yes, navigate to the source page with the Template button and make any changes. All pages created from that template will update.
What’s the easiest way to apply a template?
Save templates in your sidebar. Then click the “+” button to insert any template to the current page instantly.
What happens if I delete the source template page?
Existing pages created from the template will remain intact. But the template itself will no longer be available for new pages.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, turning any Notion page into an easy-to-use template takes just minutes but provides tremendous ongoing value.
Implementing templates improves consistency across your knowledge base while saving you time and energy over the long-haul.
Notion empowers you to customize everything about your workspace. So leverage templates as a secret weapon to enhance your productivity and streamline your workflows.
The use cases for Notion templates are infinite – give them a try today to level up your Notion game!
