How to Create and Sell a Planner (Step by Step)

The WFH team
Sep 29, 2025
4 min read

Updated: Nov 2, 2025

Planners are everywhere right now, from digital downloads on Etsy to physical books shipped on-demand.

The secret to design and start selling planners is to stop overcomplicating it. You just need a simple step-by-step workflow that takes you from idea to sales.

Here’s a six-step workflow to create and sell your own planner.

Step 1: Brainstorm Your Planner with ChatGPT

Every great planner starts with a clear purpose. If you’re not sure of what to create, use AI to do the heavy lifting for you.

ChatGPT or Gemini AI , for example, can help you:

Generate niche planner ideas (daily, weekly, fitness, budgeting, self-care, etc.)
Outline the most useful page layouts (goal trackers, habit logs, meal planners, calendars)
Create cover title ideas and motivational quotes

💡 Example AI prompt to save to your notes:

In ChatGPT or Gemini, type the following prompt:

“Give me 5 unique planner ideas for [your target audience] . Include page types, cover ideas, and bonus features.”

Notice how the prompt only asks for 5 ideas at a time. It’s so that you don’t get stuck in decision paralysis trying to decide between so many suggestions. Always best to ask for 3-5 ideas so you don’t lose momentum.

Step 2: Design Your Planner

Once you know your concept, it’s time to design.

Option 1: DIY from scratch

The first option is to create it yourself from scratch. Tools like Canva make it super easy to build planners with drag-and-drop templates.

With Canva, you can:

Use pre-made page templates and customize them
Choose your fonts, and brand colors
Export high quality PDF files for both digital and physical versions

👉 Start designing with Canva

Option 2: Use a ready-made PLR

Imagine buying a planner that’s already designed, making a few quick tweaks in Canva, and in under 20 minutes you’ve got a planner ready to sell. If that sounds like your style, check out Purpose PLR.

PLR planners are already made planners which come with a license that allows you resell the planner as your own. They save a lot of time. All you have to do is make small tweaks to the fonts and colors.

If you find a planner on PURPOSE PLR that you want to resell, I have a little gift for you: use coupon code PFUXZMGANI for 10% off.

Step 3: Make Your Planner Visually Unique with Ideogram

In a crowded market, your design has to stand out. This is where Ideogram comes in. Use it to create:

Custom illustrations
Unique cover art
Patterned page dividers
Stickers and decorative icons

The beauty of ideogram is that you can easily download any pattern or design you create with Ideogram and drop them right into your Canva design.

👉 Try Ideogram

Step 4: Validate Demand with Everbee

Before I launch any digital product, I must check if people are actually searching for the product. That’s where Everbee (an Etsy research tool) saves you time.

With Everbee, you can:

See what planner styles are trending on Etsy right now
Find keywords buyers are using (e.g., “daily gratitude planner,” “digital meal planner”)
Spot gaps in the market so you don’t create something that’s oversaturated

This means you’re designing a planner people already want instead of guessing.

Step 5: Market your planner with the right Keywords

Using the right keywords to promote your planner means it will get seen by the right audience. This is exactly why I use Keysearch. It takes the guesswork out of SEO and shows you what people are really typing into Etsy, Shopify, or even Google. With it, you can:

Find low-competition keywords that real buyers are searching
Write titles and descriptions that actually rank
Build a keyword list to reuse on Pinterest pins and blog posts

For example, instead of going with a vague random title like “The Perfect Planner,” Keysearch will suggest to you that “ Mom printable planner” or “Best mom planner” gets way more search traffic.

Screenshot from Keyword research tool - Keysearch

The key to get your planner to the right audience? Always let the traffic numbers guide how you name your planner.

Step 6: Print and Sell with Printify

Since digital planners are everywhere right now, offering a physical version can really set you apart. A physical version instantly feels more premium and giftable, something people can actually hold in their hands or wrap up for a friend. And here’s the best part: you don’t need to keep piles of stock at home.

A print-on-demand service like Printify takes care of all the printing and shipping for you.

With Printify, you can turn your PDF into a beautiful physical planner without ever touching inventory. Here’s how it works:

Upload your planner PDF
Pick from their network of print-on-demand partners
Sync everything with Etsy or Shopify
Printify handles production and shipping—you just focus on sales

Imagine waking up to a sales notification while your planner is being printed, packed, and shipped across the world—all without you lifting a finger. That’s the magic of print on demand.

👉 Launch your planner with Printify

Final Thoughts

Creating and selling a planner doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With the right workflow, you can go from idea → design → sales in a matter of weeks.

Here’s the recap:

ChatGPT → brainstorm and outline
Canva→ design pages
Ideogram → create unique visuals
Everbee → validate demand
Keysearch → optimize keywords
Printify → sell and ship

✨ Each tool takes you one step closer to a finished product. And the best part? You’re building something once that can generate passive income again and again.