How to Use Templates on Instagram Story

Instagram Story templates are your secret weapon for creating professional, on-brand content in a fraction of the time. They help you skip the blank-canvas anxiety and jump straight to crafting engaging Stories that stop the scroll and build a loyal following. This guide will show you exactly what Story templates are, where to find them, and how to use them step-by-step to level up your social media presence.

What Are Instagram Story Templates, and Why Should You Use Them?

An Instagram Story template is simply a pre-designed layout you can edit and customize with your own content, like photos, videos, and text. Think of it as a fill-in-the-blank guide for your Stories. Instead of fumbling with text placement and background colors every single time, you start with a structured, beautifully designed foundation.

The benefits are huge for any creator, brand, or marketer:

• Saves Massive Amounts of Time: Say goodbye to building every Story from scratch. With a template, you can produce a high-quality Story in minutes, not hours. Batch-create your designs, then just plug and play whenever you need to post.
• Creates Brand Consistency: Using the same fonts, colors, and logo placement across your Stories builds brand recognition. When followers see your Story, they’ll instantly know it’s yours, which fosters trust and a stronger connection.
• Boosts Engagement: Many templates are specifically designed to spark interaction. Think about templates with prompts for Q&As, quizzes, "This or That" games, follower shoutouts, or rating stickers. They give your audience a simple, fun way to engage with you.
• Looks Professional, No Designer Needed: You don’t need a degree in graphic design to create stunning content. Templates give you access to polished, professional looks that make your brand appear more credible and established.

Templates aren't just one-size-fits-all. They can be tailored for virtually any type of content you want to share, from announcing a new product to sharing a quick weekly tip.

Where to Find Instagram Story Templates

You have several great options for finding the perfect templates, ranging from built-in Instagram features to powerful third-party design apps. Let's break down where to look.

Method 1: Inside the Instagram App Itself

Instagram offers a few native tools that work as simple, effective templates you can use on the fly.

Using the “Templates” Sticker (aka Add Yours)

The "Add Yours" sticker has evolved into a full-blown "Templates" feature. It allows you to create or use a pre-set format that others can add their own spin on. You’ve likely seen this with trends where people share photos based on a prompt.

How to use it:

1. When you see a Story with a "Templates" or "Add Yours" sticker you like, simply tap the sticker.
2. It will open your camera or camera roll, allowing you to add your own photo or video to the pre-defined layout.
3. Customize it and share! Instagram credits the original creator of the template and lets others build on the trend.

Using the "Layout" Feature

If you want to create a quick photo collage, the Layout tool is your best friend. It’s perfect for showcasing multiple products, highlighting different angles of a shot, or creating before-and-after visuals.

How to use it:

1. Open your Instagram Story camera.
2. On the left-hand toolbar, tap the Layout icon (it looks like a grid).
3. Tap the Change Grid icon to select a different collage style (e.g., two, four, or six squares).
4. Tap the circle at the bottom to take a picture for the first section, or tap the plus-sign icon in the bottom-left to upload from your camera roll.
5. Once you've filled all the sections, tap the checkmark to confirm. You can now add text, stickers, and other elements on top of your collage before publishing.

Method 2: Third-Party Design Apps (The Best Option for Branding)

For fully customized and consistently branded templates, third-party design apps are the undisputed champions. Tools like Canva, Adobe Express, and Unfold offer thousands of professionally designed templates you can tweak to perfectly match your brand’s aesthetic.

Canva is by far the most popular and user-friendly choice for non-designers, making it the perfect place to start.

A Quick Guide to Finding Templates in Canva:

1. Open the Canva app or visit canva.com.
2. In the search bar, type "Instagram Story" or "Mobile Video." You'll be presented with thousands of templates in the correct 9:16 aspect ratio.
3. You can filter your search further by typing specific keywords like "Instagram Story Quiz," "Sales Instagram Story," or "New Post Instagram Story" to find exactly what you need.
4. Once you find a template you love, click on it to open the editor.
5. Customize everything: Change the background color to match your brand palette, swap the default fonts for your own brand fonts, replace placeholder images with your product photography, and update the text.
6. When you're happy with your design, download it to your phone as a high-quality PNG (for static images) or MP4 (for animated templates).

Method 3: Create Your Own Truly Unique Templates

Once you're comfortable using a tool like Canva, the ultimate pro move is to create your own set of reusable templates from scratch. This gives you 100% control over your brand’s look and speeds up your workflow even more.

What to Include When Building Your Template Set:

• Image/Video Placeholders: Create empty frames or designated spots where your visuals will go.
• Consistent Text Hierarchy: Define specific spots and styles for your headline, body text, and call-to-action. Use your brand fonts every time.
• Logo & Username Placement: Decide on a consistent spot for your logo or @handle so your Stories are always identifiably yours.
• Color Palette: Stick strictly to your brand's color palette for all background and text colors.

Create a template for each of your content pillars. For example, you could have a unique design for:

• Announcing a new blog post
• Sharing a user review or testimonial
• A weekly "Tip Tuesday" segment
• Promoting a sale or special offer
• A “Behind the Scenes” look

Save all your custom templates in a dedicated folder in Canva and a dedicated album on your phone. This makes finding and posting them a breeze.

Step-by-Step: How to Use a Downloaded Template on Your Instagram Story

Okay, so you’ve found or created the perfect template in an app like Canva and saved it to your phone. Now what? Here’s how you bring it to life on Instagram.

1. Open the Instagram Story Editor. From your home feed, either tap your profile picture in the top-left corner or simply swipe right to open the Story camera.
2. Upload Your Template. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open your camera roll. Select the template image or video you downloaded earlier. It will now serve as the background for your Story.
3. Layer on Your Content & Stickers. This is where the magic happens. Your template is the foundation, but the interactive elements are what drive engagement. Tap the sticker icon (the smiling square face) at the top of the screen to add features on top of your template.
   • Photo Sticker: Have a product photo or a new headshot to share? Don't overwrite your template. Instead, use the Photo sticker to add a small, resizable image on top of your design.
   • Poll, Quiz, or Slider Stickers: Use these to ask your audience a question. A template that says "Which do you prefer?" is made ten times more effective with an actual poll sticker your followers can tap.
   • Question Sticker: Ask Me Anything (AMA) sessions or feedback forms are engagement gold. Use a Q&A sticker so your audience can easily submit their thoughts.
   • Link Sticker: If you're promoting a blog post, product, or YouTube video, a template can frame your call-to-action, while the Link sticker provides the direct path for your audience to click.
4. Add Final Touches. Add any necessary text directly in Instagram, tag relevant accounts using the @mention sticker, or add a location tag if it’s relevant. You can also add hashtags for extra discoverability.
5. Publish and Save. Once you're happy with your design, tap "Your Story" to publish it. For extra mileage, remember to save the Story to a relevant Highlight on your profile so new followers can discover it later.

Final Thoughts

By using templates, you transform your Instagram Stories from a random assortment of posts into a cohesive, engaging, and powerful tool for building your brand. They masterfully blend efficiency with creativity, allowing you to save precious time while producing professional-looking content that captivates your audience and drives real connection.

Planning is everything when it comes to social media, and batch-creating your Story templates is a perfect example of working smarter. At Postbase, we designed our platform around this exact philosophy. Our visual content calendar allows you to see all your scheduled content - from Reels to feed posts - in one beautiful place. This makes it easy to complement your main content pillars with perfectly timed, well-designed Stories, turning your social strategy from reactive to proactive. It’s all about creating a seamless workflow that gives you more time back to focus on what matters most: growing your business.