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Creating and using custom templates
Creating and using custom templates

Create a template to match the way your team works

Brett Warren avatar
Written by Brett Warren
Updated over a week ago

Alongside Milanote's library of pre-made templates, you can create your own custom templates. This lets you use the same board layout again and again—rather than starting from scratch each time. You can also share your custom templates with others so they can use them too.

In this guide:


Create a custom template

There are two parts to creating a template: Creating the content, then converting it into a template.

1. Create the content for your template

Create a new board and populate it with the starter content you'd like for your template. It's not important where this template board lives (it can be anywhere in your workspace). You can also update this content after you've converted it into a template.

2. Convert your board into a template

  1. Navigate outside the board you've just created, via the top navigation

  2. Right-click the board you'd like to use as a template

  3. Choose Convert to template

You'll see a new "Template" badge appear below the board title. You've just created a custom template!

Use a custom template

  1. Drag out a new board from the toolbar on the left

  2. Double-click the board to open it

  3. Choose More templates... from the Template picker in the bottom right

  4. Choose Your custom templates

  5. Select the template you created earlier

  6. Choose Use this template and you'll get a fresh copy of it you can start editing

Share a custom template

There are two ways to share your template. You get to choose whether others have the ability to edit your template or just use it without editing rights.

Invite others to use and edit your template

  1. Open the Template board

  2. Click Share in the top right of the board

  3. Add the email of the person you're sharing with in the "Invite editors via email" field

  4. They'll get an email directing them to the template. They'll be able to access the template like you do—via Your custom templates in the template picker

Allow others to create a copy of your template (but not edit the original)

You can allow others to make a copy of your template as a board they can edit. This won't allow them to edit the original template. It's great for sharing a template with students. Here's how to do it:

  1. Click Share in your template

  2. Choose Enable read-only link

  3. You might want to disable comments, reactions and drawings in the options

  4. Copy and share the link with someone

  5. They can click the link to view the template

  6. They can click Save to Home in the top left to copy the template for editing (as seen below)

Clicking on this button will save a shortcut to the board into the Unsorted Notes section on their home board (as below).

Now, they can right-click on this tile and select Duplicate the board it links to. This will create a new, standalone version of the board, which will look just like the shortcut (minus the arrow in the lower-left corner).

Delete a custom template

If you'd like to remove your template from the template picker while keeping the original board, just right-click the board's tile and choose Revert template to board.

If you'd like to delete the entire board, just drag it down to the trash at the bottom of the left-side toolbar.

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