How to get your template featured on Readymag

Any Readymag user can create templates or turn their existing website into a template. For designers, this serves several purposes: to showcase ideas, demonstrate their approach, attract clients, and even earn money. Creating a template allowed our ambassador Helena to repurpose a design originally made for a client project that didn’t go through—and actually earn from it. For another template creator, Ansel, submitting his own portfolio as a template became a starting point for others to follow.

The best templates are featured in the Readymag gallery. It’s a library of standout designs, carefully curated by the Readymag team and viewed by thousands of designers (and potential clients) every week. Getting featured means your work joins that selection.

Here’s how to improve your chances of getting featured in the gallery, with some advice from prominent template creators.

Originality and consistency

The first thing the team looks for is originality. Templates should reflect your own ideas and approach, not repeat existing websites. It’s always more engaging to see a designer’s personal touch, creative solutions that show how you think and what makes your work unique.

Equally important is coherence. The color palette, fonts, rhythm, and composition should all form a unified system. This doesn’t mean every page has to look the same—quite the opposite. Repeating blocks with only minor variations feel unfinished. It’s much more valuable when pages serve different purposes but remain connected through a shared style.

Visuals are another important detail. Instead of using random illustrations, choose elements that feel intentional—a licensed photo, neat graphics, or even a simple color fill can make the template feel more polished.

And finally, animations. They should support the content, not distract from it. A subtle block appearance or smooth transition works much better than an elaborate choreography of effects. The goal is clarity and balance.

Technical order and usability for others

A good template is built from native Readymag widgets. This ensures that the template behaves predictably when copied. If it relies heavily on custom code, users will quickly run into limitations or errors.

Project structure matters too. Neatly labeled layers, project styles, and organized color palettes all save other designers time. For instance, if fonts are stored in styles, they can be replaced in a few clicks instead of manually on every page.

Don’t forget to adapt the template to different screens and devices. On a phone, the template’s thoughtfulness becomes obvious right away: text is either readable or overflowing, buttons are either accessible or hidden, and images either break the grid or rearrange themselves neatly.

And finally, navigation. Working links, menus, and hover states are the small details that create a sense of completeness. If something breaks on the first click, the user’s trust in the template is gone.

Completeness and accessibility of content

A gallery-worthy template should feel like a fully functional website. It needs everything necessary for the user to understand how it works.

First, the text. Include headings, subheadings, and short descriptions that are concise but meaningful. Avoid lorem ipsum text or empty blocks. This doesn’t mean writing a novel, but there should be some semantic anchors.

Second, accessibility and inclusivity. Use high-contrast text, readable typography, and images free from stereotypes or questionable connotations. The template should be universal—usable by people from different countries and industries. The more neutral and inclusive the presentation, the more versatile and appealing the template becomes.

Third, the name and description. Choose a name that stands on its own and doesn’t repeat or include category names. Ideally, it should suggest the mood or vibe of the layout. For example, Horizon works well—it hints at a key feature of the template (horizontal scroll). In contrast, something like Template #3 says nothing and disappears among the rest. The description reinforces the impression and explains why and how to use the design.

Tips from those who’ve done it

Readymag ambassador Helena, who’s sold more than 500 instances of her template, and Ansel, who’s had four templates featured in the gallery, shared their thoughts on how to get your work featured.

Helena offered this advice: “Don’t create something generic. There are already plenty of clean, minimal portfolios out there. What really helped me was making something personal yet flexible—a layout people can fill with their own stories, memories, and voice. A good template isn’t just about structure; it’s about personality. That’s what makes people want to use it and make it their own.”

Turns out, Ansel largely agreed with Helena (and no, they didn’t plan it): “For fellow designers who want to get noticed, I’d say: keep experimenting, stay aware of trends, and trust your own instincts. That personal touch is often what makes the difference.”

How the submission process works

In your project’s Settings panel, go to “Export & Submit”. Add a title, description, categories, and tags, upload a preview, and replace auto-generated screenshots if needed. Finally, choose whether the template will be free or paid. If it’s paid, include a link to one of the third-party payment platforms currently supported: Shopify, Gumroad or Lemon Squeezy.

There are many ways to approach pricing, and early experience shows it’s possible to earn real income this way. Ansel says he’s earned “several thousand dollars” in just a month and a half and can see template design becoming a steady source of income—depending, as he puts it, on “a designer’s consistency and creativity.” For Helena, her template has already “brought in about the same as a full-time salary in Italy.” Beyond that, a lot of people have discovered her work through the template, “so it’s also been a great boost for visibility.”

Offering free templates has its own benefits. They help you reach a wider audience, showcase your skills, and share something beautiful with the community. One designer featured in the Examples gallery three years ago still receives client inquiries linked to that feature, and others note that free templates can also help attract freelance work. Free projects tend to find their audience faster and travel further, which sometimes brings more long-term value than direct sales. 

Finally, the project goes through moderation, which can take up to three weeks. If everything checks out, the template is added to the gallery and promoted through Readymag’s website, social media, and newsletters. In some cases, when only minor improvements are needed, you’ll receive feedback explaining what needs to be adjusted and why.

Helena recalls her experience: “When I submitted my template, the feature had just launched, so I was one of the first to try it. There wasn’t an official guide yet, but the Readymag team was incredibly helpful and made the whole process feel smooth and collaborative. The initial build only took a couple of days, and Readymag refined it by replacing fonts with ones from the built-in library and tweaking a few elements.”

Ansel adds: “The approval process was fast and pleasant, thanks to the great support team. They were always helpful and quick to clarify small details a designer might miss. The Readymag interface is also very intuitive, which makes the whole process smoother and more efficient than with other tools.”

You can find the full requirements in this Help article or this tutorial. And if you have any questions, just email [email protected]—we’ll be happy to help.