Since the earlier descriptions by Barrer in the 40's on converting natural minerals into synthetic zeolites, the use of pre-crystallized zeolites as crucial inorganic directing agents to synthesize other crystalline zeolites with improved physico-chemical properties, has become a very intense and relevant research field, allowing the design, particularly in the last years, of new industrial catalysts. In the present review, we will highlight how the presence of some crystalline fragments in the synthesis media, such as small secondary building units (SBUs) or layered substructures, not only favors the crystallization of other zeolites presenting similar SBUs or layers, but also permits mostly controlling important parameters affecting to their catalytic activity (i.e. chemical composition, crystal size, or porosity, among others). In this sense, the recent advances on the preparation of 3-D and 2-D related zeolites through seeding and zeolite-to-zeolite transformation processes will be extensively revised, including their preparation in presence or absence of organic structure directing agents (OSDAs), with the aim of introducing general guidelines for designing more efficient future synthesis approaches for target zeolites.