Import template in existing project

Hi,

I started a project and added CMS hosting. Now I want to import -afterward- a template. However templates let me create new projects.

How can I import a complete template into an existing project?

Hi @Mischa_Diender,

Each template has unique styles and structure, so applying a template to an existing project, isn’t possible. Instead, you’d need to create a new site based on the new Template.

Then after, if you’d like to transfer the CMS Site Plan to the new template based project, feel free to contact us here and we’ll be happy to help:

I had the same wish at @Mischa_Diender. I started from scratch and was thinking I could just speed up my flow for a pricing page by using a template. It would be nice to be able to at that in even if it was bare bone and the styles didn’t work great

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Why not provide Webflow customers with a way to apply their hosting plan to the project of their choosing? Wouldn’t this cut down on support costs for Webflow?

In addition to the original poster’s problem, I am unable to work on the new template I purchased, from Webflow, in a non-hosted project… it says there are too many pages in this template and that I to upgrade my project.

Or… I can wait for “3 to 5 days” for Webflow support to switch my hosting from one project to the other. Is this the “Modern way to build on the web” that Webflow has been claiming in advertising?

I see what Webflow is trying to do, but it is a mistake. The logic doesn’t make sense in the real world. Projects are merely containers for designs. And customers should be able to switch designs any time they need.

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Another problem this causes…

If someone using Webflow must use their “Project (with hosting attached)” for working on new designs/templates, how will they make a small design fixes to their current website without publishing their work-in-progress live?

It seems there has been no response the the question of using a template on an existing plan?
I have the same issue, want to save time and buy a template, but started hacking around with a free CMS template to learn about the software and now cant swap out the plan, forced to buy a new one? Would be great if this would be fixed/accommodated, unless it has been fixed already?

@wazwebflow I am one step farther. I bought the template and now looking for the button to transfer the hosting…

This is super disappointing. I’ve run into about 5 issues like this now that make no sense for a “modern” web development product.

It’s doable, but incredibly tedious. Just buy the template, and copy paste all elements (put them all into a single div) page by page. Then relink everything to your CMS structure, while adjusting things like fonts and colours because each project has their own. You will maintain the structure of each page, probably even the responsive nature. But you will have to recreate the CMS links by hand. It’s time consuming but it’s possible.

I am also working with an existing template (for a landing page) but I want a blog section and would love to import another template for that page, how do I do that?

Can I add a blank page and add a template to that?

Hi there,

I read this thread and I might have maybe a similar issue but I am not so sure as I am a bit new to the world of creating websites and webflow etc.

I am working for a company that already has a published project for their current website, that was created from scratch and we would like to change our branding and create a whole new website by buying and styling an existing webflow website template.

But as the website is already published, if we decide to switch from the old project to the new template project, won’t the links directing visitors to our current website change too ?

The issue we want to avoid is that some of the existing pages are landing pages that bring visitors to them via QR codes that we have printed on 500+ flyers and distributed. So those links really to work at all costs.

Can you provide me with advice on the best way not to lose any links and if buying a template is a good solution ?

Best,

I don’t understand why Webflow won’t allow us to import a pre-made template or template kit like you can with Elementor and WP.

Is it purely a money grab to keep everything proprietary and their system?
Why do I have to buy a template from their store? Why do I have to use it in a new project?
Why do I need them to do things for me that I can do with other platforms?

There should be a way to import a template and keep an existing projects stylings. This has been a feature of WP for over 15 years.

So much for “modern”.

They’re fundamentally different concept.
In WP, Wix, Elementor, a template is separate from the content. Your content has structure and rules and your template defines how to present it.

In WF, content and structure are not as discrete. Even in the CMS, you define the schema for your own data structures, nothing is predefined. Content and structure are melded together.

That gives you more options as a designer, and you’ve never limited by the template the way you are on other platforms. But that lack of separate also means you cannot swap the template for a new one, you must rebuild from scratch.

Some people like t-shirts, some like tattoos. They don’t work the same way.