How to Make a Digital Planner for GoodNotes

(That Actually Sells on Etsy)

Quick answer: To make a digital planner for GoodNotes, design a hyperlinked PDF in Canva using a 1620 x 2160 pixel document (standard iPad size), build clickable tabs that jump between monthly, weekly, and daily pages, then export it as “PDF Standard” so the links stay active.

Price it between $12–$25 and list it on Etsy with GoodNotes- and iPad-specific keywords in your title.

Okay, now let’s talk about why this works and how to actually build one — real talk for a second.

GoodNotes Planner – Etsy – Another Trend?

If you’ve been anywhere near the Etsy digital products world lately, you’ve probably seen the words “GoodNotes planner” about eleven thousand times… and maybe rolled your eyes a little.

Another trend. Another thing everyone swears is the next big passive income goldmine. You’ve heard it before, right?

Except this time… it’s actually true. And I have the receipts (aka the trend data) to prove it.

I ran the search interest numbers recently comparing digital planners against budget planners, teacher planners, ADHD planners, you name it. Digital planner didn’t just win. It dominated.

We’re talking a massive breakout spike that shot straight to the top of the chart, dragging budget planners along for the ride right behind it. This isn’t a “maybe it’ll take off” trend. It’s already taken off.

The only question is whether you’re going to hop on before it gets crowded… or watch from the sidelines wondering “what if.”

So let’s fix that. Grab your coffee or tea and let’s talk about how to actually make a digital planner for GoodNotes that people want to buy.

What Is a GoodNotes Digital Planner, Exactly?

Let’s back up for a second, because if you’re new to this, “digital planner” can sound a little abstract.

GoodNotes is an app (mostly used on iPads, though it works elsewhere too) that lets people write by hand using a stylus, just like on paper… except everything lives digitally.

No more losing your planner in the bottom of your bag. No more running out of pages in October and being stuck for two months.

It’s endless, it’s searchable, and it’s ridiculously satisfying to use once you get the hang of it.

A “digital planner” in this context is basically a PDF file, but a smart one. It’s built with clickable tabs and hyperlinks so when someone taps “March,” it jumps straight to March. Tap “Budget,” it takes them to their budget page.

It feels less like a PDF and more like a little app of its own.

And here’s the beautiful part for us as sellers: you never run out of stock. You make it once, and you can sell it a thousand times.

No printer ink, no shipping, no “sorry, we’re out of the pink cover” DMs at 11pm. Just a file, sitting there, quietly making you money while you sleep.

I don’t know about you, but “make it once, sell it forever” is basically my love language at this point.

Why This Trend Is Worth Your Time Right Now

I’m not going to sugarcoat it: there ARE a lot of digital planners on Etsy already. But before you talk yourself out of this… hear me out.

• The demand is still climbing. That breakout spike I mentioned? It’s recent. This isn’t a trend that peaked two years ago and is limping along. It’s actively growing right now.
• New Year’s isn’t the only moment. Yes, there’s a predictable spike every January when everyone wants to “get organized” (relatable, we’ve all been there with our fresh notebooks and big dreams). But the data shows a much bigger surge outside of that window too — meaning this isn’t just a seasonal blip you have to catch perfectly or miss out for a year.
• Buyers keep coming back. Once someone gets comfortable using a digital planner, they don’t go back to paper. They start collecting covers, themes, and niche-specific spreads. One happy customer can turn into five or six purchases over time.
• You don’t need to be a graphic designer. I promise you. If you can drag a rectangle in Canva, you can make one of these.

That last point is the one that trips people up the most, so let’s sit on it for a second, because I used to believe the lie too.

“But I’m Not a Designer, Kat”

Girl. Same.

I am not out here with a fine arts degree and a Wacom tablet (digital drawing tablet), okay?

I learned Canva by clicking around and Googling “how do I…” approximately four hundred times. And that’s genuinely all it takes here.

A digital planner doesn’t need to look like it was designed by a Silicon Valley UX team. It needs to be clean, functional, and easy to navigate. That’s it. That’s the whole job.

People aren’t buying your planner because the fonts are fancy. They’re buying it because it solves a problem for them — helping them feel organized, in control, and like they’ve got their life a little more together. (Don’t we all want that feeling.)

If your planner does that job clearly, the “pretty” part is just a bonus on top.

How to Make a Digital Planner for GoodNotes in Canva

(Step by Step)

Here’s your step-by-step, no-fluff walkthrough.

Step 1: Pick Your Niche Before You Pick Your Colors

I know, I know, the fun part is picking a cute color palette. But hold off for one second, because niching down is what separates the sellers making a couple hundred bucks a month from the ones making a couple thousand.

Instead of “just a planner,” think about who it’s for:

• A planner for small business owners tracking orders and expenses
• A wedding planning digital planner for brides
• A postpartum planner for new moms
• A homeschool planner for homeschool families
• A “that girl” aesthetic planner for the wellness/self-improvement crowd

Specific sells. Generic gets lost in the noise of ten thousand other “2026 Digital Planner” listings that all look the same.

Step 2: Set Up Your Canva Document

Open Canva and create a custom size document at 1620 x 2160 pixels. That’s the standard iPad screen ratio, and it’s what most GoodNotes users expect.

(Don’t use a regular printable planner size here — this one’s built to be viewed on a screen, not printed, so the proportions are different.)

Step 3: Design Your Cover and Tabs

Your cover is basically your book’s front door — it needs to say “come in” without saying a word. Keep it simple: a nice background, the planner name, maybe a little icon or flourish.

Then design your tab system.

This is the part that separates a real digital planner from someone who just slapped some pages together and called it a day.

Tabs usually run down the side of the screen (Home, Monthly, Weekly, Daily, Goals, Budget, Notes — whatever fits your niche) and they need to be clickable, meaning they jump the user straight to that section.

Step 4: Build Out Your Pages

This is the meat and potatoes. Common pages people expect:

• A yearly overview page
• Monthly calendar spreads (12 of them, one per month, or undated if you want it evergreen)
• Weekly spreads
• A daily page if your niche calls for it
• Goal-setting or vision pages
• Notes pages
• Niche-specific extras (budget trackers, meal planners, habit trackers — whatever fits your theme)

Don’t try to cram in every feature under the sun for version one. Start with a solid, useful core, and you can always expand later with an updated version or a whole new listing.

Step 5: Add the Hyperlinks

This is the step that intimidates people the most, and I promise it’s easier than it sounds.

In Canva, you select an element (like your “March” tab), click the link icon, and choose “Pages” from the dropdown, then pick which page it jumps to.

That’s genuinely it.

Do this for every tab, every “back to home” button, and every month-to-month navigation arrow you add.

Test it before you sell it! Click through every single link like you’re the customer. Nothing tanks your reviews faster than a “clickable” planner where half the buttons don’t work.

Step 6: Export It Right

Download your planner as a PDF Standard (not “PDF Print” — that one strips the hyperlinks, and trust me, you do not want to find that out after your first sale).

Double check the hyperlinks survived the export by opening the PDF and clicking around one more time.

Making It Look Good on the Shelf (Your Etsy Mockups)

Here’s the thing nobody tells beginners: your mockup matters almost as much as the planner itself.

People are scrolling Etsy fast, thumb-flicking through a hundred listings. Your mockup image has about two seconds to make them stop.

Show the planner on an iPad screen, ideally with a hand holding a stylus like they’re mid-write. Show a few of the interior pages too, not just the cover — buyers want a peek at what they’re actually getting before they commit.

Canva has iPad mockup templates you can drop your designs right into, so you don’t need fancy photography skills for this either.

Pricing It (Without Underselling Yourself)

I see so many new sellers price these things at $3 because they’re scared nobody will pay more. Please don’t do that to yourself.

A well-built digital planner with working hyperlinks, multiple sections, and a clean design is a legitimate $12–$25 product, easy. Some sellers price bundles (multiple cover styles, or extra bonus pages) even higher.

You put real time into this thing. Charge like it.

Getting It Found (Because a Beautiful Planner Nobody Sees Doesn’t Pay Your Bills)

Once it’s live, don’t just… walk away and hope. A few things that actually move the needle:

• Use real keywords in your title and tags, not cute wordplay. “2026 Digital Planner for GoodNotes, iPad Planner, Hyperlinked Weekly Monthly Planner” beats “Sparkle Dreams Planner” every single time when it comes to getting found in Etsy search.
• Pin it. Create a few different pin designs for the same listing. Different colors, different text overlays, see what sticks.
• List multiple color/style variations. Same planner, different vibe. It’s way less work than building a brand new product, and it doubles your shelf space in search results.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need GoodNotes itself to make a digital planner? Nope! You build the planner in Canva (or another design tool) and export it as a PDF. GoodNotes is just the app your buyers use to open and write in it.

Some sellers also test their files in Notability or on a plain PDF reader to make sure it works across apps, but you don’t need to own GoodNotes yourself.

What size should a GoodNotes digital planner be? Use a custom Canva document sized 1620 x 2160 pixels. That matches the standard iPad screen ratio, which is what most GoodNotes users are working with.

How do I add clickable tabs to a digital planner in Canva? Select the tab or button element, click the link icon in Canva’s toolbar, choose “Pages” from the dropdown, and pick the page you want it to jump to. Repeat this for every tab and navigation button, then test each one before exporting.

How much should I charge for a digital planner on Etsy? Most well-made, hyperlinked digital planners sell for $12–$25. Bundles with multiple cover options or bonus pages can go higher.

Why won’t my hyperlinks work after I export from Canva? You most likely exported as “PDF Print” instead of “PDF Standard.” Print PDFs strip out interactive links. Always export as PDF Standard and test the file yourself before uploading it to Etsy.

The Bottom Line

Look, I’m not going to promise you’ll wake up to five thousand dollars in your Etsy shop next Tuesday. That’s not how any of this works, and if someone tells you it is, they’re selling you something else entirely.

But here’s what I can tell you: the demand for digital planners is real, it’s growing, and it’s the kind of product you build once and sell over and over without touching it again.

That’s about as close to “set it and forget it” as digital products get.

You don’t need to be a professional designer. You don’t need fancy software. You need Canva, a little patience for the hyperlink step, and a niche that speaks to a specific person’s specific problem.

So open up Canva, pick your niche, and go build the thing. Future You, sipping coffee while a sale notification pops up on your phone… that feeling is amazing!