How to Use a Digital Planner on iPad with GoodNotes

The short answer

A digital planner is a PDF with clickable links, which you import into an annotation app such as GoodNotes or Notability and write on with an Apple Pencil or stylus. To start, download the file, open it in the app, tap the tabs and dates to move around, and write on the pages as you would on paper. Back it up regularly, because the file lives on your device.

What a digital planner is

A digital planner is a PDF designed for a tablet. It has pages for the year, months, weeks and days, and the pages are linked together. Tap a date on the monthly page and you land on that day. Tap a tab along the edge and you jump to another section.

The PDF itself does not change. The app you open it in adds a layer on top so that you can write, highlight, add stickers and paste images. That is why it is called a hyperlinked planner: the links are in the PDF, and the writing happens in the app.

You can use one on an iPad, an Android tablet, a Windows tablet or a computer with a touchscreen. This guide uses GoodNotes on an iPad as the main example because it is the most common setup, and mentions other apps where the steps differ.

What you need

• A tablet or touchscreen device
• An annotation app that supports PDF links. GoodNotes, Notability, Noteshelf, Xodo and Samsung Notes are all commonly used
• A stylus. An Apple Pencil is the usual choice on iPad, but a finger works for ticking boxes
• The planner PDF, downloaded to your device or cloud storage

Link support can vary slightly between apps, so if a link does not respond, check the app’s help pages or try opening the file in another app.

Step 1: download the file

After purchase you receive a download link. Many digital planners arrive as a ZIP file containing several PDFs, such as different colour themes or a Monday-start and a Sunday-start edition. On an iPad, tap the download link and the file saves to the Files app, usually in the Downloads folder. Tap the ZIP to extract it.

Choose one version to start with. You will need only one, and having a Monday-start and Sunday-start edition does not mean you should use both.

Step 2: import into GoodNotes

1. Open GoodNotes.
2. Tap the plus button in the Documents view.
3. Choose Import.
4. Browse to the planner PDF in the Files app and select it.
5. When prompted, choose to import it as a new document.

The planner opens as a notebook. Large planners with hundreds of pages can take a few moments to load the first time.

In Notability, the steps are similar: tap the plus icon, choose Import, and select the file. In Samsung Notes, use the import option in the main menu. Xodo can open the PDF directly from the Files area.

Step 3: learn the navigation

Spend five minutes exploring before you start writing. A good planner has a consistent structure.

Element	What it does
Tabs along the side or top	Jump to the year, a month, or the notes section
Date numbers on a month page	Open that day or week
Back links	Return from a day to its week, and from a week to its month
Contents or home page	Links to every section

Tap a link to follow it. If tapping does nothing, check that you are not using a drawing or selection tool, and try the app’s read-only or view mode if it has one.

A tip: GoodNotes lets you add bookmarks and outline entries. If you want a quick route to today’s page, bookmark it and use the outline sidebar.

Step 4: set up your writing tools

Before you fill in a page, choose your pens.

• Pen thickness. A fine ballpoint-style pen between 0.4 and 0.6 pt suits most daily pages.
• Colour. Pick two or three colours with a meaning, such as black for text, blue for appointments and red for deadlines.
• Highlighter. Use a pale highlighter for priorities. Strong colours can make dark-mode pages hard to read.
• Handwriting recognition. Many apps can convert handwriting to text, but you do not have to use it. Handwritten notes are searchable in GoodNotes if the setting is on.
• Palm rejection. If your hand leaves marks, check the app’s Apple Pencil settings and turn on palm rejection.

If you plan to use the planner in dark mode, write in light colours for visibility.

Step 5: build a simple daily routine

A planner only works if you open it. A short, repeatable routine works better than an elaborate system.

Once a year

• Open the year-at-a-glance page and mark known dates: birthdays, holidays, school terms and trips.
• Fill in the yearly goals page, if there is one.

Once a month

• On the monthly page, write the month’s main focus and any appointments.
• Fill in the habit tracker, if the planner has one.

Once a week

• Look at the week page and note three priorities.
• Move unfinished tasks forward rather than leaving them behind.

Each day

• Write your top three tasks in the morning.
• Add appointments and notes as they come up.
• Spend two minutes in the evening ticking off what is done.

If you do not keep it up some days, do not try to catch up. Skip to today and carry on. A planner is a tool, not a record of how well you did.

Step 6: use the notes pages

Most planners include blank, lined and dot-grid pages at the back. Use them for:

• Meeting notes
• Lists you do not want cluttering the daily page, such as gift ideas or things to buy
• Project planning and brain dumps
• Anything you want to keep, rather than a task that will be completed

GoodNotes lets you duplicate a page, which is useful if you need extra copies of a notes page.

Step 7: back it up

The planner lives on your device. If the iPad is lost or reset, your writing goes with it. Set up backups at the start.

• In GoodNotes, turn on iCloud sync, or use the auto-backup option to cloud storage.
• Export a PDF copy of the planner every month or two, which also lets you open it on another device.
• Check the backup by looking at the last backup date in the app’s settings.

If you have lost the original download link, keep a copy of the unmarked PDF in cloud storage, so you can reimport it if necessary.

Common problems and fixes

• Links do nothing. Switch away from any drawing tool, or try the app’s read-only mode. If it still fails, check that you imported the PDF directly and not as images. Some apps handle links differently, so try another app if you can.
• The file is slow. Large files with hundreds of pages can be heavy on older tablets. Close other apps, and restart the app. If the problem continues, check whether the seller offers a lighter version.
• It looks blurry. Zoom in with the pinch gesture. The text in a PDF is vector-based, so it should be sharp at any zoom.
• You need to start again. Keep the original file untouched in your storage, so you can import a fresh copy.
• You want a printed copy. Some planners are designed for screen use only, while others include print-ready pages. Check the product description before you print.

Choosing a planner

If you are choosing a digital planner, a few things are worth checking: whether the links cover every date, whether the layout suits how you work, whether it comes in a Monday or Sunday start, and whether dark mode is offered. The 2027 Digital Planner covers all of those. It is a hyperlinked PDF with year, month, week and day pages, three themes (including a dark mode) and both week-start options, and it works with GoodNotes, Notability, Noteshelf, Xodo and Samsung Notes.

If you want fewer prompts and less on each page, a simpler layout can feel calmer. The ADHD-Friendly Digital Planner 2027 is built around a brain dump, one clear priority a day and short routines. Our guide to ADHD-friendly planning tips explains the approach in more detail.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an Apple Pencil to use a digital planner?

No. You can use a different stylus or even your finger to tick boxes and type text. Handwriting is more comfortable with a stylus, and an Apple Pencil is the usual choice on an iPad, but it is not required.

Can I use a digital planner on an Android tablet or a computer?

Yes. Apps such as Xodo, Noteshelf and Samsung Notes can open hyperlinked PDFs on Android and Windows devices. Link behaviour can differ slightly between apps, so test the navigation when you first open the file.

Is GoodNotes free?

GoodNotes offers a free trial or limited free tier, and paid options, and the details change over time. Check the App Store for the current terms before you buy a planner so you know what you can use it with.

Can I print a digital planner?

Sometimes, but it depends on the design. Digital planners are laid out for screens, and the links will not work on paper. Look for a product that explicitly includes printable pages if you want to print.

To see how the navigation works in practice, have a look at the 2027 Digital Planner.