OneNote & Digital Planning
Use OneNote as a digital planner on Windows, Mac and iPad: importing templates, syncing devices, organizing notebooks, linking pages, stickers and app comparisons.
OneNote is free, handles typing, handwriting and images on the same page, and syncs across every device you own. That makes it one of the best apps for a digital planner, once you know how to set it up. These guides cover importing a planner template on Windows and Mac, getting it onto an iPad, keeping it in sync through OneDrive, organizing sections and pages, and building linked navigation.
If you are still choosing an app, the comparison guides set OneNote against other popular note and planner apps, and against a paper planner, for the way people actually plan.
12 guides
- Digital Planner vs Paper Planner: Honest Pros, Cons and a Hybrid
Digital planner vs paper planner: an honest side-by-side table, who each one suits, a three-year cost example and a hybrid setup that uses both well.
- How to Add Stickers to OneNote on Windows, Mac and iPad
How to add stickers to OneNote: insert PNG stickers on Windows, Mac, iPad and the web, build a reusable sticker page and keep your notebook fast to sync.
- How to Import a OneNote Template on Windows, Step by Step
How to import a OneNote template on Windows: open the .onepkg package file, name and save the notebook, move it to OneDrive and fix a template that won't open.
- How to Link Pages in OneNote and Build an Index Page
How to link pages in OneNote: copy links to pages, sections and paragraphs, use double-bracket links, build an index page and turn off the link warning.
- How to Organize OneNote: Sections, Pages and 3 Sample Setups
How to organize OneNote: notebooks, section groups, sections, pages and subpages explained, plus three sample structures for work, home life and planning.
- How to Sync OneNote Across Devices and Fix Sync Errors
How to sync OneNote across devices: check if a notebook is on OneDrive, move it there, open it on Mac, iPad or phone and fix the most common sync errors.
- How to Use OneNote as a Planner: Structure, Links and Routine
How to use OneNote as a planner: map years, months, weeks and days to sections and pages, link them from an index, and follow a simple daily and weekly routine.
- How to Use OneNote for Work: Meetings, Projects and Tags
How to use OneNote for work: a meeting notes page structure, project pages, To Do and Important tags, fast search and a 15-minute weekly cleanup.
- OneNote Digital Planner on iPad: Import, Apple Pencil and Links
How to set up a OneNote digital planner on iPad: import it on a computer, sync it through OneDrive, then write with Apple Pencil and tap the planner's links.
- OneNote Template on Mac: 3 Ways to Import a Planner Notebook
Why a OneNote template won't open on a Mac, and three ways to import it: the OneNote Importer through OneDrive, a Windows PC once, or the Mac backup folder.
- OneNote vs Goodnotes: Which App Is Better for Digital Planning?
OneNote vs Goodnotes for digital planning: a side-by-side table on cost, devices, handwriting, links and templates, plus who should pick which app.
- OneNote vs Notion: Which Is Better for Planning and Notes?
OneNote vs Notion for planning and notes: structure, handwriting, offline use and databases compared in one table, plus who should pick which app.