- Create a template step by step
- Use your template
- Make it repeat automatically
- Template rules worth knowing
- The relation property trap
- Templates that save small businesses time
- Edit, copy or delete a template
- Templates outside databases
- Make more than one
- Keep templates short
- My verdict
- Frequently asked questions
To make a template in Notion, open a database, click the dropdown arrow next to the blue New button and choose + New template. Name it, set any default properties, add the content you want on every page and close it. It then appears whenever you create a new page in that database.
If you create the same kind of page again and again, such as meeting notes, client onboarding, a blog brief or a weekly review, a Notion template saves you rebuilding it every time. Notion's database templates let you set up a page once and reuse it with one click. They can even create pages for you on a schedule. Here's how to make one, use it, and set it to repeat.
Create a template step by step
- Open the database you want the template in.
- Click the dropdown arrow next to the blue New button at the top right.
- Select + New template.
- Give it a title. That becomes the template's name, such as 'Client call' or 'Blog brief'.
- Set any properties you want pre-filled, such as a status, a tag or a person.
- Add the content you want on every page: headings, checklists, prompts, images or sub-pages.
- Close the template. It saves automatically.
Use your template
Click the dropdown next to New and pick your template, or create a new blank page in the database and choose a template from the grey menu that appears. Everything you set up is copied onto the new page, and you can then edit it however you like without changing the template itself.
Make it repeat automatically
This is the feature most people don't know about. Notion's repeating templates create a fresh copy for you on a schedule, so your Monday planning page or monthly review is already waiting.
- Click the dropdown next to New.
- Next to the template, click the three-dot menu.
- Open the Repeat dropdown.
- Choose daily, weekly, monthly or yearly, set the interval, start date and time.
Template rules worth knowing
| Question | Answer from Notion's help |
|---|---|
| Can a template live in every database? | No, only in the database where you made it |
| Is there a limit on how many? | No, make as many as you want |
| Can templates hold images and sub-pages? | Yes, any content |
| Can I nest templates? | Only inside weekly, monthly or yearly repeats, up to three levels |
The relation property trap
One warning from Notion's help: if your template includes a relation property, such as a link to a client or project, leave it empty. If you fill it in, every page you create from the template will be linked to that same client or project. Fill relations in on each new page instead.
Templates that save small businesses time
- Client call notes with headings for goals, decisions and next steps.
- Blog or social post brief with fields for audience, angle and call to action.
- Weekly review on a weekly repeat, with wins, numbers to check and next week's focus.
- New client onboarding with a checklist of everything you need to send and set up.
- Month-end admin checklist on a monthly repeat, so nothing gets forgotten.
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Edit, copy or delete a template
Click the dropdown next to New, then the three-dot menu next to the template. Choose Edit to change it, or duplicate it to make a variation, or delete it if you no longer need it. Changes to a template only affect new pages, not ones you've already created from it.
Templates outside databases
Notion's template feature lives inside databases, which is why the button sits next to New. If you've been copying and pasting a standalone page to reuse it, that's a sign it belongs in a database. Create a simple database for that type of page, such as 'Meetings' or 'Briefs', and add your template there. You get the one-click template plus the ability to sort, filter and find every page you've made from it later.
Make more than one
There's no need to squeeze every situation into a single template. Notion says you can make as many as you want, so a meetings database might have separate templates for a discovery call, a project kick-off and a monthly check-in. Each one carries its own headings and pre-filled properties, and you pick the right one from the New dropdown in a second. Name them clearly so anyone on your team knows which to use.
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Keep templates short
A template should make starting easier, not create homework. The best ones I've used have a few headings and a short checklist, nothing more. If you find yourself deleting half the template every time you use it, it's too long. Trim it until every section earns its place, and you'll keep using it.
My verdict
Dropdown next to New, + New template, name it, pre-fill the properties and add the content you reuse. Set the routine ones to repeat, leave relation properties empty, and keep templates short. It's one of the quickest wins in Notion.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a template in Notion?
Open a database, click the dropdown next to New, choose + New template, then name it and add the content and properties you want.
Can Notion create pages from a template automatically?
Yes. Use the three-dot menu next to the template and set Repeat to daily, weekly, monthly or yearly.
Are Notion templates available in every database?
No. Notion says templates are only available in the database where you created them.
How many templates can I make in Notion?
Notion says there's no limit. You can make as many as you want.
Why are all my Notion template pages linked to the same project?
You probably filled in a relation property in the template. Leave relations empty in the template and fill them in on each page.


