How to Customise a Notion Template in 15 Minutes

You’ve just downloaded a Notion template that promises to solve your project management chaos. The structure looks perfect—until you realise half the fields don’t match your workflow and the colour scheme makes your eyes hurt.

Good news: customising a Notion template is easier than you think. Most adjustments take minutes, not hours, and you don’t need to understand every database relation to make a template work for you.

Here’s how to tailor any Notion template to your exact needs in 15 minutes or less.

Why Customising Beats Building From Scratch

Templates give you a head start—someone else has already solved the structural problems. But every business works differently.

Customising a template means you keep the solid foundation (database relations, formulas, automation) while adjusting labels, views and fields to match how you actually work. You get 80% of the value immediately and spend your time tweaking, not troubleshooting.

If you’re weighing whether to invest in a premium template, read our guide on free vs paid Notion templates to understand what features justify the cost.

Step 1: Duplicate the Template and Explore Its Structure

Open the template and click “Duplicate” in the top-right corner. This copies the entire template into your Notion workspace. Never customise the original—you’ll want a clean version to reference if something breaks.

Spend 3–5 minutes clicking through every page, database and view. Open linked databases, check what properties exist, and see how views are filtered. Understanding the structure before you change it prevents accidental deletions.

Check for instruction pages or documentation. Many templates include a “How to Use” page that explains what each database does and how they connect. Read it—it saves you from guessing later.

Step 2: Rename Database Properties to Match Your Workflow

Templates often use generic labels like “Status,” “Priority” or “Assigned To.” If your team calls these fields something else, rename them.

Open any database, hover over a property name (column header), click the dropdown, and select “Edit property.” Change the name to your preferred term. The change applies everywhere that database appears.

Adjust select and multi-select options to match your terminology. If a “Status” field includes “To Do,” “In Progress,” “Done,” but you use “Backlog,” “Active,” “Shipped,” edit those options. Click the property dropdown, choose “Edit property,” then rename or add options.

Delete properties you won’t use. Unused fields clutter your views and slow down data entry. Hover over the property, click the dropdown, and select “Delete property.” Notion will warn you if deleting it affects formulas or relations.

For example, if you’ve downloaded a sprint planning template but your team doesn’t track story points, remove that field entirely. If you’re using a Notion sprint planning template, you might want to add fields for estimated hours or team velocity instead.

Step 3: Adjust Property Types for Your Data

Sometimes a template uses a text field where you need a number, or a select field where multi-select makes more sense.

Click the property dropdown and choose “Edit property,” then change the “Property type.” Notion will try to convert existing data, but always check the results. Converting text to numbers works only if every entry is numeric.

Add new properties if the template is missing key fields. Click the “+” icon at the right end of any database row (in table view) or select “New property” from the properties menu. Choose the property type that matches your data—date, checkbox, person, relation, etc.

Use formulas sparingly unless you’re comfortable with Notion’s syntax. If a template includes a working formula (e.g., auto-calculating deadlines or progress percentages), leave it alone unless it’s broken. Adding new formulas from scratch takes longer than 15 minutes if you’re new to Notion.

Step 4: Create and Edit Views to See What Matters

Views control how you see your data. A single database can have a table view for detailed editing, a board view for visual workflow, and a calendar view for deadlines.

Edit an existing view by clicking its name tab, then selecting the “…” menu and choosing “Edit view.” Here you can rename the view, change its type (table, board, calendar, gallery, timeline, list), and adjust layout settings.

Add filters to show only the data you need. Click “Filter” in the view menu and set conditions—for example, “Status is Active” or “Assigned to Me.” Filters make large databases manageable by hiding irrelevant items.

Sort your view to prioritise what’s urgent or important. Click “Sort” and choose a property—”Due Date” ascending shows the soonest deadlines first; “Priority” descending puts high-priority items at the top.

Create a new view if the template’s defaults don’t fit. Click the “+ Add a view” button, choose your view type, and configure filters and sorting. For example, if you’re customising a Notion Kanban board, you might want a separate calendar view to see all due dates at a glance.

If you manage sprints, a timeline view filtered to the current sprint shows overlapping tasks and dependencies clearly—something a board view can’t do as well.

Step 5: Update Colours, Icons and Visual Elements

Visual customisation takes seconds but makes the template feel like yours.

Change page icons by hovering over the emoji or icon at the top of any page and clicking “Add icon” or the existing icon. You can choose a new emoji, upload a custom image, or search Notion’s icon library.

Update page covers by clicking “Add cover” or the existing cover image. Notion offers built-in images, or you can upload your own. Covers help you visually distinguish between workspaces, projects or clients.

Change select option colours in database properties. Open the property settings, hover over any option (e.g., “In Progress”), and click the colour dot to choose a new shade. Use consistent colours across databases—for example, red for “Urgent” everywhere.

Reorder properties in table view by dragging column headers left or right. Put your most-used fields (e.g., task name, status, assignee) on the left so you see them without scrolling.

Step 6: Test the Template With Real Data

Don’t spend hours perfecting a template before you’ve used it. Add real tasks, projects or entries and see what breaks or feels clunky.

Create 5–10 real entries in your main database. If it’s a task manager, add actual tasks from your current project. If it’s a client tracker, add real clients. Real data reveals missing fields, unclear labels and workflow gaps.

Use the template for 2–3 days before making major structural changes. You’ll notice which views you actually open, which filters save time, and which properties you ignore. This usage data tells you what to tweak next.

Ask your team (if applicable) to test the template and report friction points. If three people ask “Where do I log time?” you need a time-tracking field or a clearer label.

For instance, if you’re using a Notion standup template, test it during an actual standup meeting. You’ll quickly see if fields are missing or if the layout slows down your flow.

Common Customisations for Different Template Types

Project Management Templates

Add a “Team Member” person property so you can filter tasks by assignee. Create a board view grouped by “Status” and a table view sorted by “Due Date.”

If your projects span multiple clients, add a “Client” relation property linking to a separate Clients database. This lets you filter all tasks for a specific client instantly.

For agile teams running sprints, consider a dedicated sprint board. The Scrum Board PRO template includes a pre-configured sprint board with backlog prioritisation, bug tracker and burndown charts—set up in 10 minutes, no monthly subscription.

Client or Job Tracker Templates

Rename “Status” to match your pipeline stages—”Lead,” “Proposal Sent,” “Contract Signed,” “Completed.” Add a “Last Contact” date property and a “Next Step” text field to keep follow-ups organised.

Create a calendar view filtered to show only active clients, sorted by “Next Contact Date,” so you never miss a check-in. If you’re job-hunting, our Notion job application tracker guide walks through customising a job search template in detail.

Meeting Notes or Documentation Templates

Add a “Meeting Type” select property (“Standup,” “Planning,” “Retro”) and a “Project” relation to link notes to active projects. Create separate views filtered by meeting type so you can review all retrospectives or standups in one place.

If you’re tracking recurring meetings, add a “Recurrence” checkbox or select field and a “Next Scheduled” date property. This turns your meeting notes into a scheduling tool.

Backlog or Bug Tracker Templates

Add a “MoSCoW Priority” select field (Must Have, Should Have, Could Have, Won’t Have) to clearly rank items. Our guide on MoSCoW prioritisation in Notion explains how to set this up and filter your backlog effectively.

Create a board view grouped by “Priority” to visualise what’s critical versus nice-to-have. For bug tracking, add a “Severity” select field and a “Reported By” person property—check our Notion bug tracker guide for more customisation ideas.

What to Avoid When Customising Templates

Don’t delete relation properties unless you’re certain they’re unused. Relations link databases together (e.g., linking tasks to projects). Deleting a relation can break rollups, formulas and linked views across multiple pages.

Don’t rename database titles unless you’re ready to update every linked view. When you rename a database, Notion doesn’t auto-update links in text or buttons. You’ll need to manually reconnect them.

Don’t over-customise before you’ve tested the template. Add fields and views as you discover you need them, not because you might need them someday. Simpler templates are easier to maintain.

Avoid changing formula syntax unless you understand Notion’s formula language. If a formula works, leave it. If it’s broken, search Notion’s documentation or the template creator’s support docs before editing.

When to Start From Scratch Instead of Customising

If you’re changing more than half the database properties, deleting multiple databases, or rewriting most formulas, you’re better off building a new template. Customisation should feel like tweaking, not reconstructing.

Templates work best when their core structure matches your workflow. If a project management template assumes waterfall methodology but you run agile sprints, find an agile-focused template instead—or read our guide on how to run Scrum in Notion and build your own.

For freelancers juggling clients, projects and invoices, a general task manager won’t cut it. Check out our Notion templates for freelancers guide to find templates designed for your workflow.

Maintaining Your Customised Template Over Time

After your initial 15-minute customisation, revisit the template every few weeks. Add new views or properties as your workflow evolves, and delete anything you haven’t used in a month.

Keep a changelog page inside your template. Whenever you make a structural change (new property, deleted view, renamed database), log it with the date. This helps you (and your team) understand why the template looks different from the original.

Share your customised template with teammates before rolling it out. Ask for feedback on labels, views and required fields. A template only works if everyone actually uses it.

Archive or duplicate the template periodically. If you’re making major changes, duplicate the current version first. This gives you a rollback option if something breaks.

For small business owners managing multiple workspaces, our guide on Notion dashboard ideas shows how to create a central hub linking all your customised templates in one place.

Next Steps After Customising Your Template

Once your template fits your workflow, use it consistently for at least two weeks. Track what you love, what frustrates you, and what features you never touch.

Then refine: simplify views, automate repetitive updates with Notion’s button or automation features (available on paid plans), and train your team on any custom fields or workflows.

If you’re managing software projects, explore our guide to setting up a product backlog in Notion for deeper customisation ideas around user stories, epics and roadmapping.

And if you’re still deciding between tools, our Notion vs Jira comparison for small teams explains when Notion’s flexibility outweighs dedicated project management software.

Frequently asked questions

Can I customise a free Notion template the same way as a paid one?

Yes. Free and paid templates use the same Notion features, so you can rename properties, edit views, change colours and adjust fields in both. Paid templates often include more complex database relations and formulas, but all customisation tools (property editing, filters, sorting, views) work identically. The main difference is that paid templates may come with better documentation or support from the creator.

Will customising a Notion template break its formulas or automations?

Only if you delete or rename properties that formulas or relations depend on. Before deleting a property, check if any formulas reference it—Notion will warn you if a deletion affects other fields. Renaming properties is safe; Notion automatically updates references in formulas and relations. Avoid editing formula syntax unless you understand Notion's formula language, as small syntax errors can break calculations.

How do I reset a Notion template if I break it while customising?

If you duplicated the original template before customising, simply delete your broken version and duplicate the original again. If you didn't duplicate it, re-download the template from the source (Notion marketplace, creator's website, or your purchase email). Always duplicate templates before making changes so you have a clean backup to restore.

Can I share my customised Notion template with my team?

Yes. Click the 'Share' button at the top-right of your template page, then invite teammates by email or copy a shareable link. Set permissions to 'Can edit' if you want them to customise further, or 'Can view' if you want them to duplicate it into their own workspace. If you're on a Notion team plan, you can share templates within your workspace library for easy access.

What's the fastest way to customise a Notion template for a specific client or project?

Duplicate the template, rename the page to the client or project name, then update the database filters to show only entries tagged with that client or project. Add a 'Client' or 'Project' select or relation property if the template doesn't have one, then create views filtered by that property. This takes 3–5 minutes and keeps all client work isolated in one view.

Do I need a paid Notion plan to customise templates?

No. All customisation features—editing properties, creating views, adding filters, changing colours—are available on Notion's free Personal plan. Paid plans (Plus, Business, Enterprise) unlock collaboration features (guest access, advanced permissions), version history and automation buttons, but you don't need them to customise templates for personal use or small teams.