Organizing Your Notes
Usage Guides. Last reviewed
The Notes system provides three independent forms of structure: categories, tags, and parent-child relationships. Use each for a different job so the same information does not have to be duplicated across notes.
Categories define the primary home
A note belongs to one category. Categories work well for stable, high-level divisions such as a research project, a tradition, a reading group, or a course. Keep the list small enough that choosing a category remains unambiguous.
Tags connect material across categories
A note can have multiple tags. Use tags for subjects that recur across the primary structure: justice, ritual, translation, a named text, or an open research question. Consistent spelling matters because “nonviolence” and “non-violence” become separate filters.
Parent notes hold an outline
Parent and child notes suit a subject with several parts. A parent can contain the question, scope, and conclusion, while children hold work-specific evidence or separate lines of analysis. Avoid a deep hierarchy when a category and a few tags already make the material findable.
Preserve provenance
When a note depends on Chat, include the stable Library links and record which claim is your own interpretation. Generated text can change between requests; the cited passage is the durable reference.
Back up local data
Notes do not synchronize through the account. Export after material changes substantially and before clearing browser data or moving devices. Store the export in a location appropriate for the sensitivity of the writing.