diff --git a/sleap/gui/commands.py b/sleap/gui/commands.py
index 930db684a..78de81565 100644
--- a/sleap/gui/commands.py
+++ b/sleap/gui/commands.py
@@ -2009,8 +2009,10 @@ def try_and_skip_if_error(func, *args, **kwargs):
         # Load new skeleton
         filename = params["filename"]
         new_skeleton = OpenSkeleton.load_skeleton(filename)
-        if new_skeleton.description == None:
-            new_skeleton.description = f"Custom Skeleton loaded from {filename}"
+
+        # Description and preview image only used for template skeletons
+        new_skeleton.description = None
+        new_skeleton.preview_image = None
         context.state["skeleton_description"] = new_skeleton.description
         context.state["skeleton_preview_image"] = new_skeleton.preview_image
 
diff --git a/sleap/skeleton.py b/sleap/skeleton.py
index 11e618ebb..eca393b8e 100644
--- a/sleap/skeleton.py
+++ b/sleap/skeleton.py
@@ -95,13 +95,15 @@ class Skeleton:
         _skeleton_idx: An index variable used to give skeletons a default name that
             should be unique across all skeletons.
         preview_image: A byte string containing an encoded preview image for the
-            skeleton.
-        description: A text description of the skeleton. Used mostly for presets.
+            skeleton. Used only for templates.
+        description: A text description of the skeleton. Used only for templates.
+        _is_template: Whether this skeleton is a template. Used only for templates.
     """
 
     _skeleton_idx = count(0)
     preview_image: Optional[bytes] = None
     description: Optional[str] = None
+    _is_template: bool = False
 
     def __init__(self, name: str = None):
         """Initialize an empty skeleton object.
@@ -176,6 +178,32 @@ def dict_match(dict1, dict2):
 
         return True
 
+    @property
+    def is_template(self) -> bool:
+        """Return whether this skeleton is a template.
+
+        If is_template is True, then the preview image and description are saved.
+        If is_template is False, then the preview image and description are not saved.
+
+        Only provided template skeletons are considered templates. To save a new
+        template skeleton, change this to True before saving.
+        """
+        return self._is_template
+
+    @is_template.setter
+    def is_template(self, value: bool):
+        """Set whether this skeleton is a template."""
+
+        self._is_template = False
+        if value and ((self.preview_image is None) or (self.description is None)):
+            raise ValueError(
+                "For a skeleton to be a template, it must have both a preview image "
+                "and description. Checkout `generate_skeleton_preview_image` to "
+                "generate a preview image."
+            )
+
+        self._is_template = value
+
     @property
     def is_arborescence(self) -> bool:
         """Return whether this skeleton graph forms an arborescence."""
@@ -956,8 +984,7 @@ def from_names_and_edge_inds(
         return skeleton
 
     def to_json(self, node_to_idx: Optional[Dict[Node, int]] = None) -> str:
-        """
-        Convert the :class:`Skeleton` to a JSON representation.
+        """Convert the :class:`Skeleton` to a JSON representation.
 
         Args:
             node_to_idx: optional dict which maps :class:`Node`sto index
@@ -981,12 +1008,22 @@ def to_json(self, node_to_idx: Optional[Dict[Node, int]] = None) -> str:
             indexed_node_graph = self._graph
 
         # Encode to JSON
-        dicts = {
-            "nx_graph": json_graph.node_link_data(indexed_node_graph),
-            "description": self.description,
-            "preview_image": self.preview_image,
-        }
-        json_str = jsonpickle.encode(dicts)
+        graph = json_graph.node_link_data(indexed_node_graph)
+
+        # SLEAP v1.3.0 added `description` and `preview_image` to `Skeleton`, but saving
+        # these fields breaks data format compatibility. Currently, these are only
+        # added in our custom template skeletons. To ensure backwards data format
+        # compatibilty of user data, we only save these fields if they are not None.
+        if self.is_template:
+            data = {
+                "nx_graph": graph,
+                "description": self.description,
+                "preview_image": self.preview_image,
+            }
+        else:
+            data = graph
+
+        json_str = jsonpickle.encode(data)
 
         return json_str
 
@@ -1020,8 +1057,7 @@ def save_json(self, filename: str, node_to_idx: Optional[Dict[Node, int]] = None
     def from_json(
         cls, json_str: str, idx_to_node: Dict[int, Node] = None
     ) -> "Skeleton":
-        """
-        Instantiate :class:`Skeleton` from JSON string.
+        """Instantiate :class:`Skeleton` from JSON string.
 
         Args:
             json_str: The JSON encoded Skeleton.
@@ -1036,9 +1072,8 @@ def from_json(
             An instance of the `Skeleton` object decoded from the JSON.
         """
         dicts = jsonpickle.decode(json_str)
-        if "nx_graph" not in dicts:
-            dicts = {"nx_graph": dicts, "description": None, "preview_image": None}
-        graph = json_graph.node_link_graph(dicts["nx_graph"])
+        nx_graph = dicts.get("nx_graph", dicts)
+        graph = json_graph.node_link_graph(nx_graph)
 
         # Replace graph node indices with corresponding nodes from node_map
         if idx_to_node is not None:
@@ -1046,8 +1081,8 @@ def from_json(
 
         skeleton = Skeleton()
         skeleton._graph = graph
-        skeleton.description = dicts["description"]
-        skeleton.preview_image = dicts["preview_image"]
+        skeleton.description = dicts.get("description", None)
+        skeleton.preview_image = dicts.get("preview_image", None)
 
         return skeleton
 
@@ -1055,8 +1090,7 @@ def from_json(
     def load_json(
         cls, filename: str, idx_to_node: Dict[int, Node] = None
     ) -> "Skeleton":
-        """
-        Load a skeleton from a JSON file.
+        """Load a skeleton from a JSON file.
 
         This method will load the Skeleton from JSON file saved
         with; :meth:`~Skeleton.save_json`
diff --git a/tests/test_skeleton.py b/tests/test_skeleton.py
index e409f3bbe..1f7c3a853 100644
--- a/tests/test_skeleton.py
+++ b/tests/test_skeleton.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import os
 import copy
 
+import jsonpickle
 import pytest
 
 from sleap.skeleton import Skeleton
@@ -182,12 +183,37 @@ def test_symmetry():
     ]
 
 
-def test_json(skeleton, tmpdir):
-    """
-    Test saving and loading a Skeleton object in JSON.
-    """
+def test_json(skeleton: Skeleton, tmpdir):
+    """Test saving and loading a Skeleton object in JSON."""
     JSON_TEST_FILENAME = os.path.join(tmpdir, "skeleton.json")
 
+    # Test that `to_json` does not save unused `None` fields (to ensure backwards data
+    # format compatibility)
+    skeleton.description = (
+        "Test that description is not saved when given (if is_template is False)."
+    )
+    assert skeleton.is_template == False
+    json_str = skeleton.to_json()
+    json_dict = jsonpickle.decode(json_str)
+    json_dict_keys = list(json_dict.keys())
+    assert "nx_graph" not in json_dict_keys
+    assert "preview_image" not in json_dict_keys
+    assert "description" not in json_dict_keys
+
+    # Test that `is_template` can only be set to True
+    # when has both `description` and `preview_image`
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        skeleton.is_template = True
+    assert skeleton.is_template == False
+
+    skeleton._is_template = True
+    json_str = skeleton.to_json()
+    json_dict = jsonpickle.decode(json_str)
+    json_dict_keys = list(json_dict.keys())
+    assert "nx_graph" in json_dict_keys
+    assert "preview_image" in json_dict_keys
+    assert "description" in json_dict_keys
+
     # Save it to a JSON filename
     skeleton.save_json(JSON_TEST_FILENAME)