Free Media Plan Template (XLSX)
This tool generates a formatted media plan template as an Excel (.xlsx) file — a Plan Summary sheet plus a Media Mix sheet with vendor, tactic, budget, KPI, and flight dates. It downloads straight from the browser: no signup, no email wall.
What is in the template
- Plan Summary sheet — plan name, client, objective, total budget, flight dates, and the audience statement: the one-page read a stakeholder looks at first.
- Media Mix sheet — one row per vendor and tactic with budget, primary KPI, and flight start and end dates, with an autofilter on the header row.
- TOTAL row — a bold footing row that sums the budget column, so the lines reconcile to the plan total without anyone re-adding them by hand.
How to fill it out
Start with the objective stated in measurable terms — "grow aided awareness in our top five metros by ten points" is something a plan can be built against; "drive awareness" is not. Define the audience precisely, then pick channels for the job the campaign has to do rather than out of habit. Give every line a budget, a flight window, and a single KPI it is accountable for, and check that the TOTAL row still foots to the budget you were actually given before the plan leaves your hands.
When a template stops being enough
A spreadsheet is a fine container and a poor collaborator: it will not tell you a $12 CTV CPM is unrealistic, will not rebalance the mix when the budget is cut, and will not turn itself into a client deck. That is where MediaPlan takes over — describe the campaign and it drafts the full plan, checks each line against channel benchmarks, and exports the result as a branded XLSX workbook, CSV, or presentation. The template is the starting point; the plan is the work.
Frequently asked questions
What should a media plan template include?
At minimum: the vendor or channel and the tactic on each line, the budget the line carries, its flight start and end dates, the audience it targets, and the single KPI it is accountable for. Add a summary view with the campaign objective, total budget, and flight dates — that one-page read is what a client looks at first.
Is there a free media plan template in Excel?
Yes. This tool generates a formatted XLSX media plan with two sheets — a Plan Summary and a Media Mix with one row per vendor and tactic and a TOTAL row that foots the budget column. It downloads directly in the browser with no signup and no email wall.
How do you fill out a media plan?
Work top-down: set the objective and the measurable target first, define the audience, then choose channels that fit the objective rather than starting from the channels you always buy. Give every line a budget, a flight window, and one KPI it is accountable for, and only then check whether the lines still foot to the budget you were given.