Are you looking for the best Notion Portfolio ideas or free templates to showcase your work? You have come to the right place. But before we look at the templates, we have to answer the question:
What is Notion?
Whenever I hear this question, many thoughts come to mind. It isn’t easy to pin down because it’s a tool that doesn’t fit in a single category. Is it a note-taking app? A journaling tool? A project management suite?
Depending on who you ask, Notion is a to-do list, a task manager, a content calendar, a goal tracker, or a “Second Brain.” For others, it’s a daily planner, a personal dashboard, a finance tracker, a recipe book, or even a travel itinerary.
In reality, possibilities are truly endless. But if I had to define it simply, Notion is an all-in-one workspace. Basically, it combines note-taking, databases, and wikis into a single platform that you can use to fit your personal and professional needs. Therefore, you can build anything you can imagine within this simple tool.
However, one of the most powerful and often overlooked use cases of the tool is building a Notion Portfolio.
Check Out My Templates:
Free Notion Template to Turn Courses into Projects
The Only HR Complaints Tracker You Need
The Freelance Beginner Roadmap
What is a Notion Portfolio (And Why Do You Need One)?
Before we dive into the how, let’s define the what. A Notion portfolio is more than just a resume. A resume tells people what you did; a portfolio demonstrates how you did it.
It is a curated collection of selected work samples, case studies, testimonials, and documents. Whether you are a writer, designer, developer, or virtual assistant, a Notion portfolio provides tangible proof of your competence to potential clients or employers.
Why You Should Build a Notion Portfolio Today
In the past, building a portfolio meant two things to me: hiring a developer or struggling with complex website builders like WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace. I had to worry about hosting fees, domain names, and responsive design… etc.
But Notion has changed the game. Here is why you should ditch the expensive website builders and build a Notion portfolio instead:
1. Publish to the Web for Free
This is the biggest selling point. Notion allows me to take any page in my workspace and “Publish to web” with a single click. I don’t need to pay a monthly subscription fee. My work is live, accessible via a public link, and hosted on Notion’s reliable servers for free. All while enjoying the benefits of Notion credibility and Search Engine Optimization: Notion sites show in Google Search faster than new pages on domains that you create from scratch.
2. Zero Code Required
If I can type a document, I can build a website in Notion. Since it uses a “block” system (similar to LEGOs). I can simply drag and drop text, images, videos, and embeds. There is no HTML, CSS, or JavaScript to learn.
3. Dynamic and Living
Traditional portfolios often become “graveyards” of old work because updating them is a hassle. A Notion Portfolio is dynamic. Because Notion is also my project management tool, I can link my portfolio directly to my working databases. I can easily toggle which projects are visible to the public without redesigning the whole page.
4. Better Than a PDF
Many freelancers still send PDF portfolios. The problem is that Clients have to download them; they look terrible on mobile phones, and they are static. A Notion portfolio functions like a modern e-commerce website. It is mobile-responsive by default, allowing clients to click through case studies seamlessly.
6 Free Notion Portfolio Ideas
1. Design Portfolio (by Notion)
This is the official template from the Notion team. It is built specifically for visual creators, featuring a large “Gallery View” that puts your images front and center. It also includes pre-built sections for explaining the “Context” and “Role” behind every project, which is standard for design interviews.
2. Portfolio (by Ops Bae)
If you are a freelancer who needs to build trust quickly, this template is ideal. Unlike a standard resume, it includes a dedicated “Testimonials” section right at the top. It uses a clean, gray-scale aesthetic that looks professional for project managers and consultants.
3. Portfolio (by Joris)
This template was designed with data analysts and developers in mind. Instead of just showing pretty pictures, it has specific sections to highlight your “Tech Stack” (like Python or SQL) and includes buttons to link directly to your GitHub and Tableau profiles.
4. UX Case Study (by Anastasiia Firsova)
A generic portfolio isn’t enough for UX designers; you need to show your process. This template focuses on structure. It guides you to write your case studies in a “Problem → Process → Solution” format, ensuring you tell the full story behind your designs.
5. Personal portfolio site (by Josh Millgate)
This functions more like a full personal website than a simple portfolio. It features a sidebar navigation, a blog section, and a “Now” page. It is the perfect choice if you want to build a personal brand and share content alongside your work samples.
6. Personal Portfolio (by Easlo)
Created by one of the most popular Notion experts, this template is the definition of minimalism. It is stripped of all distractions, acting as a sleek, digital resume. It’s perfect for job seekers who want a fast-loading page that looks great on mobile devices.
How to Build Your Own Notion Portfolio in Less Than 30 Minutes
If you prefer to build your own Notion Portfolio to ensure it is unique, follow this rapid 30-minute roadmap.
1. The Setup
- Create a new Page in Notion. Title it (e.g., “John’s Portfolio”).
- Add a Cover Image (choose something professional from Unsplash) and an Icon (your professional headshot works best here).
- Click the three dots in the top-right corner, then toggle “Full Width” on. This is crucial to make your page look like a real website rather than a document.
2. The Hero Section
- Intro: Type a brief H1 heading: “Hi, I’m [Name]. I help companies do [Service].”
- Bio: Below that, add a “Callout Block” (type /callout). The colored background nicely highlights your short bio.
- Contact: Add your Email or LinkedIn. Highlight the text and hit Ctrl+K to add a hyperlink.
3. The Work
- Type /gallery and select “Gallery view – Inline”.
- Name this database “My Projects.”
- Click into a card. Delete the default content. Upload a cover image representing a project.
- Inside the card, write a brief description: The Problem, The Solution, and The Results.
- Repeat this for 3 of your best projects (at least).
4. Go Live
- Copy the link.
- Go to the top right corner and click Share.
- Click the Publish tab.
- Click “Publish to web”.
If you need Notion consulting or system building services, you’re in the right place. Reach out to me via this form
Final Thoughts
A few days ago a client contacted me to get a Testimonials page done inside Notion, he had a Canva design – PDF that he wanted me to redesign in Notion + to optimize for mobile viewing. The experience was amazing, he liked the fact that he can now show his client testimonials in a responsive website at zero cost (he wasn’t on any paid plan).
