CommonNote CommonNote

Note links, backlinks, @mentions and #tags

Link notes with [[, call in colleagues with @ and tag with #. Web addresses become links or bookmark cards.

Applies to Web · Mac · iPhone app · notes you can edit

Three triggers let you reach other things from inside a note: [[ for notes, @ for people and # for tags. Type one at the start of a line or after a space and a suggestion list appears; choose with ↑ ↓ and press Enter. Esc closes the list.

  1. Type [[ followed by part of a note’s title. Spaces are fine.
  2. Choose a note from the list (up to 8; notes in the Trash are left out). If nothing matches, you’ll see “No matching notes”.
  3. A 🔗 note title chip is inserted. Click it to open that note.

In Markdown exports, a link chip becomes the text [[Note title]].

When other notes link to the current note with [[, a Notes linking here panel sits below the note. It starts collapsed with just a count; open it to see each linking note with its title, how many times it links here (“{n} links”) and a snippet of the surrounding text. Click one to go to that note. Notes you can’t open, such as locked, trashed or inaccessible ones, are left out, and removing the link removes the backlink too.

Mention someone with @

  1. Type @ followed by part of a name or username.
  2. Only people who share this note are suggested (not you, up to 8). If there’s nobody, you’ll see “No one else is on this note”; share the note first.
  3. Pick someone to insert an @name chip. They get a notification that you mentioned them, and you briefly see “Notified (name)”.
An @ at the end of a checklist line, such as @tomorrow or @9/30 17:00, is read as a due date, not a person. See Add due dates with @.

Tag the note with #

  1. Type # and the tag name. Up to 6 of your tags that match are listed.
  2. Choose an existing tag, or, for a new name, ＋ Create tag 'name'.
  3. The text #name stays in the note and the tag is added to the note (“Tagged this note with '#name'”). Only the note’s owner can tag it — in a note shared with you, even with edit access, just the #name text is added and no tag is attached.
Deleting the #name text doesn’t remove the tag from the note. To remove a tag, see Use tags, favorites and pins.
  • Select text, press ⇧⌘K (or click Link in the toolbar) and enter the Link URL. To remove a link, open it again, clear the address and confirm.
  • Paste a bare URL on an empty line to get a bookmark card with the page’s title, description, image and site icon.
In the app, ⌘K opens the command palette (search everything or run a command), not a link dialog. Use ⇧⌘K for links.
  • Use tags, favorites and pinsTags group notes across notebooks, favorites are your personal shortcuts, and pins keep a note at the top of the note list.
  • Add due dates with @Write @tomorrow 3pm at the end of a task line and it becomes the due date in To-dos and the calendar. Dates are worked out in Korea Standard Time.
  • Share notes and notebooksInvite people to a note or notebook by username and give each of them Can edit or View only access.
  • Find notes and contentFilter the list you are looking at, search notes, tasks, projects, files and colleagues all at once, or find text inside the open note.