Understanding your customers' experience shouldn't feel like solving a puzzle. Whether you're looking for a basic customer journey template or a comprehensive customer journey mapping template, the right tools make all the difference.
Today's customer journey templates range from simple spreadsheets to sophisticated digital tools. While some teams need detailed customer journey map templates for complex experiences, others benefit from straightforward journey mapping templates that focus on key touchpoints. The best customer journey maps template for your team depends on your specific needs and goals.
Let's explore everything you need to know about customer journey mapping templates, starting with 9 free options you can use today. We'll also cover best practices for creating, using, and updating your template customer journey to get the most value from this essential business tool.
What is a customer journey map?
A customer journey map is a visual story of how customers interact with your business. Think of it as a roadmap that shows every step customers take - from first hearing about your product to becoming loyal users. It captures not just what customers do, but also what they think and feel along the way.
Why use customer journey mapping?
Customer journey mapping helps you:
- Spot problems in your customer experience before they become deal-breakers
- Understand exactly where customers get stuck or frustrated
- Make smarter decisions about where to focus your improvement efforts
- Get your whole team on the same page about the customer experience
9 Free Customer Journey Map Templates To Try
Let's explore some of the best customer journey mapping templates available right now, starting with the most versatile options.
Looking for user journey mapping templates? Visit our collection here.
1. Looppanel User Journey Mapping Template
This modern, aesthetic Figjam template stands out with its thoughtful organization and visual clarity. The template is highly customizable, letting you adjust colors, add sections, or remove elements to match your specific needs. For teams that need to document complex user journeys without getting lost in the details, this template strikes the right balance between comprehensiveness and usability.
View Looppanel’s Figjam customer journey mapping template here.
2. Miro Customer Journey Map Template
Miro's template excels at helping teams understand the reasoning behind customer choices. It breaks down the journey into clear stages, with dedicated spaces for documenting customer needs, motivations, and pain points at each step. The layout makes it easy to spot patterns and opportunities for improving the customer experience.
View the Miro Customer Journey Template here.
3. Figma Journey Map Template by Kyra K.
With over 18k users, this template has earned its popularity through simplicity and effectiveness. It offers a clean, straightforward approach to journey mapping that works well for both beginners and experienced teams. The template uses a clear grid structure that makes it easy to follow the customer journey from start to finish. Its minimalist design helps keep the focus on the content rather than getting distracted by complex layouts.
View the Figma journey map template here.
4. NN/g Customer Journey Map Template
The Nielsen Norman Group brings their research expertise to this focused template. Instead of trying to include everything, it concentrates on the elements that matter most: user actions, thoughts, and pain points. The PDF format makes it perfect for workshop sessions where teams need to sketch and iterate quickly. While it might not be as visually polished as some digital templates, its straightforward approach helps teams capture essential insights without getting bogged down in unnecessary details.
Download the customer journey mapping template here.
5. Customer Journey Map Template for Sketch
This template bundle is a goldmine for Sketch users, offering four different journey map layouts. The bundle is particularly useful because it gives you options - you can choose the layout that best fits your specific mapping needs. While Sketch comes with a cost (starting at $99 one-time payment for individuals or $9/month per contributor for teams), this free template makes it worth considering if you're already using Sketch for other design work.
View the template bundle for customer journey maps here.
6. Customer Journey Layer Map for PowerPoint
This template is part of a comprehensive pack of 36 editable slides, giving you plenty of options for presenting journey maps to stakeholders. Its PowerPoint format makes it accessible to team members who might not be comfortable with specialized design tools.
View the Powerpoint customer journey map template here.
7. Customer Journey Maps & Empathy Maps by Mohammed Masood
This template package offers both journey mapping and empathy mapping tools, making it a complete solution for understanding customer experiences. The included cheatsheet is particularly helpful for teams new to journey mapping. The template's structure helps you connect customer emotions and needs with specific journey stages, creating a more complete picture of the customer experience.
View free Figma template and cheatsheet here.
8. Canva Customer Journey Map Template
Created by Canva's Creative Studio, this template uses a clever color-block system to organize journey stages. Its visual style makes it particularly effective for collaborative sessions where teams need to quickly understand and contribute to the mapping process. The template's structure helps keep information organized while maintaining visual interest - a balance that's often hard to achieve in journey mapping.
View Canva’s customer journey template here.
9. Miro Storyboard Template by Anthony
This template takes a narrative approach to journey mapping, helping teams tell the story of their customer's experience. It includes spaces for defining personas, documenting touchpoints, and capturing emotions at each journey stage.
View the Miro Storyboard customer experience template here.
What should be included in a customer journey map template?
A well-designed customer journey map template needs specific elements to be truly useful. While many customer journey templates exist, the best customer journey mapping templates include:
- Clear stages of the customer journey
- Space for customer actions and behaviors
- Areas to document emotions and pain points
- Touchpoint mapping sections
- Opportunity identification spaces
- Timeline or journey phases
- Customer persona details
The most effective customer journey maps template will also include spots for metrics and KPIs. When choosing between customer journey mapping templates, look for ones that let you capture both quantitative and qualitative data.
How do I use a customer journey map template?
Using a customer journey template effectively is more than just filling in boxes. Start by choosing a template that matches your goals - different templates serve different purposes. Some focus on emotional journeys, while others emphasize touchpoints or metrics. Once you've selected your template, customize it to fit your specific needs.
The key to success is filling your template with real data, not assumptions. Start with the basic journey stages, then layer in customer feedback, behavioral data, and insights from your team. Remember to document both positive and negative experiences - understanding what works well is just as important as identifying pain points.
How to create a customer journey map
Creating a meaningful customer journey map starts with solid research. Interview your customers, analyze support tickets, review analytics data, and talk to customer-facing teams. This research forms the foundation of your mapping process and ensures your map reflects reality, not assumptions.
Once you have your data, choose a customer journey mapping template that fits your needs. Map out the key phases of your customer's journey, documenting their actions, emotions, and pain points at each stage. Include relevant metrics and customer quotes to make the journey more tangible and relatable for your team.
What are the benefits of customer journey mapping?
Customer journey mapping does more than just visualize the customer experience - it transforms how teams understand and serve their customers. Using a well-designed template helps teams spot opportunities they might otherwise miss. It reveals patterns in customer behavior and highlights gaps between what customers expect and what they actually experience.
This deeper understanding leads to better business decisions. Teams can prioritize improvements that matter most to customers, allocate resources more effectively, and create experiences that truly resonate with their audience. Journey mapping also helps align different departments around a shared understanding of the customer experience, leading to more coordinated improvement efforts.
What is a touchpoint in a customer journey map?
In customer journey map templates, touchpoints represent every interaction between customers and your business. Your customer journey mapping template should include spaces to document:
- Digital touchpoints (website, app, emails)
- Physical touchpoints (stores, products, packaging)
- Human touchpoints (support, sales, service)
- Marketing touchpoints (ads, social media, content)
Each touchpoint in your customer experience mapping template needs evaluation for:
- Customer satisfaction
- Pain points
- Improvement opportunities
- Impact on the overall journey
How often should you update your customer journey map?
Customer journeys aren't static, and neither should your journey map be. Regular updates keep your map relevant and useful. Most businesses should review their journey maps quarterly, with more frequent updates during periods of rapid change or after launching new products or features.
Think of your customer journey template as a living document that evolves with your business and your customers' needs. When customer behavior shifts or new touchpoints emerge, update your map to reflect these changes. This keeps your understanding of the customer experience current and actionable.
Do all businesses need a customer journey map?
While not every business needs an elaborate journey mapping process, understanding your customers' experience is valuable regardless of your company's size or industry. Even a simple customer journey template can provide insights that improve your product, marketing, and customer service.
The key is choosing an approach that matches your business's needs and resources. Small businesses might start with a basic template focusing on key touchpoints and pain points, while larger organizations might need more detailed templates that support collaboration across multiple teams. What matters most is that you're actively working to understand and improve your customers' experience.