Cornell Notes Template – Free Online Maker (Fill In or Print)
Fill it in right here, or print a blank version. Download as PDF, PNG or an editable Word document. Pro Mode adds pretty themes, A4/A5 paper sizes, dot-grid and graph line styles, and multi-page notebook export.
Export several blank pages as one PDF notebook.
Take notes in the wide Notes column during class or reading. Afterward, go back and write questions or keywords in the narrow Cue column that would prompt you to recall each idea. Finally, write a few sentences in the Summary section that condense the whole page — this last step is what actually cements the material in memory.
Free Cornell Notes Template — Fill It In or Print It Blank
Most searches for a Cornell notes template come down to one of two things: a blank page ready to print and write on by hand, or somewhere to actually type notes directly. This tool covers both. Switch to Blank / Print mode for a clean, printable page, or stay in Fill In Online mode and type straight into the Cue, Notes and Summary sections — either way, the layout follows the same three-section structure the method is built on.
There's no sign-up, and everything runs in your browser — nothing you type is uploaded anywhere.
What this tool actually does: a live, editable Cornell notes page you can fill in or print blank, with free PDF and PNG export. Pro Mode adds extra themes, A4/A5 paper sizes, dot-grid and graph line styles, Word document export, and multi-page notebook export.
What Is the Cornell Note-Taking Method?
The Cornell method divides a page into three connected sections, each used at a different point in the process. Understanding what each section is for matters more than the layout itself — the method only works if you actually use all three parts, not just the wide Notes column.
Download as PDF or Word (Editable)
A Cornell notes PDF is the most common thing people actually need — a clean, printable page, or a filled-in page to submit or keep. The PDF export here is built from real vector text and lines rather than a screenshot, so it stays sharp at any zoom level and prints properly instead of looking blurry.
If you'd rather keep editing after downloading, Pro Mode's Word (.docx) export builds the layout as an actual editable table in Microsoft Word — useful if you want to keep typing, reformat, or paste in content after the fact, rather than being stuck with a flat image.
Printable Blank Templates
For a printable Cornell notes template with nothing filled in, Blank / Print mode strips out the typing areas entirely, leaving a clean page ready for handwriting. Pro Mode's Multi-Page Notebook export takes this further — generate anywhere from 2 to 60 blank pages as a single PDF, useful for printing an entire notebook's worth of pages at once instead of downloading one page at a time.
Pretty, Aesthetic Cornell Notes Themes
The default Classic theme is deliberately plain and functional, but Pro Mode adds several more visually distinct options for anyone who wants their notes to actually look nice, not just work.
Line style can be changed independently of theme too — dot-grid and graph paper are available in Pro Mode alongside the standard ruled lines, for a more bullet-journal-style page.
AVID Cornell Notes
Students using the AVID program's approach to Cornell notes will recognize the AVID-Style theme, which adds Levels of Thinking checkboxes and relabels the Summary section as "Summary / Reflection," matching how AVID classrooms commonly structure the page. Worth being direct about this: it's a compatible style choice, not an official AVID product — this tool isn't affiliated with or endorsed by AVID Center.
Using This Template in GoodNotes or OneNote
There's no dedicated GoodNotes or OneNote export format, but the PDF download works well as one. Both apps support importing a PDF as a page background or template — in GoodNotes, import the PDF and set it as your page template; in OneNote, insert it as a page background. Either way, you get the Cornell layout to write on directly with a stylus or keyboard inside the app you already use.
The blank version, not the filled-in one, is what you want to import as a background template — that keeps the layout reusable across as many digital pages as you need.
Notes, Cue, and Summary — plus a header for topic, name, date and class.
Yes — blank or filled-in, free, with real selectable text rather than an image.
Yes, in Pro Mode — an editable .docx table you can keep typing in.
Yes, fully free, including PDF and PNG export with no signup required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the Cornell method, downloads and themes
The Cornell method splits a page into three sections: a wide Notes column for writing during class or reading, a narrow Cue column for questions and keywords added afterward, and a Summary section for condensing the whole page in your own words. Developed at Cornell University, it's one of the most widely taught note-taking systems.
Yes. Download a blank PDF ready to print, or fill in your notes online first and export a PDF with your typed content in place. It's generated with real text, not an image, so it stays sharp and prints cleanly.
Yes, in Pro Mode. Download a .docx file with the layout built as an actual editable Word table, so you can keep typing and formatting directly in Microsoft Word rather than working with a flat image.
Yes. Switch to Blank / Print mode for a clean template with no typed content. Pro Mode's Multi-Page Notebook export generates several blank pages as one PDF, useful for printing a whole notebook's worth at once.
Yes, in Pro Mode. Choose from Pastel, Dark Academia, Handwriting, and Minimalist Mono themes alongside the default Classic style, plus dot-grid and graph line options instead of plain ruled lines.
No. The AVID-Style theme adds features associated with AVID's approach to Cornell notes, like Levels of Thinking checkboxes, but this tool isn't affiliated with or endorsed by AVID Center — it's a compatible style option.
Yes, indirectly. Download the template as a PDF, then import it as a background page in GoodNotes or a page template in OneNote — both apps support importing PDFs this way.
Yes, fully free, including filling in notes online, printing a blank template, and PDF and PNG downloads. Pro Mode — also free — adds extra themes, A4/A5 paper sizes, dot-grid and graph lines, Word export, and multi-page notebook export.