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# How does NotePlan work?
*(Once you are done reading this, go back to [[today#Today's Plan]])*

NotePlan is organized around notes: one note per day, plus any number of undated notes that you can set up in parallel.

## Two Kinds of Notes
NotePlan has **two kinds of notes**:
- **Daily notes** (and other periodic notes like weekly, monthly)
- **Regular notes** (for projects, areas, resources, and more)

Manage your day inside daily notes and plan projects in your regular notes. Link tasks from your projects into your daily notes using the date format `>YYYY-MM-DD`:

* This is a scheduled task >2023-05-24

## Linking Notes
**Linking** notes works by writing the note title between double square brackets: [[Note Title]]. 
As you start typing, you'll get an auto-complete box to help you out. On iOS, you can also tap the note icon in the toolbar menu above the keyboard.

## Working with Tasks
**Tasks are first-class citizens** in NotePlan. You can create them in several ways:
- **On Mac**: Click the `+` button left of an empty line
- **On iOS**: Tap the task icon in the toolbar
or type an asterisk and space at the beginning of a paragraph: `* my task`

NotePlan actively searches for tasks throughout your notes and lets you search and filter them using [[Filters]] in the sidebar. For example, you can search for all `open` tasks.

## Plain Text Markdown Files (Private CloudKit)
NotePlan saves your notes locally on your Mac, iPhone, or iPad as **plain text Markdown files**. This means:
- **Your data is yours** — it's not locked up behind an opaque database, but always accessible on your devices
- **Future-proof** — you can use any other text editor to open them instead of or alongside NotePlan
- **Private** — only you can see them

**Finding your notes:**
- **On Mac**: Use 'Note' → 'Show In Finder' (⇧⌘S) in the menubar
- **On iPhone/iPad**: Open the "Files" app and navigate to "On My iPhone/iPad" → "NotePlan"

**Note:** Spaces save your notes also locally, but not as plain text files, they are stored as a local database file to simplify collaboration.

## Syncing with CloudKit
**CloudKit** syncs your notes across Mac, iPhone, and iPad. CloudKit is a private and secure database by Apple—only you have access to it.
To use syncing, you need iCloud and iCloud Drive enabled. You can turn off syncing in your preferences if you don't need it.

## Calendar & Reminders Integration
**iCloud Calendar Events & (Timed) Reminders** are tightly integrated with NotePlan.
- **On Mac**: See them in the calendar sidebar on the right
- **On iOS**: See them at the top of your daily notes or when you open the timeline (tap the calendar icon in the bottom right)

You can also create and edit events & reminders:
- **On iOS**: Tap the menu button (top right of a note)
- **On Mac**: Click into the timeline

## Quick Actions with Command Bar
Use the **Command Bar (⌘J)** to quickly:
- Search for notes by title (start typing like "How...")
- Open a daily note (type the date in any format, or use "tomorrow", "next week", "this friday")

**On iOS**: Tap the search icon (bottom right of any note or in the sidebar) to access the command bar.

## Formatting with Markdown
Use **Markdown** to format your notes:
- **On Mac**: Click the `+` button left of an empty paragraph to select an option, or just type Markdown syntax or open formatting menu ("A") at the top right of the editor.
- **On iOS**: Choose formatting options from the toolbar above your keyboard ("A" button).

**Common formatting:**
- Tasks: `* task` (asterisk and space)
- Bullet points: `- bullet point` (dash)
- Quotes: `> quote` (greater than sign)
- Headings: `# Your Heading` (use up to 4 levels: `#### Fourth Level`)
- **Bold** and *italic*
- `inline code` using backticks

## Organizing with Tags & Mentions
Use **tagging and mentions** to find things easier later on:
- Use `#` to tag #things 
- Use `@` to tag people, like @Tim

Find all your tags in the left sidebar. Keep everything organized using nested tagging by adding slashes: `#main/sub` or `@client/acme/dan`.

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If you need help, you can reach us through 'Help' → 'Write us' in the menubar (or in the preferences on iOS).

Let's return to [[today#Today's Plan]].
