OneNote Template on Mac: 3 Ways to Import a Planner Notebook

A OneNote template usually arrives as a notebook package file (.onepkg), and OneNote for Mac can’t open that file, because the Mac app only works with notebooks stored on OneDrive. The standard OneNote template Mac fix is to get the notebook onto OneDrive first, through Microsoft’s OneNote Importer in a web browser or by unpacking it once on a Windows computer. Then you open it on your Mac with File > Open Notebook.

Below, we explain why the package won’t open, compare the three routes that work, and walk through each one.

Why a Mac Can’t Open a OneNote Package File

OneNote for Mac has no local notebooks. Microsoft describes it as syncing everything with OneDrive, and it needs a Microsoft account to create or open a notebook. It keeps a cached copy on your Mac for offline work, but there is no command to open or unpack a .onepkg file.

Unpacking packages is a feature of one app only: OneNote on Windows, the Microsoft 365 desktop app. OneNote on the web, OneNote for iPad and the retired OneNote for Windows 10 can’t do it either.

Two shortcuts people try don’t work:

• Double-clicking the .onepkg in Finder. macOS doesn’t know what to do with it, or offers an app that can’t read it.
• Uploading the .onepkg to OneDrive. OneDrive stores it as an ordinary file, not as a notebook, so OneNote for Mac still can’t open it. A notebook has to reach OneDrive through OneNote or the importer to count as a notebook.

OneNote Template Mac Setup: Pick Your Route

Route	What you need	Effort	Best for
1. OneNote Importer	A browser, a personal Microsoft account and the unzipped notebook folder	Quick when it works	Mac-only homes with a personal account
2. A Windows computer, once	Any Windows PC, or a Windows virtual machine, with OneNote on Windows	Reliable	Anyone who can borrow a PC briefly
3. Mac backup folder	OneNote for Mac and the unzipped .one section files	Slower and manual	When the importer fails and no PC is available

All three end in the same place: a real notebook on your OneDrive that opens on your Mac, iPad and phone.

Route 1: The OneNote Importer and OneDrive

The OneNote Importer is a Microsoft web page that uploads a notebook folder from your computer into your OneDrive as a working notebook. It is the route most OneNote template instructions give for Mac.

Before you start, know its limits. Microsoft’s own support pages now describe notebook import as deprecated, and users have reported the importer stalling or leaving empty folders in OneDrive for years. It also needs a personal Microsoft account. Try it first if you like, but be ready to switch to Route 2 or 3.

1. Get the notebook folder. The importer uploads a folder of .one section files, not the .onepkg itself. If your template includes a zipped notebook folder for Mac, double-click the ZIP in Finder to unzip it. If all you have is a .onepkg, go to Route 2.
2. Check your OneDrive space. Microsoft’s advice for an import that never finishes is to check for low OneDrive storage. Select the folder in Finder and choose File > Get Info to see its size, then make sure your OneDrive has more free space than that.
3. Open the importer. In Safari or another browser, go to Microsoft’s OneNote Notebook Importer page and sign in with your personal Microsoft account.
4. Import the folder. Select Import, choose the unzipped notebook folder and confirm. Leave the tab open until the importer reports it has finished.
5. Open it on your Mac. In OneNote for Mac, signed in with the same account, go to File > Open Notebook and pick the notebook from your OneDrive list.

If the progress spinner never stops, or the folder in OneDrive has no sections inside, delete the partial upload from OneDrive, try once more, then move on to another route.

Route 2: Unpack It Once on a Windows Computer

This is the route Microsoft’s support answers point Mac users to, and it’s the most dependable. You only need the Windows computer for the import; after that, you never have to touch it again.

1. On the Windows PC, open OneNote on Windows (the version with a File menu) and sign in with the same Microsoft account you use on your Mac.
2. Double-click the .onepkg file, or use File > Open > Browse. In the Unpack Notebook box, name the notebook and select Create. Our guide on how to import a OneNote template covers this step and its error messages in detail.
3. Go to File > Share, pick your OneDrive and select Move Notebook.
4. Right-click the notebook name and choose Notebook Sync Status. Wait until everything has synced.
5. On your Mac, go to File > Open Notebook and pick the notebook.

A Windows virtual machine on your Mac counts as a Windows computer for this. If you borrowed someone’s PC, close the notebook there afterward and sign out of your account under File > Account.

Route 3: The Mac Backup-Folder Method

This route runs entirely on your Mac. You open each section of the template as a read-only backup and copy it into a new notebook, so it takes longer, but it needs no PC and no importer. You need the unzipped notebook folder with its .one files, as in Route 1.

1. In OneNote for Mac, open OneNote > Settings (Preferences on older macOS versions), select Backups and click Open Backup Folder.
2. In the Finder window that opens, copy your unzipped notebook folder into the backup folder.
3. Go to File > New Notebook and create a notebook with the name you want. It is saved to your OneDrive.
4. If the template has section groups, create them in the new notebook with exactly the same names.
5. Go to File > Open Backups, open your notebook folder, select a section file and click Open. It appears under Open Sections as read-only.
6. Control-click that section’s tab, choose Move or Copy, select your new notebook (and the matching section group), then choose Copy. Move is not available for backup sections.
7. Repeat for every section in the original order, then Control-click each section under Open Sections and choose Close.

Click through the index and menu links when you finish. OneNote links include the name and location of the section they point to, so if one fails, first check that the section and group names match the originals exactly.

Using the Planner on Your Mac

Once the notebook opens, it behaves like any other OneNote notebook. A few Mac details are worth knowing:

• Control-click replaces right-click. Wherever a guide says right-click, use Control-click or a two-finger click on the trackpad.
• Tags have Mac shortcuts. Command+1 adds a To Do checkbox to the current line.
• Templates work differently. OneNote for Mac has no template gallery and no tag summary page. You can Control-click a finished page and choose Set as Default Template, so new pages in that section start from it.
• Sync on demand. Control-click the notebook name and choose Sync This Notebook if changes from another device haven’t appeared yet.
• Offline still works. Your cached copy stays editable without internet and syncs the next time you connect.

If a link shows a warning or doesn’t open, our guide on how to link pages in OneNote explains how planner links work and how to fix them. If changes stop showing up on your other devices, check the steps in how to sync OneNote across devices.

Our OneNote digital planner follows this same pattern: import it once on a computer, and it syncs from OneDrive to your iPad or phone. If a tablet is where you plan to write most, our guide to the OneNote digital planner on iPad covers Apple Pencil setup and tapping around the links.

Pick your route now: if you can borrow a Windows PC for a few minutes, Route 2 saves the most time; if not, try the importer once and keep the backup-folder method as your fallback.