How to Create Canva Templates to Sell Online

The digital product space is booming, and Canva templates have become one of the most accessible, profitable ways to get started. If you're creative, organized, and have an eye for design—even as a beginner—selling Canva templates online is a solid side hustle or even a full-time income stream.

Whether it's Instagram posts, business planners, media kits, or resume templates, people are constantly searching for beautiful, easy-to-use templates to make their lives easier. And with Canva’s intuitive platform, you don’t need to be a professional designer to get started.

In this Post, we’ll walk you step-by-step through how to create Canva templates that people will want to buy—and how to actually sell them, pricing strategies and how to protect your designs.

Why Canva Templates?
Canva has revolutionized the design space by allowing anyone to create professional-quality graphics, social media posts, presentations, and more. With over 170 million users worldwide as of 2025, it’s clear that Canva is not just a design tool—it’s an ecosystem. That means there’s a huge audience of people like Bloggers, Influencers, Coaches, Businesses, Entrepreneurs, and Students actively searching for pre-made, plug-and-play templates. 

Templates are highly valuable because they save time and ensure brand consistency. All you need is time, creativity, and a Canva Pro account (optional).

Step 1: Choose a Profitable Niche
You don't need to reinvent the wheel because not all templates sell equally. The most successful sellers often specialize in templates that solve common problems for business owners and creators. Here are some of the most in-demand types:

• Instagram post and story templates
• Pinterest pin templates
• Business card templates
• Media kits and press kits
• Ebook and lead magnet templates
• Webinar slides and presentations
• Resumes and cover letters
• Client onboarding documents
• Planners and journals

Proof: On Etsy, a simple “Instagram templates” search brings up thousands of results with shops making hundreds of sales a month.

Tip: Choose a niche where you already have some knowledge or interest. It'll help you create better, more helpful designs.

Step 2: Research What’s Selling
Before designing anything, research.

• Go to Etsy, Creative Market, and Gumroad. Type in your template idea.
• Check out the top listings: What colors do they use? What formats? What’s included?
• Read the reviews—this reveals what buyers love (and what they complain about).

Fun fact: Some Canva template sellers make $2,000–$10,000/month consistently, with just a few core listings.

Step 3: Plan Your Template Set
Great sellers don’t just offer one template—they offer bundles.
For example, instead of selling just a media kit, offer:

• 2 versions of the media kit (with different colors)
• A matching invoice template
• Bonus: Canva tutorial PDF

This increases perceived value and justifies a higher price.
Pro tip: Use folders in Canva to organize your assets before you start building.

Step 4: Design Your Templates in Canva
Here’s how to create high-converting templates:

1. Start with correct dimensions (e.g., 1080x1080 for Instagram posts).
2. Use Canva’s “Brand Kit” (if Pro) to keep fonts/colors consistent.
3. Design clean layouts that are easy to edit.
4. Leave placeholder text like “[Insert your name]” so buyers know what to change.
5. Group elements properly and use naming conventions.

Optional: Add instructional text or a short video tutorial (hosted on YouTube or Vimeo) for your buyers.

Step 5: Make It Shareable
You need to create a template share link, not just a design.

• After finishing your design, click “Share” → “Template link”.
• This lets buyers get their own editable copy.

Important: Never sell a regular Canva design link—it gives buyers access to your actual file.

Step 6: Package Your Product for Sale
You can sell on platforms like:

• Etsy (great for creative products)
• Gumroad (direct checkout and email capture)
• Payhip (also great for digital products)
• Creative Market (if you want a premium marketplace)

What to include in your zip file or PDF:

• Link to the template (with instructions)
• Any extras (tutorials, bonus files)
• Usage license (personal vs commercial use)

Step 7: Write a Killer Product Description
Don’t just say “Instagram template.” Sell the benefits:

• “Save hours of design time with this plug-and-play social media bundle.”
• “Perfect for coaches, virtual assistants, and content creators.”

Use bullet points, clear descriptions, and make it skimmable.
Bonus: Add mockups using Canva’s smartmockups or Placeit.net.

Step 8: Price It Right
Most Canva templates sell for $5–$35 depending on value and bundle size.
Test pricing strategies:

• Offer launch discounts
• Bundle multiple products
• Include upsells

You can always raise prices later as you gain reviews and traction.

Step 9: Promote Your Templates
Promotion is key. No sales come without marketing.

• Pin your product on Pinterest with keyword-rich descriptions.
• Share behind-the-scenes on Instagram or TikTok.
• Build an email list and offer your template as a lead magnet.

If you're using Etsy, SEO is key: use keywords in your title, tags, and description.

Step 10: Legal and Licensing
Always use elements from Canva’s library that are allowed for commercial use. You cannot resell Canva Pro assets as-is. Create original layouts using the tools provided, and be clear about what your customer is allowed to do with the template.
Bonus Tip: Include a PDF guide or “Terms of Use” file with every download.

Step 11: Automate and Grow
Once you’ve built a few successful templates, create a system.

• Schedule design days for new templates.
• Reuse layouts with different colors/fonts.
• Batch your mockup creation.

Eventually, you can create a whole storefront or digital product shop.

Let's wrap it up by saying, Selling Canva templates is a great gateway into the world of digital products. It's flexible, scalable, and doesn’t require a huge investment. If you stay consistent, design with your target customer in mind, and market your templates well—you can build a thriving business around it.
Whether you're looking to make your first $100 online or want to turn this into a full-time gig, it all starts with that first template. So open Canva, get inspired, and start building.
You’ve got this.