You spent hours designing a killer template.
Pixel-perfect layout. Slick animations. Trendy fonts.
You jumped through Framer’s flaming hoops and actually got approved (miracle, right?).
And yet… it’s stuck somewhere deep in the marketplace, barely getting clicks.
Let’s unpack why that’s happening — and more importantly, what you can do to change it.
What Is Framer’s Template Ranking?
Think of Framer’s marketplace like YouTube for templates.
Your template is a “video,” and Framer wants to recommend the best-performing ones to its users. But instead of likes and subs, it’s looking at signals like:
How many people view your template
How many duplicate or purchase it
How fast it loads
How long visitors stay on the page
How often you update and maintain it
Templates that engage, convert, and perform well get pushed to the top.
Templates that flop… well, they sink.
The 5 Ranking Signals That Matter in Framer Templates (And How to Use Them to Your Advantage)
1. Views-to-Duplicates Ratio (Your Conversion Rate)
It’s not enough to attract traffic — you need people to take action.
Example:
If your real estate website template gets 100 views and only 2 duplicates, that’s a weak signal.
But if your UX designer portfolio template gets 30 views and 15 duplicates? That’s gold.
What to do:
Niche your template. “Landing page” is vague. “Landing page for Airbnb hosts” is specific — and often higher converting.
Tweak your thumbnails, titles, and previews to set clear expectations.
2. Template Performance (Speed Matters)
Framer makes you jump through hoops to optimize your template before it goes live—but that doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. If your template still loads like a lazy Sunday afternoon, you’ll lose ranking juice. Speed still matters.
Example:
A portfolio with 8MB of uncompressed images and embedded Lottie files? That’s a bounce magnet.
Meanwhile, a lean SaaS template using responsive grids and SVG icons will fly.
What to do:
Compress images
Limit embeds and effects
Host videos via a third-party solution
Use Framer’s built-in performance tools (see our guide: Framer Load Speed 101)
3. Session Time (Engagement Score)
Framer tracks how long users explore your template page before bouncing.
Why it matters:
Longer time = more interest = higher chance of converting = higher rank.
What to do:
Write scannable, helpful descriptions
Add FAQs in the details
Your thumbnail is your YouTube moment.
No one cares how good the template is if the preview looks like a potato.
Sharp thumbnails = more clicks, more scroll time, more love.
4. Update Frequency (Freshness Factor)
Framer favors templates that evolve. Just like Google ranks fresh blog content higher, updated templates tell the system: “Hey, I’m still relevant.”
What to do:
Refresh copy or visuals every few weeks
Add dark mode, alternate color schemes, or client-use cases
Document the last update in the description
5. External Traffic (Off-Framer Visibility)
Framer monitors where your traffic comes from. If users are discovering your template via Twitter, Behance, or niche communities, that’s a bonus signal.
What to do:
Share your restaurant site template in chef/food business groups
Post your agency portfolio on LinkedIn with context
Share your template on other sites - Here’s a list of all the places you can submit your Framer template
Bonus Insights Directly From Framer’s Playbook
Pricing Changes Reset Your Rank Clock
If you change your template’s pricing — say from free to paid — Framer resets your ranking score from that moment forward.
So:
If you got 500 downloads as a freebie, then made it paid, those don’t count anymore.
Your rank is now based on post-pricing-change engagement only.
Pro move: Plan promotional pushes after a pricing switch to rebuild momentum fast.
Fair Play: Free vs Paid Templates Are Balanced
Framer doesn’t let free templates dominate just because they get more clicks.
Every Popular page balances both free and paid templates intentionally — to give every creator a fair shot.
Daily updates + time-based filters (like “last week” or “last quarter”) also ensure fresh templates aren’t buried beneath all-time greats.
The bottom line? You’re not competing with Goliaths forever. You get windows of opportunity, every day.
How to Use This Knowledge as a Designer
If you’re building templates just to look cool, that’s fine.
But if you’re aiming to rank, sell, and build passive income from Framer — you need to think like a marketplace strategist.
Here’s how:
1. Start with a market, not a layout.
Before you design, think about: who is this for?
Personal finance coaches? Fashion brands? Wedding photographers?
Templates built for a specific use case almost always outperform generic ones.
2. Reverse-engineer the top performers.
Spend 15 minutes on the Framer Marketplace analyzing the bestsellers.
What do their names, previews, and categories have in common?
3. Treat your template like a product, not just a project.
Optimize it. Promote it. Keep it updated. Track what works.
It’s a living asset — not a one-time upload
Resources Worth Your Time
Want Feedback on Your Template Strategy?
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And if you want a hands-on audit of your template, reach out via this contact form. We’re happy to take a look.
