How to Use Templates in OneNote (2026)
OneNote ships with page templates for meetings, to-do lists, planners, and decorative backgrounds — and lets you save any page you’ve designed as a reusable template. You can even set a template to apply automatically to every new page in a section.
1. Apply a Built-in Template (Windows)
- Go to the Insert tab.
- Click Page Templates (open the dropdown > Page Templates).
- In the Templates pane, expand a category — Academic, Business, Planners, Decorative.
- Click a template to create a new page with that layout.
2. Save Your Own Template
- Format a page exactly how you want it.
- Open the Templates pane (Insert > Page Templates).
- Click Save current page as a template.
- Name it — it appears under My Templates.
3. Set a Default Template for New Pages
At the bottom of the Templates pane:
- Under Choose default template, pick one.
- Every new page added to the current section uses it automatically.
4. OneNote on Mac, Web & Mobile
The Mac app, web app, and mobile apps don’t have the built-in template gallery. The common workaround: keep a formatted “master” page and copy it (right-click > Copy / Move or Copy) each time you need a fresh one. Templates you create on Windows sync as ordinary pages.
5. Troubleshooting
Page Templates is missing
The template gallery is a Windows desktop feature. On Mac/web, duplicate a master page instead.
My default template isn’t applying
Default templates are set per section. Set it again in each section where you want it.
A template added blank space I can’t remove
Some templates set a page background or paper size. Adjust under View > Paper Size / Page Color.
Related OneNote guides: How to use tags · How to insert a table · How to add a checkbox · How to change the default font · How to link notes
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