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Quick Notes

Capture thoughts, ideas, and code snippets instantly without leaving your current context. Quick Notes is designed for speed — jot down what you need and get back to work.

Opening Quick Notes

There are several ways to access Quick Notes:

  1. From Summon: Type note or notes in the search bar
  2. Direct shortcut: Press your configured shortcut (default: ⌘ + Shift + N)
  3. From menu bar: Click the Summon icon and select "Quick Notes"

Features

Instant Capture

Notes open in a floating window that stays above other apps. Start typing immediately — no loading, no delays.

Markdown Support

Write in Markdown with full syntax support:

  • Bold, italic, ~~strikethrough~~
  • inline code and code blocks with syntax highlighting
  • Lists, headings, links, and more
  • Live preview as you type

Vim Mode

For Vim users, enable Vim keybindings in Settings → Notes:

  • Normal, Insert, and Visual modes
  • Common motions (hjkl, w, b, e)
  • Text objects (ciw, di", etc.)
  • Search with / and ?

Line Numbers

Toggle line numbers for easier navigation in longer notes. Useful when referencing specific lines or working with code.

Keyboard Shortcuts

| Action | Shortcut | |--------|----------| | New note | ⌘ + N | | Save note | ⌘ + S | | Close note | ⌘ + W or Esc | | Toggle Vim mode | ⌘ + Shift + V | | Toggle line numbers | ⌘ + L | | Search in notes | ⌘ + F |

Note Storage

Notes are stored as plain Markdown files in a directory you choose. This means:

  • Portable: Notes are just .md files
  • Version controlled: Add your notes folder to Git
  • Accessible: Edit with any text editor
  • Backed up: Include in your regular backup system

Configuring Storage Location

  1. Open Settings → Notes
  2. Click "Choose Folder"
  3. Select or create your notes directory

Popular locations:

  • ~/Documents/Notes
  • ~/Dropbox/Notes (for sync)
  • ~/.notes (hidden folder)

Settings

Configure Quick Notes in Settings → Notes:

| Setting | Description | |---------|-------------| | Notes folder | Where note files are stored | | Quick access shortcut | Global hotkey to open notes | | Vim mode | Enable/disable Vim keybindings | | Line numbers | Show/hide line numbers | | Font size | Adjust editor font size | | Auto-save | Save automatically on close |

Tips

Quick Reference Notes

Create notes for frequently-referenced information:

  • API endpoints
  • Server credentials (use encryption!)
  • Common shell commands
  • Meeting notes templates

Integration with Snippets

Combine Notes with Snippets for powerful workflows:

  1. Create a note template
  2. Set up a snippet to insert common sections
  3. Use Quick Notes for rapid documentation

Keyboard-Only Workflow

  1. Press ⌘ + Shift + N to open
  2. Start typing immediately
  3. Press ⌘ + S to save
  4. Press Esc to close and return to work

Total time: seconds.