Templates

Pre-built structures for novels, screenplays, research papers, and more

Templates give you a head start by providing pre-built structures for common writing and planning workflows. Instead of creating a project from scratch and building out folders, documents, and content types one by one, you can pick a template and have everything set up in seconds. Plotiar includes a growing library of templates for novels, screenplays, research papers, business plans, and more -- and Plus users can save their own.

Browsing Templates

The template gallery is available whenever you create a new project or add new content to an existing project. You can browse templates in two view modes and narrow results with search and filters.

Grid View

Displays templates as visual cards with a title, description preview, and content type icon. Grid view is the default and works well when you want to scan options quickly.

List View

A compact view that shows templates as rows. List view is useful when you have many results and want to compare titles and descriptions without scrolling through large cards.

•Search by keyword to find templates by name or description
•Filter by category to see only templates for a specific genre or use case
•Filter by content type to narrow results to project templates, document templates, flowchart templates, and so on
•Filter by tags for more specific matches
•Sort by name, popularity, or date added to find what you need faster

TIP

Not sure which template to use? Browse by category first to explore what is available. Each template includes a description that explains what structure and content it provides.

Creating from a Template

There are two ways to use templates, depending on whether you want a full project or a single piece of content.

1
Create a project from a template
From the Projects dashboard, click "New Project" and then select "From Template". Browse or search the template gallery, pick a template, and confirm. A new project is created with the template's folder structure, documents, and content types already in place.
2
Add content from a template
Inside an existing project, click the "+" button in the sidebar and choose "From Template". This lets you add a single document, flowchart, ideaboard, taskboard, plot grid, or directory based on a template -- without affecting the rest of your project.

After creating from a template, everything is fully editable. The template provides the starting structure, but you own the result and can rename, rearrange, add, or delete anything.

Saving Your Own Templates

Plus plan users can save their own projects and content items as reusable templates. This is especially useful when you have built a structure you want to replicate across multiple projects -- for example, a standard novel layout with specific chapter folders and outline documents.

1
Save a project as a template
Open the project settings menu and select "Save as Template". The entire project structure -- folders, documents, flowcharts, and other content -- is captured as a template. Give it a name, description, and tags so you can find it later.
2
Save content as a template
Right-click any content item in the sidebar and select "Save as Template". This saves just that single item (and its children, if it is a folder) as a content template.
3
Edit template metadata
After saving, you can update the template's name, description, and tags at any time from the template management screen.

TIP

When you save a project as a template, the content of your documents and flowcharts is included. If you want a clean starting structure without your actual writing, clear or replace the content before saving.

Template Types

Templates in Plotiar match the content types available in your projects. Each template type creates a specific kind of content with an appropriate default structure.

Project

A complete project with folders, documents, and other content types pre-configured. Project templates are the most comprehensive and are ideal for starting a new novel, screenplay, or research paper with a proven structure.

Document

A single document with pre-built headings, sections, and placeholder text. Use document templates for standardized chapter layouts, meeting notes, or report formats.

Flowchart

A flowchart with nodes and connections already in place. Flowchart templates are great for story structure diagrams, character relationship maps, or decision trees.

Idea Board

An idea board canvas with shapes, notes, and visual elements pre-arranged. Use idea board templates for brainstorming layouts, mood boards, or visual planning canvases.

Task Board

A task board with columns and sample tasks set up for a specific workflow. Task board templates work well for editorial pipelines, revision tracking, or sprint planning.

Plot Grid

A plot grid with rows and columns configured for story planning. Plot grid templates help you map scenes across chapters, track character arcs, or plan timelines.

Managing Templates

You can view and manage your saved templates from the template gallery. Templates you have created appear alongside the built-in library templates, clearly labeled as yours.

Edit

Update a template's name, description, or tags at any time. Editing metadata does not affect projects or content that were already created from the template -- they are independent copies.

Delete

Remove a template you no longer need. You can only delete templates you own -- built-in library templates cannot be removed. Deleting a template does not affect any projects or content previously created from it.

TIP

If you find yourself creating the same project structure repeatedly, save it as a template once and reuse it. It takes a few seconds to set up and saves significant time on every future project.