Notes: Capture, Process, and Organize

Keepsake has two kinds of notes. QuickNotes are instant captures that land in your Inbox — raw, fast, unfiltered. Notes are archived knowledge: linked to contacts and projects, each with its own dedicated page and permanent link. A QuickNote becomes a Note when you decide it's worth keeping. You can also create Notes directly from a tag or contact page — they're automatically archived and linked to the right context.

The flow: Capture → Inbox → Action

Every note follows the same path. Understanding this flow is the key to staying organized without effort.
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1. Capture

Write a QuickNote from anywhere in the app. The note bar is always visible at the top of the screen. Don't think about where it goes — just write it down. See QuickNotes for all capture methods (typing, voice dictation, offline, T+ shortcuts).

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2. Inbox

Your note lands in the Inbox. The Inbox is a holding space — it's not the final destination. Notes wait here until you decide what to do with them.

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3. Process

For each note, you choose one of five actions: transform into a task (something to do), transform into an entry (something that happened), archive (keep for reference), pin (keep visible), or delete (no longer needed).

Tip

This Capture → Inbox → Action flow is inspired by GTD (Getting Things Done). The idea is simple: your brain is for having ideas, not for holding them. Capture everything, then process at your own pace.

Processing your notes

Processing means going through your Inbox and deciding the fate of each note. You don't have to do it all at once — even processing a few notes a day keeps things manageable.
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Transform into a task

If the note is something you need to do, convert it into a task. Choose ASAP (urgent), a specific due date, or Someday. The note disappears from the Inbox and becomes a task in your task list.

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Transform into an entry

If the note describes something that happened — a call, a meeting, an observation — convert it into a dated entry. Link it to the relevant contacts and it will appear on their profiles.

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Archive

If the note is useful reference material but doesn't require action, archive it. It leaves the Inbox and goes to the Notes view, where you can search and filter it anytime.

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Pin

If you need a note to stay visible for a while — a hotel room number, a reservation code, an idea you're working on — pin it. Pinned notes sit at the top of your Inbox and don't count toward your unread total.

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Delete

If a note is no longer relevant, delete it. It goes to the trash and stays there for 30 days, so you can recover it if needed.

Tip

Try to process your Inbox regularly — once a day works great. When the Inbox is empty, Keepsake shows a little celebration. Inbox Zero feels good.

Where do notes appear?

Notes don't just live in the Inbox. Once linked to contacts or tags, they appear in several places across the app.
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On contact profiles

If a note mentions a contact with @, it appears on that contact's profile. This builds a history of everything related to that person — notes, entries, and tasks, all in one place. See Contact Profiles.

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On tag pages

If a note uses #tag# or [[tag]] syntax, it appears on the corresponding tag page alongside related entries, tasks, and contacts. See Tags & Pages.

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In the Notes view

Archived notes live in the Notes view, accessible from the sidebar. You can search by content and filter by tag or contact to find what you need — and there's a dedicated filter to show only notes published to your Keepsake Page. A Sort button lets you order notes by creation, modification, publication or archive date, ascending or descending — your choice is remembered.

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In the Inbox

Unprocessed and pinned notes stay in the Inbox until you decide what to do with them.

Dedicated note pages & permanent links

Every Note has its own page where you can write, format, and organize without distractions — and creating a Note takes you straight into this full editor, not the small capture overlay (that one is for QuickNotes).
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Open a note's page

Click on any archived note to open its dedicated page. The page auto-saves as you type — no save button needed. And if you create a note then close it empty, it isn't kept — no clutter in your archives.

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Rich text editing

Format your text with bold, italic, lists, and headings using the floating toolbar. Type # or [[ to autocomplete tags and contacts inline.

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Write full screen

On desktop, the ⤢ button clears everything away — sidebar, tags, metadata — leaving just your text, the table of contents, and the capture bar (because ideas strike precisely when you're writing). Press Escape or the corner button to come back.

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A table of contents on long notes

When a note has two or more headings, thin marks appear along the right edge — one per heading. Hover to unfold the full outline, click to jump to a section. It follows your edits live as you write. (Desktop only.)

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Manage tags and contacts

Add or remove tags and contacts directly from the note page. The note will appear on the corresponding tag pages and contact profiles.

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Copy, print, share

The Copy content menu grabs the note's text in the format you need (plain text, Markdown, HTML). The Print button opens a clean layout ready for paper. And each note has a permanent URL you can copy, bookmark, or jump to from Cmd+K search.

Tip

Create a Note directly from a tag or contact page — it's automatically archived and linked to the right context. No need to go through the Inbox for structured knowledge.

Link notes together

Your best ideas often come from rereading: this note reminds you of that one. Link them — and find the thread again next time you open either. Links are symmetric: link A to B, and B shows A too. Nothing is ever deleted by unlinking, and your links stay private — they never appear on your published posts.
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From the Linked notes section

Below every note, a Linked notes section gathers all connected notes. Click + Link to search for a note and connect it on the spot.

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Several at once, from the Notes view

Select multiple notes in your archives and link them all together in one action.

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Right inside the text

Copy a note's link and paste it into another note's text: it becomes a clickable link showing the beginning of the target note. Remove it like any text; links created this way disappear when you edit them out.

Tip

Linked notes turn your archive from a pile into a web. When you file a new note, take five seconds to ask: "Which existing note does this connect to?"

Create tasks from a note

You're preparing a meeting in a note and realize things need doing — a call, a purchase, some research? Create those tasks right from the note, without leaving it. The note and its tasks stay connected in both directions.
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From the note

A Tasks section below the note gathers all linked tasks. Create new ones there (they inherit the note's tags), check them off, snooze them or open them without leaving your note — with a progress ring showing how many are done.

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From the task

A task created from a note keeps a visible link back to it — the context is always one click away, in your task lists and in the Day view.

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From the Inbox

The Transform menu on a QuickNote offers "Create a linked task" — unlike "Transform into task", your note is kept and the new task points back to it.

Tip

A note can have several tasks, and a link can be removed at any time without deleting anything on either side.

Notes vs. Entries — what's the difference?

This is the most common question. They look similar but serve different purposes. See also Entries for a deeper look.
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A note is something to keep

Ideas, drafts, reference material, checklists, quotes, procedures. Notes are about information — things you want to remember or use later. They're not tied to a specific moment.

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An entry is something that happened

A phone call, a meeting, a lunch, a milestone. Entries are about events — things that occurred on a specific date. They build a chronological timeline on contact profiles and in the Journal.

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When in doubt

Ask yourself: "Is this about something that happened on a specific day?" If yes, it's an entry. If it's information to keep or an idea to develop, it's a note. And don't worry too much — you can always reorganize later.

Tip

The key difference is time. Entries are dated events. Notes are timeless information. A note saying "Ideas for the next product launch" is a note. "Met with Sophie to discuss the product launch" is an entry.

Best practices

A few habits that make notes powerful over time:
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Capture immediately

The moment an idea crosses your mind, write it down. Even a few words are enough. The QuickNote bar is designed for this — zero friction, instant save.

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Link to people and projects

Use @mentions and #tags in your notes. A note that says "Book recommendation from @Sarah: Deep Work" is far more useful than one that just says "Deep Work". Six months from now, you'll find it on Sarah's profile.

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Process regularly

Don't let notes pile up. A quick Inbox review once a day — even just 2 minutes — keeps everything flowing. Archive what you've processed, transform what needs action, delete what's done.

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Use the Notes view

The Notes view is not a graveyard — it's a library. Put reference material there: procedures, meeting prep, ideas you've already explored. It's searchable and filterable, so you'll find things fast.

Questions?

Use the feedback button in the app (bottom-left corner) to reach us directly. We usually reply within a few hours.

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