How to delete all prefilled data on Notion templates

Notion templates often come with prefilled data to help users understand how each section works. These can include example tasks, sample notes, demo projects, or fake contacts depending on the type of template you’re using. While useful at first, once you’re ready to personalize the template, you’ll want to start fresh by removing all demo content.

Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to help you delete all the prefilled data from any Notion template, whether you’re on desktop or mobile.

🧠 Understanding How Notion Templates Work

Most Notion templates are built using databases, these could be in the form of tables, kanban boards, calendars, lists, or galleries. The data you see in these views are actually rows or entries stored in these databases.

To delete prefilled content, you don’t need to delete the structure of the template. You simply need to clear the content inside the databases.

✅ Fastest Way to Delete All Prefilled Data

💻 On Desktop (Windows / macOS):

1. Open the Template you’re using.
2. Scroll to the section with the database (e.g., Task List, Projects, Notes, etc.).
3. Click into the database view (like a table or board).
4. Press Ctrl + A (or Cmd + A on Mac) to select all items.
5. Right-click on the selection.
6. Choose Delete.

💡 Tip: You can repeat this process for every database section in the template. If a template has multiple databases (like Projects, Tasks, and Goals), you’ll need to do this in each one.

📱 On Mobile (iOS / Android):

1. Open the template in the Notion mobile app.
2. Tap into the database view.
3. Long press on one item until selection mode is enabled.
4. Tap to select all the items you want to delete.
5. Tap the three dots menu (…) or trash icon.
6. Confirm Delete.

🧼 Bonus: Clean Up Empty Pages and Extra Sections

After deleting all prefilled database records:

• Review if any empty sub-pages or template buttons remain.
• Delete or customize those pages as needed.
• You can rename database views, properties, and even customize icons to make the template feel truly yours.

⚠️ A Word of Caution

Once you delete records from a database, they go to Trash. If you accidentally remove something important, you can recover it from Notion’s Trash within a limited time.

🧩 Why Not Just Duplicate a Blank Template?

If you’re creating templates for others or customizing them for teams, deleting prefilled data is a great way to turn a “demo” into a clean, ready-to-use version — without affecting the structure, filters, or design of the original template.

Final Thoughts

Cleaning up a Notion template is easy once you understand how databases work. Whether you want a fresh start for yourself or you’re preparing a clean version to share with your team or clients, following the simple method of selecting and deleting data ensures your workspace stays tidy and focused.

📝 Note: Mobile doesn’t support “Select All” like desktop, so you might have to manually tap each item before deleting.