GoodNotes Templates 2026 — Best Free and Paid Templates for Every Use
GoodNotes templates are pre-designed PDF pages that load directly into the app — giving you a structured layout to write, plan, and annotate instead of starting from a blank page every time. The right template turns GoodNotes from a freeform notebook into a focused tool for whatever you need: daily planning, semester study notes, habit tracking, journaling, or goal setting.
The problem is quality. Search Etsy or Pinterest for GoodNotes templates and you’ll find thousands of results — most of them look identical, several don’t render correctly in GoodNotes, and a handful are genuinely well-built. This guide cuts through the volume. It covers how to import any template into GoodNotes, what separates a properly optimised template from one that just looks good in screenshots, the six main template categories and what to look for in each, and where the best sources actually are.
If you’re looking for a digital planner for iPad rather than standalone templates, the same principles apply — a well-built digital planner is essentially a set of interconnected GoodNotes templates packaged together.
How to Import Templates into GoodNotes (Step by Step)
Importing GoodNotes templates is straightforward, but the method differs slightly depending on whether you’re adding a template as a new notebook or as a custom page inside an existing one.
To import as a new notebook:
- Download the template PDF to your iPad. If it arrives as a ZIP file (common with Etsy purchases), tap it in Files — it extracts automatically.
- Open GoodNotes → tap the + button (top right of the My Library screen).
- Select Import → navigate to the PDF in your Files app.
- Tap the file. GoodNotes opens it as a new notebook.
- Rename it: tap the three-dot menu → Rename.
To add a template as a custom page type inside an existing notebook:
- Open the notebook where you want to add the template.
- Tap the page thumbnail panel on the left → tap and hold a page thumbnail → select Change Template.
- Tap Import → select your PDF.
- The imported page becomes a reusable template — you can apply it to any page in that notebook going forward.
To use a template as the default for new pages in a notebook:
- Open the notebook → tap the thumbnail panel.
- Tap Notebook Settings (gear icon) → Default Template → Import.
- Select your PDF. Every new page added to this notebook will use that template.
The second and third methods are the ones most template guides skip — but they’re how you build a notebook that consistently uses your chosen layouts without manually applying the template every single page.
6 Categories of GoodNotes Templates (and What to Look for in Each)
1. Planner Templates
Planner templates are the most searched category — and the most variable in quality. A goodnotes planner template should cover daily, weekly, and monthly views, ideally with hyperlinked navigation between them so you can jump from your monthly overview to a specific week without scrolling.
What to look for:
– Undated layouts (so the template stays usable across years without needing to buy a new one)
– Working hyperlinks between sections — tap a date on the monthly view and land on the daily page
– A brain dump or capture section on the daily page
– Space for time-blocking, not just task lists
For ADHD users specifically, the planner structure matters more than aesthetics. Look for templates with a priority section that forces you to name your top 1–3 tasks before listing everything else. See the ADHD planner printable guide for more on what ADHD-adapted layouts look like and why standard planners often fall short.
Top recommendation: The FocusFlow ADHD Planner is the strongest GoodNotes planner template available at this price point. It’s undated, fully hyperlinked for GoodNotes navigation, fillable with text or Apple Pencil, and designed specifically around ADHD planning needs — priority capture, brain dump, time blocking, and habit tracking in one document. Available for $9 on Etsy.
2. Notebook Templates
Notebook templates replace the standard lined, grid, or blank pages in GoodNotes with more structured layouts — Cornell notes, dot grid with margins, lecture notes with a summary column, meeting notes with an action item section.
What to look for:
– The right paper size for your iPad model (A4 or US Letter for most use cases; check your display ratio)
– Line spacing that suits your handwriting size — 6mm ruling is standard, but many people prefer 7–8mm with Apple Pencil
– A margin or sidebar column if you take structured notes
– Minimal visual decoration — notebook templates should stay in the background
3. Study Templates
Study GoodNotes templates are more specialised: flashcard layouts, revision schedules, exam trackers, subject overview pages, and Pomodoro session logs.
What to look for:
– A Pomodoro or focus session tracker that logs sessions per subject
– A spaced repetition log (even a simple one) to track when you last reviewed each topic
– Subject dashboard pages that give you an overview of progress across multiple modules
– Flashcard layouts that work well when exported as individual slides
A good study template system doesn’t just organise your notes — it builds the review loop into the layout itself.
4. Journal Templates
Journal GoodNotes templates range from simple dated diary layouts to structured gratitude journals, mood trackers, and creative writing prompts.
What to look for:
– A dated header that’s easy to fill in — or a free-form date field you can handwrite
– A mood or energy rating section (particularly useful if you’re tracking patterns over time)
– Enough blank space — overly gridded journal templates restrict free writing
– Optional: a weekly reflection page that pulls together daily entries
The fillable planner PDF guide covers the technical side of how fillable fields work in GoodNotes — useful if you want to type your journal entries rather than handwrite them.
5. Habit Tracker Templates
Habit tracker templates for GoodNotes typically use a monthly grid format — rows for habits, columns for days — or a circular/visual format for a more motivational layout.
What to look for:
– A layout that fits 5–10 habits per page without crowding
– Space to define each habit briefly (not just a box for a checkmark)
– Monthly and weekly views — the weekly view is for active tracking, the monthly view is for pattern review
– A notes row at the bottom for context (e.g., “missed 3 days — travel week”)
6. Goal Setting Templates
Goal setting GoodNotes templates structure longer-horizon planning: quarterly goals, OKR-style frameworks, vision boards, annual reviews, and project planning pages.
What to look for:
– A breakdown structure: annual goal → quarterly milestones → monthly actions → weekly tasks
– A review cadence built into the template (dedicated pages for monthly and quarterly reviews)
– A “why” field alongside the goal — templates that skip this produce lists of goals that get abandoned
Template Categories at a Glance
| Category | Best For | Key Feature to Check | Typical Price Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planner | Daily + weekly structure | Hyperlinked navigation | $5–$20 |
| Notebook | Lecture + meeting notes | Line spacing + margins | Free–$8 |
| Study | Academic + revision | Spaced repetition log | $5–$15 |
| Journal | Reflection + mood | Free-write space | Free–$10 |
| Habit Tracker | Behaviour consistency | 5–10 habit rows | Free–$8 |
| Goal Setting | Quarterly + annual planning | Breakdown structure | $5–$15 |
Where to Find the Best GoodNotes Templates
Etsy
Etsy is the best source for paid GoodNotes templates — the category is mature, there’s meaningful competition on quality, and customer reviews surface what actually works versus what just photographs well.
Search filters worth using: sort by Most Relevant first, then filter by star rating (4.5+). Read the reviews for mentions of specific issues: “links don’t work,” “renders slowly,” “wrong page size.” These details show up in reviews before they show up anywhere else.
Free Templates — Where They Actually Are
Free GoodNotes templates exist across three reliable sources:
GoodNotes built-in library: GoodNotes 6 includes a built-in template library with paper types, planners, and notebook layouts. It’s limited but it’s always available and guaranteed to render correctly. Access it via + → New Page → Template Library.
Reddit (r/GoodNotes, r/digitalplanning): Community members share their own templates regularly. Quality varies, but the top-voted posts in each community are worth checking. Filter by “Top — All Time” to find the most consistently liked free resources.
Designer Etsy shops — free listings: Many Etsy sellers offer a free single-page template as a lead magnet for their paid packs. These free pages are typically the same quality as their paid templates — worth downloading to test before buying a full pack.
What to Avoid
Avoid downloading GoodNotes templates from sites that aggregate hundreds of them into a single ZIP file. These collections are almost always scraped and repackaged without the creator’s permission, the PDF structures are often broken, and many contain pages not designed for GoodNotes at all.
For managing iPad planner apps alongside GoodNotes — comparing when to use GoodNotes versus Notability, Noteshelf, or Nebo — that guide covers the trade-offs.
What Makes a Template “GoodNotes Optimised”
Not every PDF marketed as a GoodNotes template is built specifically for GoodNotes. Here’s what the technical difference actually means.
Hyperlinked navigation: In GoodNotes, internal PDF links work — tap a hyperlinked button and jump to another page. Templates built for GoodNotes use internal hyperlinks for section tabs, calendar navigation, and index pages. Templates not built for GoodNotes often use text-only navigation that requires manual scrolling.
Correct page size: GoodNotes renders PDFs at their native dimensions. A template built at A4 (210×297mm) on a 12.9″ iPad Pro will leave white borders. The best templates are built at US Letter (8.5×11″) or at a 4:3 ratio to match most iPad displays without cropping or scaling artefacts.
PDF structure — layers and text fields: GoodNotes-optimised templates use PDF structure correctly. Fillable text fields embedded in the PDF allow you to type directly into labelled sections without the freeform text tool. Backgrounds are on a locked layer; writeable areas are on a separate layer. This means when you write or type, you don’t accidentally move background elements.
File size: A GoodNotes-optimised template compresses images correctly. A 60-page planner should be under 20MB. Templates that aren’t optimised can run 80–150MB — they load slowly, cause lag on page turns, and eat iPad storage.
Cross-app compatibility: The best templates are labelled compatible with GoodNotes, Notability, Noteshelf, and Noteshelfs 5. This isn’t just marketing — it means the PDF was built to spec without relying on app-specific rendering quirks. If a template only works in one app, it was likely designed inside that app’s export tool rather than in a proper PDF authoring environment.
FAQ — GoodNotes Templates
Can I use GoodNotes templates on Android or Windows?
GoodNotes is currently only available on iOS/iPadOS and macOS. The templates themselves are standard PDF files — you can open them in any PDF reader — but the GoodNotes-specific features (hyperlinked navigation, fillable layers) only function inside GoodNotes on Apple devices.
Are free GoodNotes templates worth using, or should I pay?
Free templates are worth using as a starting point — particularly for notebook and journal layouts where a simple dot grid or lined page is all you need. For planner templates with hyperlinked navigation across daily, weekly, and monthly views, paid templates are consistently better-built. The complexity of building a properly hyperlinked planner PDF doesn’t lend itself to free giveaways.
Do GoodNotes templates work in Notability and Noteshelf?
Yes, if the template is a standard PDF. Import it the same way: open the PDF in your Files app, tap Share → open in Notability or Noteshelf. Hyperlinked navigation and fillable fields work in Notability and Noteshelf as well, provided the PDF was built to standard spec rather than using GoodNotes-specific workarounds.
How do I make my own GoodNotes template?
Design your layout in Canva, Affinity Publisher, or Adobe InDesign → export as PDF. For hyperlinks, you need a tool that supports internal PDF links — Affinity Publisher and InDesign both do this natively. Canva’s PDF export doesn’t reliably embed internal hyperlinks, so navigation tabs won’t work if you build your template there.
Can I resize a GoodNotes template if it’s the wrong page size for my iPad?
GoodNotes doesn’t have a resize function. You can use PDF editing tools (PDF Expert, Acrobat) to resize the pages before importing — but this can shift or distort the layout. The cleaner solution is to buy or download templates built for your specific iPad size, which most quality sellers now specify in their listings.
Choosing the right GoodNotes template comes down to three things: the right category for what you actually need it to do, the right technical build so it renders correctly and navigates properly, and the right source so you’re not debugging broken PDFs. For daily planning, a hyperlinked, undated planner template with a structure built around focus and capture is the single highest-value template category — everything else is a supplement.
→ Get the FocusFlow ADHD Planner Template — GoodNotes Optimised — $9
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