Notion templates come in three flavors: ready-made pages from the template gallery, custom database templates that pre-fill new rows, and button-triggered page templates that drop in any block structure on demand. They all save the same kind of work, recreating the same scaffolding over and over.

Here’s how to add each kind, plus how to make a template the default for a database.

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1. Add a Template from the Notion Template Gallery

The gallery has thousands of templates, Notion-built and community-built, covering everything from sprint planning to wedding planning.

Steps

1. Go to notion.com/templates.
2. Browse by category (Work, School, Personal, Engineering, Marketing, Design) or search.
3. Click a template to open the preview page.
4. Click Get template (some templates show Duplicate template instead).
5. If you’re not signed in, sign in.
6. Pick a destination workspace from the dropdown.
7. Click Duplicate.

The full template, all pages, subpages, and embedded databases, copies into your sidebar under Private by default. Drag it into a teamspace if you want to share it.

Duplicate a publicly shared page as a template

You can also duplicate any published Notion page that has duplicating enabled.

1. Open the public link in your browser.
2. Click Duplicate in the top-right.
3. Pick the destination workspace.
4. Click Duplicate.

If you don’t see a Duplicate button on a published page, the owner has turned off duplication in the page’s publish settings.

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2. Create a Page Button Template

Page buttons are reusable click-to-trigger templates that live inside a page. Click the button and Notion creates the configured blocks instantly.

Use case

You take meeting notes in the same format every week, a heading, a date mention, a list of attendees, an action items checklist. Build it into a button and one click drops the structure in.

Steps

1. Open the page where you want the button.
2. Place your cursor on a new line and type /button.
3. Select Button from the slash menu.
4. Name the button (e.g., New meeting note).
5. Under Add blocks, configure what the button creates. You can add:
   • Headings, text, lists, checklists, callouts, dividers, quotes.
   • Mentions of people, dates, or pages.
   • Embeds, images, files.
6. (Optional) Add another action like Add page to [database], Edit pages in [database], or Set page property.
7. Click Done.

Run the button

Click the button. The configured blocks appear inline (or the configured action runs). The button itself stays in place for next time.

Edit a button later

1. Hover over the button.
2. Click the gear icon that appears.
3. Edit blocks or actions, then click Done.

Tip: Buttons can do more than create blocks, they can add pages to databases, edit existing pages, set property values, and chain multiple actions. They’re the closest thing Notion has to no-code automations within a single workspace.

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3. Create a Database Template

Database templates are page templates scoped to a single database. Every new row can start from a chosen template instead of a blank page.

Use case

Each task in your project database needs the same structure inside it, a goal, a kickoff checklist, a meeting log section. A database template ensures every new task starts with that scaffolding.

Create one

1. Open the database.
2. Click the dropdown arrow next to the New button in the top-right.
3. Select + New template.
4. Notion opens a blank page within the database.
5. Add the template content, properties default values, headings, embedded databases, callouts, anything.
6. Click ← Back to [database] in the top-left when done.

Use a template for new rows

1. Click the dropdown next to New.
2. Pick your template name from the list.

A new row is created using that template’s structure.

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4. Set a Default Database Template

If you almost always use the same template, make it the default so you don’t have to pick it each time.

Steps

1. In the database, click the dropdown next to the New button.
2. Hover over your template’s name.
3. Click the ••• menu next to it.
4. Select Set as default.
5. Choose:
   • For all new pages: every new row in the database uses this template.
   • For all new pages in [current view name]: only this view uses the default; other views can have different defaults.

Now clicking New instantly creates a row using that template, no dropdown step required.

Edit or delete a template

1. Click the dropdown next to New.
2. Hover over the template name.
3. Click ••• > Edit to update it, or Delete to remove it.

Changes to a template don’t retroactively update existing rows, only new rows created from then on use the new structure.

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5. /template Button (Legacy)

The /template slash command was Notion’s earlier name for what’s now usually rolled into buttons. Depending on when your workspace was created, you may still see it.

How to use it

1. Type /template on a page.
2. Select Template button.
3. Configure the button name and the blocks to insert.
4. Click Close at the top of the configuration drawer.

It works the same as /button for the basic block-insertion case. New workspaces should use /button instead, it supports more action types (database operations, property edits, multi-step actions).

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Quick Reference

Template type	Where to start	Best for
Gallery template	notion.com/templates > Get template	Starting fast with a fully built workflow
Page button	/button on any page	Repeated structures inside one page (meeting notes, journals)
Database template	Database New dropdown > + New template	Pre-filled scaffolding for every new row
Default database template	Template ••• > Set as default	Skipping the template picker for the most-used template
/template button (legacy)	/template on any page	Older workspaces; use /button instead

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Which Template Method Should You Use?

• Want a complete workflow without building it yourself? Use the template gallery. Notion’s own templates and the community ones are mature and well-tested.
• Have a recurring structure you drop into the same page often? Use a page button. Click once, blocks appear.
• Want every new row of a database to start the same way? Use a database template, and set it as the default if you always use it.
• Need multiple template options for the same database? Create multiple templates and pick from the dropdown each time.

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Stop Manually Recreating the Same Pages Every Week

Templates handle the structure, but if every new project also needs you to copy data from email, Slack, or a calendar invite into Notion, that part is still busywork. Carly is an AI assistant that connects to 200+ apps including Notion and handles the repetitive work for you.

More on Notion: How to duplicate a page in Notion · How to create a database in Notion · How to link pages in Notion · How to embed in Notion

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