If your notes live in text files, you do not have to copy each one by hand. Notes can read Markdown and plain-text files and turn each file into a note. This works well for exports from other notes apps.
Before you start
- Your files end in .md, .markdown, .mdown or .txt.
- Each file is smaller than 1 MB.
- You are allowed to create notes in the place you are importing into.
Steps
- Gather your files. Put the .md, .markdown or .txt files you want in one folder. Each file becomes one note.
- Choose where they go. To fill a notebook, open that notebook first. Otherwise stay in your main notes list.
- Select Import. Next to New note, select the Import button. Its label reads Import Markdown or text files.
- Select your files. Choose one or more files, up to 50 at a time, then confirm.
- Check the result. A message says how many notes were imported. The last one opens for you.
How the title is chosen
For a Markdown file that starts with a heading, that first heading becomes the note's title and is not repeated in the body. For other files, the file name without its ending becomes the title.
What carries over
Markdown files keep their headings, paragraphs, bulleted, numbered and task lists, quotes, code blocks, divider lines, and bold, italic, strikethrough, code and link formatting. Links are kept only when they start with http, https, mailto or tel. Anything the importer does not know stays as plain text. Plain-text files are brought in as they are.
Limits to know
- 50 files at a time. If you choose more, only the first 50 are imported and you are told to import the rest in another go.
- 1 MB per file. A bigger file is skipped with a message saying it is larger than 1 MB.
Files are imported one after another rather than all at once, so a big folder takes a little while. The Import button shows it is busy until it finishes.
When some files fail
If a file cannot be imported, a red notice lists it by name with the reason, and the other files are still imported. Select Dismiss to close the notice. If nothing could be imported, the message reads Nothing was imported.
Tips
- Import into a notebook so the new notes stay together.
- Open a couple of imported notes to check the formatting before importing a large folder.
- Import the same file twice and you get two notes, so keep track of what you have already brought in.