How to Create a Blog Post Template in Notion

If you use Notion, you know that creating the same page type or layout repeatedly can be a massive time sink. That’s where templates become your ultimate productivity hack!

Simply put, a Notion template is a pre-designed outline or page structure. Instead of starting from scratch every time, you click one button and get your complete outline, checklists, and planning structure—ready to go. Templates simplify your entire workflow and are a must-have for any consistent blogger!

In this post, I’ll show you exactly how to create a time-saving, stress-free blog post template in Notion.

How to Set a Default Template in Your Notion Blog Database

When using a database in Notion, this can be displayed in different ways, making it excellent for planning or keeping track of your blogging process. 

Speaking from my own experience, managing your database view based on different values can be very powerful. You can transform your view from a Kanban board to a color-coded content bucket view based on the status of your post in no time! The template is set on the database, but you can view it as a Table, Board, or List. 

If you use a table view in Notion, check what is found when you click the button for New. Click the arrow next to the button to see the current templates you have in your database. This is also where you can create a new template.

You can either use layouts that come with a template if you use one, or design your own. To edit a page template, click the three dots and choose edit. From the first menu here, you can also decide which page type you wish to set as the default. 

The short version to create a template and set it as the default would be:

1. Open your Notion blog database (in any view: Table, Board, etc.).
2. Click the down arrow next to the New button (usually in the top right).
3. In the menu that appears, click + New template.
4. Design your template (add properties and content blocks).
5. Click the three dots next to your new template and choose Set as default.

Essential Elements for Your Perfect Blog Post Template

When I created my blog template, I decided to start with the basics of each phase: research, drafting, editing, and publishing. 

Template Body Content (Blocks) 

For each phase, I have a heading and bullet points. I also include a section called Notes. This is a great place to drop research links, brainstormed ideas, and keywords before you begin drafting.

The section for editing and publishing is the one that has changed most over the years. Here, I make use of the checkbox option instead of regular bullet points. Sometimes I don’t have time to do all parts of my editing at once. But by checking things off as I go, it’s easy to continue where I left off last time. 

Template Top Content (Properties/Fields)

Notion also has different things you can add at the very top of a page. Some examples include the ability to assign a page to someone else if you work in a team. You can include links, different statuses, and what type of page it is. You can also include dates for deadlines, publication, and so much more! 

What you end up using depends on what type of view you prefer. In my example, I can sort my table based on status. This creates a sort of kanban board where the post is moved from one side of the board to the next, depending on where it is in the process.

Using Colors to Visualize Your Progress

One addition I made recently was adding ”type of post” as a property. The reason here was simple: to create an overview of different types of content I wish to write. If you find yourself using different types of content buckets, this idea might be something for you. You can also sort the posts based on both types of posts and status. 

It’s also simple to assign different colors to your Select/Multi-Select properties (like Type of Post or Status). This makes it easy to track your progress at a glance and visualize which types of content you’re currently focusing on.

Tweak It! How to Update Your Notion Template

If you need to edit your template, click the button for new, then access the menu mentioned earlier and click edit. When you edit a template, a yellowish banner is shown at the top informing you that you’re editing a template and where the template is located.

When you are in the editing view of your chosen page, you can change the layout, add statuses, and much more. This will then carry over to all the posts created after your edits. Posts already created with your template will remain unchanged.

Bonus Tip: Using the ‘Template Button’ for Quick Content

Not all templates live inside a database. You can also create templates from regular pages using the Template Button block. This is a powerful block you may find useful for quickly inserting small, repeatable bits of content.

The “Template Button” Method

The Template Button method is designed to duplicate a pre-defined set of blocks or a page with a single click. Instead of duplicating the original page, you insert the content of that page directly into the button’s configuration.

This method is great for creating a repeatable block of content that you can insert with a single click on any page.

1. Open a new or existing page where you want the template button to live.
2. Type /button and select the Button block.
3. Click Add action.
4. Select Insert blocks.
5. Drag the content from your existing page into the “Blocks to insert” section of the button’s configuration. You can drag a whole page into this section.
6. Give your button a name (e.g., “New Meeting Notes” or “Project Plan”).
7. Click Done.

Now, every time you click that button, Notion will instantly generate a new copy of the content you put inside.

Once configured, every time you click this button, it will create a brand new, independent copy of the page’s content, which you can then edit without affecting the original page or the content stored in the button itself. This makes it a very efficient way to generate recurring pages, like meeting notes or project plans.

If you want to see the process, super.so has a video showing the process.

Conclusion 

Creating a template for your own planning layout can save you time and further streamline your writing practice. You can include parts of your process, checking things off as you go, and making sure nothing falls between the cracks if you don’t complete the whole post in one sitting.

There are different ways to create and use templates, and there are plenty of templates you can download, use, and tweak if you don’t want to start from scratch.

Do you already use a Notion blog template? What are the essential properties or checklists you rely on to keep your workflow running smoothly? Share your best practices and help your fellow bloggers in the comments below!