How to add templates in Notion

Learn how to find, preview, and add Notion templates to your workspace, plus how to customize and set them as database defaults.

Quick answer

To add a template in Notion, open the sidebar menu, click Marketplace, then Templates, search by keyword, click a template to preview it, then click Add to copy it into your workspace, saving you from rebuilding pages, databases, or entire workflows from scratch.

Steps at a glance

  1. Open the sidebar menu and click Marketplace, then Templates.
  2. Search for a specific template type or pick Work, Life, or School.
  3. Click a template to open its preview page.
  4. Click Add to copy it to your workspace.
  5. Customize the template's text, blocks, and structure to fit your needs.
  6. Set a database template as default if needed.
  7. Share the new page with teammates once it's ready.

Interactive demo

Loading demo…

Summary

Notion's Marketplace gives you access to a large library of prebuilt templates, from personal trackers to full team knowledge bases, so you don't have to build common workflows from scratch. Adding a template takes just a few clicks and drops a fully structured page directly into your workspace, ready to customize.

Step-by-step guide

  1. Step 1

    Open the Template Gallery

    In Notion, click the grid icon next to your workspace name at the bottom of the left sidebar, then click Marketplace and choose the Templates tab. The gallery includes both Notion-made and community-built templates.

  2. Step 2

    Browse or search for a template

    Pick a category (Work, Life, or School) to browse, or type a keyword into the search bar if you know what you're looking for, like 'meeting notes' or 'editorial calendar'. Each result shows a thumbnail, the template name, and its price (Free or a dollar amount).

  3. Step 3

    Preview the template

    Click any template to open its full preview page. Scroll through to see how the layout, databases, and blocks are structured before deciding whether it fits your workflow. This step helps you avoid adding a template you'll need to heavily rebuild later.

  4. Step 4

    Add the template to your workspace

    Click the Add button on the preview page. Notion copies the entire page, including its databases, views, and formatting, directly into your workspace sidebar where you can rename or move it as needed.

  5. Step 5

    Customize the template to fit your needs

    Edit the text, rename properties, and rearrange sections to match your workflow. You can add new blocks like headings, checklists, or embeds using the guide on how to add blocks in Notion to expand any template beyond its default layout.

  6. Step 6

    Set a database template as the default

    If you added a database template, click the dropdown arrow next to the New button inside the database, click the ••• next to the template you want, then click Set as default. Every new entry will now start with that template's structure pre-filled. Learn more about setting this up in the guide on how to create a database in Notion.

  7. Step 7

    Share the page with your team

    Once the template is customized, click Share in the top-right corner to invite teammates or generate a link. This is especially useful for templates meant for team collaboration, like knowledge bases or project trackers. See the guide on how to share a page in Notion for permission options.

Why this matters

You're starting a new project, tracker, or team workspace and don't want to spend an hour building the layout yourself. Adding a template gets you a ready-made structure in seconds, so you can start filling in content and sharing it with collaborators right away.

Frequently asked questions

  • Are Notion templates free to add?

    Many templates in the Notion Marketplace are free, but some community-built templates charge a fee. Notion's own templates, such as Meeting notes, are free to add to your workspace.

  • Can I edit a template after adding it?

    Yes. Once a template is duplicated into your workspace, it becomes a regular Notion page or database that you can fully edit, rename, restructure, or delete like any other content you create.

  • What's the difference between a page template and a database template?

    A page template is a standalone prebuilt page you add once. A database template pre-fills new entries inside a database automatically, so every new row or card starts with the same structure.

  • Can I remove the starter templates Notion added when I signed up?

    Yes. Hover over the template in your sidebar, click the ••• menu next to its name, then click Move to Trash to remove it from your workspace.

Related guides

Continue with more step-by-step guides for getting work done.

Create interactive demos like this one — free, no coding required.

Start for free →