Once you start really using your digital planner, you'll want to make it your own: add extra copies of a favorite weekly layout, reorder your sections, or drop a specific template onto one particular hyperlinked page. Duplicating and moving pages is how you do it — and it's easier than it looks. This tutorial walks you through duplicating, reordering, and moving pages in both GoodNotes and Noteful on iPad, plus a pro trick for adding a layout to a single hyperlinked page without breaking your links.

First, open Thumbnail (page) view

Almost everything in this tutorial happens in your planner's page overview:

• GoodNotes: open your planner and tap the Thumbnail / four-squares icon in the top-left to see all your pages.
• Noteful: open your planner and tap the pages / grid icon to open the page overview panel.

This grid view is where you'll duplicate, rearrange, and move pages.

How to duplicate a page in GoodNotes

Duplicating is perfect when you want another copy of a template — say, a fresh weekly spread or an extra notes page.

1. In Thumbnail view, find the page you want to copy.
2. Tap the small menu button (the three dots or arrow) on that page's thumbnail.
3. Choose Duplicate Page. An identical copy appears right after the original.

How to reorder pages in GoodNotes

1. In Thumbnail view, tap and hold the page you want to move.
2. When it lifts up, drag it to the new position and let go.

Heads up on hyperlinks: Moving pages around won't delete your planner's hyperlinks, but the links always point to the original page they were built for. If you reorder core planner pages, some tabs may jump to unexpected spots. It's safest to duplicate/reorder the extra pages you add, and leave the planner's built-in hyperlinked pages where they are.

How to move or copy pages between notebooks in GoodNotes

Want to pull a page from one notebook into another? GoodNotes makes it simple:

1. Open the notebook with the pages you want to move and go to Thumbnail view.
2. Tap Select, then tap each page you want to move or copy.
3. Tap More (or the share/••• icon) and choose Move or Copy.
4. Choose the destination notebook. Your pages are transferred.

Drag-and-drop option: Open two GoodNotes windows side by side with Split View. Long-press a page in one notebook (tap additional pages to grab several), then drag them into the other notebook.

How to duplicate, reorder & move pages in Noteful

Noteful works very similarly:

1. Open your planner and go to the page overview.
2. To duplicate: tap and hold (or tap the page menu on) the page you want, then choose Duplicate.
3. To reorder: tap and hold a page, then drag it to its new spot.
4. To move or manage several pages: use the Select option to choose multiple pages, then duplicate, move, or delete them together.

For a full walkthrough of Noteful's page tools and everything else the app can do, watch our complete tutorial:

Pro tip: adding a layout or template to a specific hyperlinked page

This is one of the most-asked questions, so here's the trick. In a hyperlinked planner, every page is linked to your tabs and buttons. If you want a particular layout or template to live on one specific hyperlinked page — for example, a habit tracker on a certain daily page — you should not insert it as a new page. Instead, add the layout on top of that page as an image:

1. Open the layout or template you want to use and take a screenshot of it (press the top button + volume-up, or top button + home). It saves to your Photos.
2. If needed, crop the screenshot in Photos so it's just the layout.
3. Go to the exact hyperlinked page in your planner where you want it.
4. Tap the Image / Photo tool and insert your screenshot. Resize and position it so it sits neatly on the page.
5. Lock it in place. Tap the image once to select it, then choose Lock from the pop-up menu.

Locking is the key step: once the layout is locked, it won't shift or get selected by accident while you write, draw, or add stickers on top of it. Your hyperlinks stay intact because you never added or moved a page — you simply placed the template onto the existing page. To edit or remove the layout later, tap it and choose Unlock first.

Why locking matters: Without locking, it's easy to grab and drag your template by mistake when you meant to jot a note. Locking keeps your layout as a stable background so everything you add stays on top, right where you want it. You can now lock in both Goodnotes and Noteful. This wasn't always the case -- yay for app updates!

Common questions

Will duplicating or moving pages break my planner's hyperlinks?

Duplicating and moving pages keeps the links themselves intact, but a planner's built-in links point to the original pages they were designed for. For best results, add and rearrange your extra pages, and keep the core hyperlinked pages in their original order.

Can I move a page from my planner into a different notebook?

Yes — in GoodNotes use Select → More → Move (or Split View drag-and-drop). Noteful offers similar move and duplicate options from the page overview.

Why add a template as a locked image instead of a new page?

Placing the template as a locked image on the existing page gives you the layout you want while keeping every tab and link working. You should use this method if you want a layout/template on a specific hyperlinked page, rather than a duplicated page you need to swipe to.

Make your planner work for you

Duplicating, moving, and layering pages is how a good planner becomes your planner. Once you're comfortable with these moves, you can shape your setup around exactly how you plan. For more setup help, see our guides on adding digital stickers and using digital planner covers.