How to Get Untools Templates and Updates

Updated

Untools offers a set of free thinking tool templates that you can request directly from the site, and it also runs a regular email digest of practical frameworks. The templates are the fastest thing to grab; the updates are for people who want a steady stream of frameworks rather than a one-time download. Both are tied to the same signup described on the homepage.

Getting the templates

The site's homepage presents a single call to action: "Get 3 templates." The accompanying text describes them as "3 free thinking tool templates," and the signup also subscribes you to a recurring email described as "practical frameworks delivered every two weeks."

To get them:

  1. Go to untools.co.
  2. Find the "Get 3 templates" prompt near the top of the page.
  3. Enter your email address and submit.
  4. Expect the templates to arrive by email, along with the biweekly framework updates.

The page states the templates are free and that more than 19,500 people receive the updates. It does not publish a price for anything on the site, so treat the templates and the email digest as the offer described, and check the site itself for any terms attached to the signup.

What you actually receive

Two distinct things come out of that one signup:

  • 3 thinking tool templates — practical, fill-in formats for applying specific tools.
  • A recurring email — one framework every two weeks, aimed at practical use rather than theory.

The templates are the concrete deliverable; the emails are the ongoing part. If you only want the templates, you can still sign up and simply ignore or unsubscribe from the digest afterward.

What the site covers, so you know what the updates draw from

Untools describes itself as a "curated collection of thinking tools" for solving problems, making decisions, and understanding systems. The tools are grouped into four categories, and the biweekly emails draw on this same body of material:

Category Purpose Example tools
Decision making Choose between options and prioritize Eisenhower Matrix, Decision matrix, Second-order thinking, OODA loop
Problem solving Find root causes and structure problems Ishikawa Diagram, Issue trees, Inversion, First principles
Systems thinking Understand relationships and feedback Iceberg Model, Connection circles, Concept map
Communication Make messages clearer Minto Pyramid, Situation-Behavior-Impact

If the frameworks in the digest match the kind of thinking you want to practice, the signup is worth it. If you only need one specific tool, you can read about it on the site without signing up at all — the collection itself is browsable.

Common snags

  • The signup is the only documented route to the templates. The page does not describe a direct download link, so plan on providing an email address.
  • The templates are a fixed set of three. The site does not say which three tools they cover, so if you have a specific framework in mind, check the collection first and use the site's own description of that tool.
  • The digest is biweekly, not immediate. If you need a framework right now, read the tool page rather than waiting for an email.

A quick way to decide

Sign up if you want the three templates and are happy to receive a framework every two weeks. Skip the signup if you only want to read about a single tool — the full collection is available on the site without it.