How do I import a planner into GoodNotes?

Save the PDF to Files or iCloud Drive, open GoodNotes, tap the plus button, choose Import and select the file as a new document.

Why don't the links work in my planner?

Make sure the pen, highlighter and eraser are not selected and use reading mode or the hand tool. Update the app and re-import if the problem continues.

Can I use one planner on iPhone and iPad?

Yes, if the document syncs through your cloud. Handwriting is easier on iPad.

Are GoodNotes planners different from other PDF planners?

A GoodNotes planner is a standard PDF with internal links. The same file can usually open in other apps, though link support varies.

GoodNotes Digital Planner: Import and Setup Guide

By Planning editorial team · Updated October 26, 2026

GoodNotes digital planner with covers and stickers on a tablet

A GoodNotes digital planner is a hyperlinked PDF you import as a document. Once it's in, switch to reading mode and tap the month tabs, date numbers and top-bar buttons to move between year, month, week and day pages; switch to the pen to write. This guide covers the import steps, how to avoid the common link problems and how to personalize the planner, using PlanBloom All-in-One Digital Planner as the example.

What you're importing

PlanBloom All-in-One Digital Planner comes as separate PDF files for each combination of layout and week start:

Dated 2027-2028 in landscape or portrait, Monday or Sunday start (952 pages each).
Undated in the same four layouts (481 pages each).
An 18-page Quick-Start Guide, with a page for GoodNotes.

The planner files are standard PDFs with internal link annotations. Landscape pages are 1194 × 834 points; portrait pages are 834 × 1194. Choose one layout and import that file; you don't need all four.

Import in GoodNotes

Save the PDF. Use Files, iCloud Drive or another cloud folder. If you received a ZIP, unzip it first.
Open GoodNotes and tap the plus button, then choose Import. You can also share the file from Files to GoodNotes.
Select the planner and choose to import it as a new document.
Wait for it to finish. The first load of a large file can take a few seconds.
Open the document and look at the cover and index.

Keep the original PDF in a safe folder as a master copy.

Make the links work

Links are tap targets, and GoodNotes uses the same gestures for drawing:

Tapping a month tab in a GoodNotes digital planner to jump straight to that month

Make sure the pen, highlighter and eraser aren't selected. Use reading mode or the hand tool if your version has it.
Tap a month tab, a date number or a top-bar button. The page should change immediately.
Pick the pen again to write.

If a tap draws a dot, a writing tool is still active. Erase the dot and switch modes. If links do nothing at all, update the app, re-import as a new document, or test the same file in Xodo. Link support depends on the app and its version.

How the planner is organized

Level	What you tap
Year	Month names and dates on the yearly overview
Month	A date for its day, a week number for the weekly spread
Week	Any day box
Day	Prev, Next, Week and Month buttons
Anywhere	Month tabs on the right edge; Index, years, Goals and Notes in the top bar

Mini calendars on day, week and plan pages let you jump to any date of the month. The Index lists every month, every week and the notes pages.

Weekly spread of a GoodNotes digital planner with day columns and a mini calendar

Personalize it

Cover: insert a PNG on page one with the image tool. Keep the top-bar buttons visible. See GoodNotes covers.
Stickers: place transparent PNGs and save favorites in the elements library. See GoodNotes stickers.
Templates: duplicate pages from the 120 paper templates, 48 notebooks, Student pack and Work pack. See GoodNotes templates.
Extra pages: duplicate a notes page when you run out of space. Links on duplicated pages keep their targets.

What's in the package

Besides the planners, PlanBloom All-in-One Digital Planner includes 48 tabbed notebooks (12 themes in lined, grid, dot and mixed), 120 paper templates, a Student pack and a Work pack of 25 pages each, a Home Management Binder as a gift (40 templates, 46 pages), 160 digital covers and more than 5,500 transparent PNG stickers. It also includes a Companion web app with a setup wizard, Today view, focus timer, brain dump tool, 30-day habit tracker, nine guides and a 2027-2028 calendar with US holidays. Items such as the Finance & Goals Pack, Lifetime Updates, the Sticker, Icon & Cover Mega Pack and the ADHD & Wellness Bundle are separate add-ons.

Check the limits of your plan

GoodNotes has a plan you can use without paying and paid plans, and limits such as the number of notebooks and the size of imported files can vary. The dated planner files are about 12 MB each; the undated ones about 6 MB. See does GoodNotes cost money for what to check on the official pricing page.

Honest limits

The links are standard internal link annotations, which GoodNotes respects. The planner was checked with a PDF viewer and validated link by link, but it hasn't been tested in every version of every notes app, so your own test with a month tab is the best check. If you use another app, see GoodNotes vs Notability or the iPad planner guide.

Daily use

Open in reading mode, tap to the day, pick the pen.
Do your weekly review on the weekly spread.
Use the Index when you're lost.
Don't write on the tabs.
Back up with GoodNotes' backup setting and keep the master PDF in the cloud.

For a comparison of what to look for in a planner file before you pick one, see the best digital planner for iPad.