About this template
A personal knowledge base (PKB) is your external brain: a system for capturing notes, organizing ideas, and building a searchable archive of what you know and learn over time.
This template gives you a starting structure—simple enough to maintain, flexible enough to grow. Use it for work notes, side projects, reading highlights, course notes, or anything you want to remember and retrieve later.
What's inside
- Inbox: quick capture for new notes, ideas, and links
- Areas: ongoing responsibilities (work, health, finances, etc.)
- Projects: active work with a defined outcome
- Resources: reference material, bookmarks, and saved articles
- Notes: permanent notes on topics, concepts, and insights
- Learning log: what you're studying and key takeaways
- Ideas: half-formed thoughts worth revisiting
Who it's for
Anyone who wants to stop losing good ideas: knowledge workers, consultants, writers, researchers, students, and lifelong learners who want a system that grows with them.
How to use it (best practices)
- Capture quickly: use the inbox for anything—process later.
- Write notes in your own words: rewriting helps you understand and remember.
- Link related notes: connections are where insights emerge.
- Review regularly: a weekly review keeps your system alive and useful.
- Don't over-organize: start simple and add structure as patterns emerge.
Looking for a Notion / Google Docs / Word knowledge base template?
If you searched for a personal knowledge base template for Notion (or Google Docs / Word), this structure works anywhere: copy the sections and adapt them to your tool. If you want something fast to capture and easy to search, you can also use this template instantly in Ununu.
Personal knowledge base vs. note-taking app
A note-taking app is where notes go to die. A knowledge base is a system: notes are organized, linked, and reviewed— so they become a resource you actually use, not just a graveyard of forgotten files.
FAQ
What is a personal knowledge base?
A personal knowledge base (PKB) is a structured system for capturing, organizing, and retrieving your notes, ideas, and learnings. It's your external memory.
How do I organize my knowledge base?
Start with broad categories (areas, projects, resources) and let structure emerge as you add notes. Don't over-engineer upfront.
How often should I review my knowledge base?
Weekly is a good cadence: process your inbox, review recent notes, and resurface ideas. Monthly, archive or delete what's no longer relevant.