Ever opened Notion’s template gallery and felt overwhelmed? Let me help you find the actually useful ones. I’ve tested dozens of official Notion templates and picked the 5 best ones for absolute beginners.
1. Simple Task List
Link: https://www.notion.so/templates/simple-task-list
What’s good:
- Takes literally 30 seconds to understand
- Clean checkbox system
- Basic priority tags
- Due date column
- Status tracking
What could be better:
- Limited sorting options
- No time estimates
- Basic view options
Perfect for: Daily to-dos and simple project tracking
2. Personal Home Dashboard
Link: https://www.notion.so/templates/personal-home
What’s good:
- All-in-one view of your life
- Quick links to important pages
- Simple weather widget
- Basic habit tracker
- Clean layout
What could be better:
- Some widgets need manual updates
- Could use more customization options
Perfect for: Having a central hub for all your Notion pages
3. Basic Notes
Link: https://www.notion.so/templates/basic-notes
What’s good:
- Super clean interface
- Simple organization system
- Easy search function
- Quick tags
- No complicated features
What could be better:
- Limited formatting options
- Basic categorization
Perfect for: Students, meeting notes, quick thoughts
4. Reading List
Link: https://www.notion.so/templates/reading-list
What’s good:
- Simple book tracking
- Status updates
- Rating system
- Notes section
- Easy to maintain
What could be better:
- No reading time estimates
- Basic genre categories
Perfect for: Book lovers who want to track their reading without complexity
5. Weekly Agenda
Link: https://www.notion.so/templates/weekly-agenda
What’s good:
- Clear weekly overview
- Simple task management
- Basic priority system
- Notes section
- Meeting planner
What could be better:
- Limited calendar views
- Basic time blocking
Perfect for: Weekly planning and time management
Pro Tips for Using These Templates:
- Start With One Don’t try to implement all templates at once. Pick the one that solves your biggest pain point.
- Use As-Is First Resist the urge to customize immediately. Use the template as-is for at least a week to understand what you actually need.
- Backup Before Customizing Always duplicate the template before making changes. This way, you can return to the original if needed.
- Keep It Simple These templates are basic for a reason. Don’t add complexity unless you really need it.
How to Install:
- Click the template link
- Hit “Duplicate” in the top right corner
- Choose where to add the template in your workspace
- Start using it immediately
Remember: The best template is the one you’ll actually use. Don’t get caught up in making it perfect – focus on making it useful.
If you’re not new to Notion, check out my Notion templates
Ready-made aesthetic templates for advanced users, which contain more than 50 planners
Need more help? The official Notion help center has great guides for getting started with each template. Just look for the “?” icon in the top right corner of any template page.
PS: Links to templates may change as Notion updates its gallery. If you find a broken link, you can always find these templates by searching their names in the official template gallery.
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