Podcast Show Notes Template Pack
Show notes are the hardest-working text in podcasting. They sell the episode to someone deciding whether to press play, they give Google something to index (audio is invisible to search engines), and they hold every link you mentioned so listeners don’t have to rewind and scribble. Yet most podcasters dash them off in five minutes — or skip them entirely — and leave discoverability on the table.
This pack gives you four complete show notes templates: the standard episode, the guest interview, the solo episode, and the short bonus/mini episode. Each template includes every section a strong notes page needs — summary, timestamps, key takeaways, links, guest bio, and calls to action — with bracketed placeholders you fill in per episode. Copy the structure once, reuse it forever.
What’s inside this template pack
Four templates covering every episode type. The Standard Episode template is the workhorse: summary, timestamps, takeaways, links, and CTAs in a scannable layout. The Guest Interview template adds a guest bio, where to find them, and quotable moments — the parts guests share on social media. The Solo Episode template is built for teaching episodes with frameworks, steps, and resources. The Bonus/Mini Episode template is a slimmed-down version for short drops, trailers, and announcements. All four are SEO-conscious: keyword-rich headings, natural topic mentions, and link sections Google can follow.
The full template pack
Each template is in its own code block with a bold label line above it. Copy a template into your CMS and fill in the bracketed fields for each episode.
Template 1 — Standard episode show notes
STANDARD EPISODE SHOW NOTES
Episode [NUMBER]: [EPISODE TITLE]
[2-3 sentence summary: what the episode covers and the key
outcome for the listener. Include your main keyword naturally.]
IN THIS EPISODE:
- [Key point 1]
- [Key point 2]
- [Key point 3]
TIMESTAMPS:
[00:00] - [Intro / cold open topic]
[04:32] - [First main segment]
[15:10] - [Second main segment]
[28:45] - [Third main segment / Q&A]
[39:20] - [Closing takeaways]
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
1. [Takeaway 1]
2. [Takeaway 2]
3. [Takeaway 3]
LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED:
- [Resource name](URL)
- [Resource name](URL)
- [Tool/book/article name](URL)
CALL TO ACTION:
[Subscribe/follow prompt] — [Leave a review prompt] —
[Join the newsletter/community prompt]
NEXT EPISODE: [Teaser for next episode]
Template 2 — Guest interview show notes
GUEST INTERVIEW SHOW NOTES
Episode [NUMBER]: [EPISODE TITLE] with [GUEST NAME]
[2-3 sentence summary: who the guest is, their credibility,
and the core insight of the conversation.]
ABOUT [GUEST NAME]:
[3-4 sentence bio: who they are, what they're known for,
notable credentials or achievements.]
WHERE TO FIND [GUEST NAME]:
- Website: [URL]
- [Twitter/LinkedIn/Instagram]: [URL]
- [Book/product/newsletter]: [URL]
CONVERSATION HIGHLIGHTS:
[00:00] - [Intro and guest background]
[06:15] - [First big topic]
[18:40] - [Second big topic]
[32:05] - [Rapid-fire / personal questions]
[41:30] - [Guest's final advice]
QUOTABLE MOMENTS:
"[Pull quote 1 — the line guests share on social media.]"
— [GUEST NAME]
"[Pull quote 2]"
— [GUEST NAME]
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
1. [Takeaway 1]
2. [Takeaway 2]
3. [Takeaway 3]
LINKS & RESOURCES:
- [Everything mentioned, with links]
FOLLOW THE SHOW: [Subscribe links for Apple/Spotify/YouTube]
Template 3 — Solo / teaching episode show notes
SOLO EPISODE SHOW NOTES
Episode [NUMBER]: [EPISODE TITLE]
[2-3 sentence summary: the problem this episode solves and
the framework or method you teach.]
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:
- [Learning outcome 1]
- [Learning outcome 2]
- [Learning outcome 3]
THE FRAMEWORK / STEPS:
Step 1: [Name] — [1-2 sentence explanation]
Step 2: [Name] — [1-2 sentence explanation]
Step 3: [Name] — [1-2 sentence explanation]
Step 4: [Name] — [1-2 sentence explanation]
TIMESTAMPS:
[00:00] - [Intro: why this matters]
[03:20] - [Step 1 deep dive]
[11:45] - [Step 2 deep dive]
[20:10] - [Steps 3-4]
[29:00] - [Common mistakes to avoid]
[34:15] - [Recap and action step]
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
- [Resource name](URL)
- [Download/worksheet/checklist](URL)
YOUR ACTION STEP THIS WEEK:
[One concrete thing for the listener to do.]
ASK A QUESTION FOR A FUTURE EPISODE: [How to submit]
Template 4 — Bonus / mini episode show notes
BONUS / MINI EPISODE SHOW NOTES
[EPISODE TITLE] (Bonus)
[1-2 sentence summary: what this short episode covers.]
IN THIS SHORT EPISODE:
- [Point 1]
- [Point 2]
TIMESTAMPS:
[00:00] - [Topic]
[06:30] - [Wrap-up]
LINKS:
- [Any links mentioned]
BACK TO THE MAIN FEED: [Link to latest full episode]
SUBSCRIBE: [Apple/Spotify/YouTube links]
How to use this template pack
- Pick the template that matches your episode type and save it as a reusable block in your CMS or notes app.
- Fill in the summary first, while the episode is fresh — write it like a mini sales pitch for the play button.
- Add timestamps as you edit or review the audio; even rough ones beat none at all.
- Pull 1-3 quotable lines for the interview template — these become your social media clips and guest thank-you posts.
- Publish the notes page with a keyword-rich title and share the link everywhere the episode goes.
The highest-leverage habit is writing the summary before you forget what made the episode good. Ten minutes after recording, the energy and best lines are fresh — ten days later, you’re guessing. Batch it: record, write notes immediately, and your future self (and your SEO) will thank you. Also, send guests their quotable moments with a pre-written share line — most will post it, and their audience becomes your audience.
Frequently asked questions
How long should podcast show notes be? Aim for 200-400 words for a standard episode: a 2-3 sentence summary, timestamped highlights, key links, and a call to action. Long enough for Google to index meaningfully, short enough that listeners actually read them.
Do show notes help with podcast SEO? Yes. Podcast apps index titles and descriptions, and Google indexes your show-notes page. Keyword-rich summaries, timestamps, and guest names give search engines text to rank — audio alone is invisible to them.
Should timestamps be in every episode’s notes? For episodes over 20 minutes, yes. Timestamps dramatically improve the listener experience by letting people jump to the parts they care about, and chapters-style timestamps are supported directly in Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Download the Podcast Show Notes Template Pack
Keep reading
50 Conclusion Paragraph Templates
50 conclusion paragraph templates for essays, blog posts, and reports: summaries, calls to action, reflections, and forward-looking endings. Free download.
Read more →
50 Podcast Interview Questions Pack
50 podcast interview questions that get real answers: origin stories, craft, setbacks, decisions, money, community, future, and a quick-fire round. Free download.
Read more →
Podcast Video Repurposing Checklist
A free podcast and video repurposing checklist: turn one episode into clips, posts, articles, and guides with 28 steps, start to finish.
Read more →