To create a template in Adobe After Effects, start by building your composition with the right size and duration. Add placeholder text, media, and controller nulls, then pre-compose complex elements for better organization. Use the effects and control panel to expose key properties like Position, Scale, Rotation, Opacity, Color, and Customizable effects. Finally, export your project or share the file directly. That said, creating templates from scratch takes time and experience. Instead, you can save hours of work by using one of the thousands of professionally designed After Effects templates

After Effects has a steep learning curve due to its powerful features. However, templates significantly lower the barrier: you get a ready-made structure and can reverse-engineer professional projects. As you customize, you`ll naturally pick up AE workflows and tools, so templates serve both production and learning purposes. Check out this in-depth tutorial to learn more.

Most templates include clearly labeled text layers or pre-comps. In the timeline panel, find the text layer, double-click it, then type your desired text using AE`s text tool. Some templates include controller panels — use those for bulk edits.