Writing notes
Format as you type, add checklists and images, and never lose what you wrote.
On this page
Type as you would anywhere. Nifty saves as you go, and Markdown turns into formatting as you type it.
The editor
- Untitled at the top is the title. It's optional; press ↵ to go on to the text.
- Add category files the note. See Categories and pins.
- Beside it, the word count and whether your changes are saved.
- Done (⌘↵) closes the editor and shows the note.
- Along the bottom, the people, tags and projects in the note.
Type @, # or ^ to link a person, tag or project. See Mentions and tags.
Format as you type
Start a line with:
| Type | For |
|---|---|
# to ###### |
A heading (1 to 6) |
- or * |
A bulleted list |
1. |
A numbered list |
[ ] |
A checklist |
> |
A quote |
``` |
A code block |
--- |
A dividing line |
Inside a line: **bold**, *italic*, ~~strikethrough~~, ==highlight==, `code` and
[text](https://…) for a link.
On a phone, a bar above the keyboard has buttons for mentions, tags, checklists, lists, headings, bold and italic.
Formatting keys
| Keys | Does |
|---|---|
| ⌘B / ⌘I | Bold / italic |
| ⌘E | Code |
| ⇧⌘S / ⇧⌘H | Strikethrough / highlight |
| ⌘⌥1 to 6 | Heading 1 to 6 |
| ⌘⌥0 | Back to plain text |
| ⇧⌘7 / 8 / 9 | Numbered list / bulleted list / checklist |
| ⇧⌘B | Quote |
| ⌘⌥C | Code block |
| ⇧↵ | New line in the same paragraph |
| Tab / ⇧Tab | Nest or unnest a list item |
On Windows and Linux, use Ctrl for ⌘ and Alt for ⌥. Press ? when you're not typing to see these keys in Nifty, or read Keyboard shortcuts.
Checklists
Start a line with [ ] (or press ⇧⌘9). Each ↵ adds the next item. You
can tick items while reading the note too, without opening the editor.
Code
Type ``` and a space to start a code block. For highlighting, pick its language from the menu above it, or
type the language before the space: ```python.
Images and PDFs
Paste or drop an image into the text. JPEG, PNG, WebP and GIF work, up to 20 MB each.
Drop a PDF on the editor to link it to the note. It's listed under the text, and in the note's Documents once you're done. A new note needs some text first. See Documents.
Saving and backups
The status beside Done says how saving is going: Saves as you type, Saving…, then Saved. If you're offline or a save fails, it says so, and your text stays on screen. Choose Try again when it offers it.
Nifty also keeps a backup of unsaved text in your browser for 7 days. Open the note again and it's put back, with Restored your unsaved text. Signing out clears these backups.
If the same note was saved somewhere else since, the status says Restored your unsaved text. Editing saves it over newer changes. Nothing is saved until you edit. Press ⌘Z straight away to get the newer version back instead.
Nifty doesn't keep older versions of a note.