White Label Website Templates Explained (And How Designers Use Them to Scale Without Burnout)
If you’re a web designer who’s tired of trading time for money, white label website templates might be the smartest business move you haven’t fully explored yet.
Over the last few years, more designers — especially Squarespace, Showit, and funnel designers — have quietly shifted away from relying solely on client work. Instead, they’re building scalable income streams using white label website templates: professionally designed sites they can brand, customize, and sell as their own.
In this guide, I’m breaking down exactly what white label website templates are, how they work, and why they’ve become one of the most powerful business models for modern designers.
What Are White Label Website Templates?
White label website templates are professionally designed website templates that come with resell and rebranding rights.
That means:
You can customize the design
Replace branding with your own
Sell the template under your business name
Use it for client projects
Or sell it as a digital product in your own shop
Unlike marketplace templates where your name is nowhere to be found, white label templates allow you to build your own brand authority while leveraging high-quality design systems that already exist.
For designers, this creates leverage — and leverage is the difference between burnout and sustainability.
White Label vs Custom Web Design: What’s the Difference?
Traditional custom web design looks like this:
One client
One project
One paycheck
Start over again next month
White label templates change the equation.
With white label website templates:
One design can be sold repeatedly
One system can serve many clients
Your income is no longer capped by hours
You create assets instead of just deliverables
Many designers still offer custom work — but they anchor it around templates instead of starting from scratch every time.
Why Web Designers Are Turning to White Label Templates
This shift isn’t accidental. It’s happening because the industry is changing.
Here’s why white label templates make so much sense for designers today:
1. They Reduce Burnout
You stop reinventing the wheel for every client.
2. They Create Scalable Income
You can sell the same template 10, 50, or 500 times.
3. They Strengthen Your Authority
You’re no longer “just” a service provider — you’re a creator with intellectual property.
4. They Work Alongside Client Work
White label templates don’t replace client work — they support it.
This is especially popular among designers who want freedom without walking away from their craft.
How Designers Actually Use White Label Website Templates
White label templates aren’t one-dimensional. Designers use them in multiple ways, often at the same time.
Selling Templates in a Shop
Designers create niche-specific templates (coaches, therapists, creatives) and sell them as digital products.
Client Work (Done-For-You)
Templates become the foundation for faster, more profitable client projects.
Memberships or Bundles
Some designers bundle templates into memberships, libraries, or offers.
Lead Generation
Templates are used as high-value freebies or tripwires to grow email lists.
This flexibility is what makes white label templates such a powerful business asset.
Are White Label Website Templates Legal?
Yes — when the license is clear and properly written.
A legitimate white label license explicitly states:
You can rebrand the template
You can sell it under your own name
You can use it for client work
There are no attribution requirements
This is why the source of your templates matters. Not all “PLR” or “resell” templates are created equal.
White Label Templates vs PLR: What Designers Should Know
You’ll often hear white label templates grouped together with PLR (Private Label Rights), but there’s an important distinction.
PLR often refers to mass-market digital products that are heavily overused and under-customized.
High-quality white label website templates, on the other hand:
Are design-forward
Built specifically for designers
Include thoughtful layouts and conversion strategy
Are intended to be customized and elevated
The difference is in the execution and the ecosystem around them.
Why White Label Website Templates Are a Smart Long-Term Strategy
Designers who rely solely on client work eventually hit a ceiling — not because they lack talent, but because time is finite.
White label templates allow you to:
Build assets once
Monetize them repeatedly
Maintain creative control
Grow without hiring a team
This model is especially powerful for designers balancing multiple responsibilities — teaching, family life, or other creative pursuits — while still wanting to grow income intentionally.
A Note for Designers in California & Beyond
As a web designer based in Southern California, I see this shift happening constantly among designers in Orange County, Los Angeles, and beyond.
Many talented designers here are incredibly skilled — but stretched thin by:
High cost of living
Client expectations
Endless revisions
Inconsistent income
White label website templates give designers a way to build something sustainable, without sacrificing artistry or flexibility.
And the best part? This model works anywhere — whether you’re local to California or running a remote design business from anywhere in the world.
Need Help?
Book a free discovery Call to chat about your website dreams!
Is Selling White Label Website Templates Still Worth It?
Short answer: yes — when done intentionally.
The designers who struggle are usually the ones who:
Sell low-priced digital products
Compete on marketplaces
Lack systems and strategy
The designers who succeed:
Sell premium templates
Niche intentionally
Build an audience
Use white label systems instead of starting from scratch
White label templates aren’t a shortcut — they’re a smarter foundation.
How to Get Started with White Label Website Templates
If you’re curious about this model, the most important thing isn’t just having templates — it’s having the systems, licenses, and guidance to use them properly.
This is exactly what I teach and provide inside White Label Website Insiders — a membership for designers who want to scale with integrity, creativity, and freedom.
Inside, designers get:
Professionally designed white label website templates
Clear resell and client-use licenses
Training on selling, positioning, and customization
Support from a like-minded creative community
If white label website templates feel like the missing piece in your business, you’re not imagining it.
Final Thoughts
White label website templates aren’t about cutting corners — they’re about working smarter.
They allow designers to protect their energy, honor their creativity, and build businesses that support real life — not just constant output.
And for many designers, they become the bridge between burnout and freedom.
Want help taking the first step?
Grab my free Template Shop Launch Checklist — a step-by-step guide (plus bonus email swipe file) to help you go from idea to income with your first Squarespace template.
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