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Digital Product Help

How to Import and Use Your Journal in Goodnotes

A simple starting point for using your digital journal.

Bible Reading Notes Library digital cover shown on a tablet beside a printable page

On this page:

Getting started
Using your journal
Before you begin
Troubleshooting

Getting started

Please note

Steps can vary by device and app version.

These steps were checked against Goodnotes’ official help articles in November 2026. Goodnotes for iPad and iPhone works a little differently from Goodnotes for Android, Windows, and the web, and menus can change with updates.

1

Download your PDF

After checkout, use the download link in your order confirmation email, or sign in and go to My Account → Downloads. Save the PDF somewhere easy to find, such as the Files app on iPad or your Downloads folder on a computer.

2

Import it into Goodnotes

In your Goodnotes library, open the Documents tab, tap + New, then Import, and choose your PDF. On iPad and iPhone you can also open the PDF from the Files app and use Share → Open in Goodnotes. Device-specific steps are below.

3

Open and explore your pages

Open the imported journal and page through it. If your edition includes hyperlinks, try a tab or index link (see “Links and hyperlinks” below).

4

Begin writing

Choose a writing tool from the toolbar and start making the journal your own.

Importing on your device

From inside Goodnotes

  1. Open the Documents tab in your library.
  2. Tap + New, then Import.
  3. Find your file, select it, and tap Open.

From the Files app or another app

  1. Tap the file to open it, then tap Share (or Open In / Send a copy).
  2. Choose Open in Goodnotes.
  3. Select the New Document tab, choose a folder, and confirm the import.

On iPad you can also drag a file from the Files app into Goodnotes using Split View.

  1. In your Goodnotes library, open the Documents tab.
  2. Tap or click + New, then Import.
  3. Select your PDF and confirm.

Goodnotes lists import file-size and notebook limits for these versions that depend on your plan. If an import does not work, check your plan’s limits in Goodnotes’ help centre.

On this page

Need more help?

If you still have questions about your file, we are happy to help. Include your order number and the device and app you are using.

Contact us →

Using your journal

Here are a few helpful things to know as you get started.

Prayer Through the Psalms digital cover shown on a tablet beside a printable page

Writing tools

Goodnotes’ toolbar includes a pen for handwriting, a highlighter, an eraser, a lasso for selecting and moving what you have written, shapes, and a text tool for typing. Tap a tool once to choose it, and again to change its colour or thickness. A stylus gives the most natural feel.

Scripture Memory Companion digital cover shown on a tablet beside a printable page

Page navigation

Swipe or scroll between pages, use the sidebar where your version offers it, or open the Thumbnail view (the icon near the top left on iPad) to see every page at a glance and jump to one. If your edition includes hyperlinked tabs or an index, you can also use those.

One Passage, One Week digital cover shown on a tablet beside a printable page

Duplicate pages

Where your version of Goodnotes supports it, you can copy undated pages to reuse them, usually from the page options in the Thumbnail view. Keep one clean copy of your original file. Hyperlinks elsewhere in the file will still point to the original page, not a copy.

Links and hyperlinks

Hyperlinks only work if your PDF includes them, and not every product is hyperlinked, so check your product description. When a file does include links: on iPad and iPhone, tap the link (if a tap starts writing, switch to read-only mode and tap again). On Android, Windows, and the web, switch to read-only mode and tap or click the link; in edit mode you can long-press a link and choose Open Link.

Before you begin

Make sure you have these ready before importing your journal.

  • A compatible device and a current version of Goodnotes (or another PDF annotation app)
  • Your downloaded PDF file
  • Any product instructions supplied with your purchase
Sunday Sermon to Everyday Life digital cover shown on a tablet beside a printable page

Troubleshooting

Here are a few common issues and what to check.

First, check that your edition includes hyperlinks; the product description will say so, and not every file is linked. Then update Goodnotes to the latest version. On iPad and iPhone, tap the link directly, switching to read-only mode if a tap starts writing instead. On Android, Windows, and the web, switch to read-only mode before tapping, or long-press the link in edit mode and choose Open Link. Remember that links in duplicated pages still point to the original pages.

I cannot find my download

On iPad or iPhone, open the Files app and check Recents or the Downloads folder. On a computer, check your browser’s downloads list. You can also download the file again from your order confirmation email or from My Account → Downloads. If the download link is missing, contact us with your order number.

My file will not import

Make sure the file is a PDF, not a ZIP folder. If you received a ZIP file, open it first to extract the PDF. Check that the download finished completely (an incomplete file may not open). On Android, Windows, and the web, check your Goodnotes plan’s file-size and notebook limits. Then try importing again with + New → Import.

Can I use a different app?

Product listings mention Goodnotes, Notability, or a similar PDF annotation app. Importing and hyperlinks work differently in each app, so check that app’s own help pages.

For version-specific steps, see Goodnotes’ official help: Import files into Goodnotes and Open hyperlinks in imported PDFs. For help with your purchase, contact us.

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