Properties are the frontmatter at the top of a note, where details like tags, status or due live. Fill them in as you write, and they’re already in place when the note reaches your Vault.
Show the Properties
Tap the Properties row above the editor to expand or collapse it. The Properties you see belong to the active Route, so they change when you pick another Route.
The Properties in the list are loaded from two places:
- An existing note: when the Route saves to a note that’s already in your Vault, its current Properties are loaded, ready to edit.
- A note template: when the Route creates a new note, the Properties from the New note template are loaded.
Properties from a note template
If the Route saves to a folder Destination with a New note template, the template’s Properties are added to the list. You can fill them in before the note is even created.
- If the existing note already has a Property with the same name, the note’s one is used and the template’s one is skipped.
- Until you edit a template Property, it follows the template. Change the template or turn it off, and the Property updates or disappears.
- Once you edit it, your value is kept.
See Note templates.
Several Destinations
When the Route saves to more than one Destination, the row shows the total, for example 4 Properties at 2 Destinations, and each Destination gets its own tab.
- Tap a tab to see and edit that Destination’s Properties. Each Destination has its own values.
- Your changes are kept when you switch between tabs or Routes, so you can go back and forth.
Edited Properties
A small dot next to a Property marks a value that isn’t part of the Destination’s setup: one you changed, or one that came from a note template. The dots clear once the note is saved.
Edit Properties
- Add: tap Add property, type a name, then a value.
- Edit: tap a name or a value to change it.
- Reorder: drag a Property up or down.
- Change the type: tap the icon next to the Property name and pick a type.
- Remove: tap the type icon and choose Remove.
Empty values show Empty.
Property types
| Type | How you enter the value |
|---|---|
| Text | Type any text. |
| List | Type an item and tap the keyboard’s Next key (or leave the field) to turn it into a chip. Each chip is one list item. Tap the cross on a chip to remove it. |
| Number | Type a number. A number keyboard opens. |
| Checkbox | Tap to check or uncheck. |
| Date | Pick a date in the date picker. |
| Date & time | Pick a date, then a time. |
| Tags | Like a list, but a space also ends a chip, so work idea becomes two tags. |
| Aliases | Like Tags: a space or Next ends a chip. |
The tags and aliases Properties always use the Tags and Aliases types. Their type can’t be changed, only removed.
Tokens in Property values
Property values can include tokens. They’re replaced with real values when you save, both in the Properties you fill in here and in the ones from a note template.
| Token | Becomes |
|---|---|
{{title}} | The first line of your draft |
{{auto}} | A short title written by AI |
{{date}} | The current date and time |
{{ts}} | The Unix timestamp |
{{gps}} | Your coordinates |
A date token, such as {{YYYY-MM-DD}} | The current date or time in that format |
- Mix tokens with your own text, for example
Logged {{HH:mm}}. - In a List or Aliases Property,
{{gps}}on its own becomes two items: latitude and longitude. It doesn’t work in Tags or Number Properties.
See Tokens and Date formats.
Auto-focus properties
With Auto-focus properties on, expanding Properties puts the cursor in the first empty Property, so you can start typing right away. If none is empty, the cursor stays where it was. It’s on by default. Turn it off in Settings → Interface. See Interface settings > Auto-focus properties.
Auto Fill with AI
Auto Fill reads your draft and fills in the empty Properties for you.
- Write the draft first. Auto Fill appears next to Add property once the draft has more than 10 characters and at least one Property is empty.
- Tap Auto Fill. A spinner shows while AI works, then a check mark or a cross.
Only empty Properties are filled. To change how AI decides on values, edit the Property autofill prompt. See AI prompts.
Tip
To fill empty Properties automatically every time you save, turn on the Auto Fill properties Route action instead. See Route actions.
Your edits are kept per Route
Property edits belong to the Route you made them on. If you switch to another Route and back, your edits are still there. Clear on the Home screen removes text and attachments but keeps Property edits.