Notes Editor

The Notes editor is a rich-text writing environment built on BlockNote. Use it for meeting notes, documentation, essays, journal entries, and anything that is better expressed as written content than as a diagram.

When to Use Notes vs. Flowcharts

Notes

  • Long-form writing, essays, and reports
  • Meeting notes and agendas
  • To-do lists and project plans
  • Academic papers and documentation

Flowcharts

  • Process diagrams and workflows
  • Decision trees and branching logic
  • System architecture diagrams
  • Visual step-by-step guides

Creating a Note

From the Projects Page

Click "Create New File" in the sidebar, then choose "Note". A blank note opens immediately and auto-saves as you type.

From a Template

Browse the Templates page and select a Notes template. Click "Use Template" to create a new note pre-filled with the template's structure and content.

From a Team Organization

In a team's Projects page, click "Add Project" and create a new Note directly. It will be linked to the organization automatically.

Content Blocks

Type / on a new line to open the block menu and choose from these block types:

Paragraph

Standard text block. The default for all content.

Headings

Three levels (H1, H2, H3) for document structure. Type / to access.

Bullet List

Unordered list for grouping related items.

Numbered List

Ordered list for sequential steps or ranked items.

Checklist

Interactive to-do list with toggleable checkboxes.

Code Block

Monospaced block for code snippets with syntax highlighting.

Table

Structured data with rows and columns. Add/remove via toolbar.

Blockquote

Indented block for quotations and callouts.

Task Block

Trackable tasks with priorities, due dates, and automatic reminders.

Inline Formatting

Select text to reveal the floating toolbar, or use keyboard shortcuts:

Bold
⌘/Ctrl + B
Italic
⌘/Ctrl + I
Underline
⌘/Ctrl + U
Strikethrough
⌘/Ctrl + Shift + X
Code
⌘/Ctrl + E

Writing Themes

Notes themes aren't just colors. Each one changes the editor's layout, typography, and available tools. See the full theme guide →

Modern

Clean sans-serif. The default experience

Manuscript

Serif paper card with word count & page estimate

Terminal

Monospace, dark mode, status bar & line numbers

Focus

Narrow column, typewriter scroll, distraction-free

Notebook

Ruled lines & handwritten-style headings

Academic

Outline sidebar, section numbering & structure tools

Switch themes any time using the theme picker in the header bar.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Essential shortcuts for the Notes editor

Toggle AI Writing Assistant
⌘/Ctrl+J
Force save
⌘/Ctrl+S
Undo
⌘/Ctrl+Z
Redo
⌘/Ctrl+Shift+Z
Bold
⌘/Ctrl+B
Italic
⌘/Ctrl+I
Underline
⌘/Ctrl+U
Inline code
⌘/Ctrl+E
Open block menu
/

Key Features at a Glance

  • Autosave: your work is saved continuously as you type
  • AI Writing Assistant Generate, edit, and organize content with ⌘J
  • 6 Writing Themes Structurally different environments for every workflow
  • Rich Export: Word, PDF, Markdown, HTML, JSON, and plain text
  • Real-Time Collaboration Presence avatars, live cursors, and threaded comments
  • Version History Browse, preview, and restore any previous version
  • Task Manager Checklist tasks with priorities, due dates, and automatic reminders
  • Multi-Page Notes Organize long documents into pages with the tab bar
  • @Mentions Tag collaborators inline and they'll get notified
  • Sticky Notes & Emoji Drop sticky notes and emoji stickers on the canvas
  • Cross-Conversion Convert notes to flowcharts or presentations

Tip: Press / on any empty line to open the slash command menu. It's the fastest way to add headings, lists, tables, and more.