Search, Navigation, and Sorting

MinkNote is designed to be fast and efficient to use from the keyboard. Searching, navigating, and sorting all work together to help you find notes quickly.

You can search at three different levels, depending on what you need:

  • Global search (⌘⇧F)
    • Search across all notes in all journals.
  • Filter notes in the current journal (⌘⌥F)
    • Narrow down the note list in the selected journal as you type.
  • Find in the current note (⌘F)
    • Search within the open note.

All search modes are fully keyboard-driven. After typing your query, use ↑ / ↓ to move through the results and press Return to open the selected note.

You can move around the app quickly without using the mouse:

  • ⌃⌥← / ⌃⌥→ — Move focus between journals, notes, and the note editor
  • ↑ / ↓ — Navigate lists and search results
  • ← / → — Collapse or expand journal folders
  • Return — Open the selected note or result

Each section in the sidebar can also be hidden by clicking on the section header.

Sorting Notes

Notes can be sorted to match the way you like to work.

Use the Sort control above the note list to choose:

  • Sort by:
    • Title
    • Created date
    • Modified date
  • Order:
    • For Title: A-Z or Z-A
    • For Created and Modified: Oldest or Newest

Sorting applies to the current view, whether you’re looking at a journal, a folder, or All Notes.

All Notes

To see all notes across all journals, ordered by most recently modified by default, select the All Notes filter in the sidebar.

You can then adjust the sort order to suit your workflow.

Tags

Tags provide a flexible way to organize and find notes across all your journals.

Browsing by Tag

The Tags section in the sidebar shows all tags used across your project. Click any tag to filter the note list to show only notes with that tag. The tag search applies across the whole project, not just folders or journals.

  • A tag indicator appears above the note list showing which tag is currently selected
  • Click the × button on the indicator to clear the filter and return to the normal view
  • Tag counts show how many notes use each tag (you can hide all counts in Preferences)

Adding Tags to Notes

Tags are added via the tag editor which is accessed via the Tags button (⌘T) at the top of each note. You can:

  • Type to search existing tags or create new ones
  • Press Return to add the tag
  • Click the × on any tag to remove it

Tags are stored in the note’s Frontmatter, so they’re portable and visible in other Markdown editors too.