How to Edit Templates in Notion: Customizing and Adapting to Your Needs, Preferences, and Branding

Notion is a powerful all-in-one productivity tool that allows you to create and manage a wide range of content—from notes and documents to databases and project boards. One of its standout features is the extensive collection of templates, which serve as a great starting point for various use cases. However, to truly make these templates your own, you might need to customize and adapt them to your specific needs, preferences, and branding. In this article, we will walk you through the process of editing templates in Notion, reflecting current features and best practices.

Step 1: Selecting a Template

Before diving into customization, select a template that aligns with your intended purpose. Notion offers a vast library of templates for tasks such as project management, note-taking, personal goal tracking, and more. To access templates, open Notion and click on the "+" icon in the sidebar. From the dropdown menu, select Template.

Step 2: Understanding the Template Structure

Once you've chosen a template, familiarize yourself with its structure. Templates consist of preconfigured pages, blocks, and elements that are organized to provide functionality for a particular purpose. Take time to explore the template’s contents, paying attention to its various sections and the roles they serve.

Step 3: Modifying Page Titles and Descriptions

Start personalizing your template by modifying page titles and descriptions. Click on any existing text and replace it with your own. This adjustment helps tailor the template to reflect the specific project, task, or topic you're working on. Update descriptions where needed to provide context or additional details.

Step 4: Editing Blocks and Elements

Notion provides flexibility with blocks and elements. Here are some best practices for editing them:

• To add a new block, place your cursor where you want the block and press "/" on your keyboard. This action opens the block menu, where you can choose from a variety of block types such as text, headings, lists, checkboxes, and more.
• To delete a block, hover over it, click the three-dot icon that appears on the left, and select Delete. You may also select the block and press Delete on your keyboard.
• To reorder blocks, click and drag the six-dot icon that appears on the left side of a block, then move it to the desired position.
• To modify a block's content, simply click on the text to edit it. You can change the wording, adjust formatting, or add links, images, or even emojis to enhance your content visually.

These editing techniques remain highly effective with the latest Notion updates, which now also support inline mentions of pages and improved drag-and-drop functionality.

Step 5: Customizing Database Views

If your template includes a database, you can customize its views to suit your workflow. Notion now supports multiple views including table, calendar, list, gallery, and even timeline:

• To change the database view, open the database and click on the dropdown menu labeled with the current view name (e.g., Table).
• From the dropdown, select the desired view type. Each view offers unique features that help present your data in a way that best fits your needs.

Take advantage of linked databases and advanced filtering options, which have improved for more intuitive and dynamic data management.

Step 6: Adding Your Branding

To give your template a personal touch or incorporate your branding elements, Notion allows you to customize colors, fonts, and integrate your company logo. Here’s how:

1. Click on Settings & Members in the sidebar.
2. Under the Style tab, you will find options to customize the appearance of your workspace.
3. To change the workspace color, select a new color from the palette or enter a specific color code.
4. To modify the default text style, choose from one of the available font options or upload a custom font if supported.
5. To add your company logo or any image, click on the Upload Logo button and select the file from your computer.

By customizing these branding options, you can ensure the template visually aligns with your organization's identity or your personal style.

Step 7: Saving Your Customized Template

Once you have finished personalizing the template, save it as your custom version. To do this, click on the Template button at the top right corner of your workspace and select Duplicate. This action creates a duplicate of the template, which you can then rename and organize within your workspace. This method ensures that your changes are preserved and can be reused or modified further at any time.

Conclusion

Customizing and adapting templates in Notion allows you to create a personalized and efficient workspace that meets your specific needs, preferences, and branding. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can maximize the potential of Notion's templates while maintaining full control and flexibility over your workspace. Remember, templates are powerful starting points—your customizations are the key to unlocking enhanced productivity and organization in your daily workflow.