How to Remix a Framer Template: Step by Step for Beginners

Step 1: Open the remix link

Go to a template page, for example Calder, and click Get Template. Framer opens and asks which workspace to copy the project into. Pick one and the full site is added to your dashboard.

Step 2: Look around before you change anything

Open the Pages panel and click through every page. Then open the CMS panel and see which collections exist, such as projects or blog posts. Knowing the structure first saves a lot of undoing later.

Step 3: Replace the content

Start with the CMS. Edit or duplicate the sample items, then delete the ones you do not need. Then edit the static text on each page. Content first, design second: it is much easier to judge the design once your real words and images are in.

Step 4: Rebrand with styles

Open the color styles and text styles in the Assets panel and change them there, not on individual layers. One change updates every page. This is the fastest way to make a template look like your brand.

Step 5: Update SEO settings

In each page’s settings, write a title and description for your site. Do the same for the CMS detail pages using CMS fields, so every project or post gets its own title. Upload your own social share image and favicon in Site Settings.

Step 6: Publish

Click Publish. Your site goes live on a free framer.website address straight away. You can connect your own domain later with a paid Framer site plan.

Step 7: After launch

Publishing is not the end. In the first week, open the live site on your phone and on a laptop and click every link. Then add the site to Google Search Console and submit the sitemap, which Framer creates for you at /sitemap.xml. That tells Google your pages exist and shows you any problems it finds.

How long does it take?

With your content ready, most people get a template site live in one to three days. The design is done, so the time goes into:

• Writing: usually the slowest part. Draft your homepage text and project descriptions before you open Framer.

• Images: export them at a sensible size. Large uncompressed files slow the site down.

• Rebranding: an hour or two if you use shared styles.

• Checking breakpoints: an hour going through each page at tablet and phone width.

Choosing which template to remix

Pick a template whose structure matches your content, not the one with your favourite colours. Colours change in minutes. Rebuilding a page layout takes far longer. If you are not sure where to start, the free Framer templates roundup compares six options by type of work.

Keeping your remix tidy

• Delete sample pages and CMS items you will not use, so they do not get published by accident.

• Rename layers you add, so future edits are quick.

• Reuse the template’s components for new sections instead of building from scratch.

• Keep a copy of the original remix untouched, in case you want to compare later.

Keeping your site up to date

The best template sites are the ones that keep changing. A portfolio with work from three years ago tells clients you are not busy. A few habits keep a remix fresh:

• Add each new project to the CMS within a week of finishing it, while the details are fresh.

• Review your homepage headline every few months. Your positioning will change as your work does.

• Remove projects that no longer represent the work you want more of.

• Check the site on your phone after every big change.

Where to get help

Framer has thorough documentation and a large community forum for general editor questions. For anything specific to one of my templates, like how a section is built or how to change a CMS field, use the support page and I will reply directly. If you would rather have someone set it up for you, there is also a done-for-you option.

From obviously a template to feels custom

The difference between a site that looks like a template and one that feels custom comes down to three deliberate passes, in this order. An afternoon is genuinely enough.

1. Content pass. Replace every placeholder headline and paragraph with your real copy before touching colors. Content changes layout: your headline may run longer and your list of services may be shorter. Getting the words in early means every design decision after reflects reality.

2. Brand pass. Swap the color styles and text styles at the project level instead of touching individual layers. My templates are wired to shared styles, so one change updates the whole site. Then replace the imagery, keeping your photography in a consistent tone.

3. Detail pass. Update metadata and social previews, connect your domain, and walk through each breakpoint once. The templates ship with responsive layouts, so your job is editing, not rebuilding.