Most notes apps open a new note with two boxes.
One says Title. The other says something like Start writing.
It looks harmless. It also asks you to do the hardest part first.
Scratchpad opens a new note with one box. Whatever you write on the first line becomes the note's name, at the top of the note and in the list.
Why The Title Comes Last
When you open a note, you usually know what you want to write down. You don't know what it is.
Say you're on the phone with the contractor about the kitchen, and they're listing measurements. Is that "Kitchen", "Kitchen renovation", "Cabinets", or "Call with Marc"?
You don't know yet. And it doesn't matter yet.
What matters is that the cabinet run is 312 centimetres and they want an answer by Friday.
A title field turns that moment into a small decision. Small decisions are where notes go to die.
You hesitate. You type something vague to get past it. And the note ends up called "Notes", right next to four others called "Notes".
So the first line does the job. Type "Kitchen: Marc, Friday" and keep going. The list shows that, and search finds it.
It's Already Saved
There's no save button either.
Your edits are written as you type and sync to every device you're signed in on, usually before you've finished the sentence. The line under the title says where things stand: Synced, Connecting, or Offline.
Edits made offline sit in the browser and go up the moment you're back.
That's the other half of starting without friction:
- You don't name the note. The first line does that.
- You don't save it. It's saved while you type.
- You don't file it. A new note lands in Uncategorized, and search reads every note whether or not it's ever been filed.
The only thing a new note asks of you is the thing you came to do.
When You Want A Real Name
Sometimes the first line is the wrong name.
A recipe might open with "Preheat the oven to 220". That's a fine first line and a poor title.
Click the title at the top of the note, type a new one, and that name sticks. From then on, editing the first line won't change it, so you can rewrite the opening as much as you like without the note renaming itself in the list.
Changed your mind? Clear the title and it goes back to following the first line.
Most notes never need this, honestly. The first line of a lease summary, a packing list for Lisbon, or a half-formed idea is usually the right name, because it's what the note was about when you started it.
The Small Print
A few rules decide what the name ends up being:
| What's at the top | What the note is called |
|---|---|
| A line of words | That line |
| A picture or an empty line | The first line with words below it |
| A heading | The heading, since it's still the first line |
| A name you typed into the title | Your name, until you clear it |
So a note that opens with a photo of a receipt is named after the first thing you typed below it.
And if you like a big title that's visually apart from the body, start the note with a heading. It's still the first line, so it's still the name.
One more, and it's the one I'd want to know about.
On a locked note, the title is the one thing kept readable. The contents are encrypted, but you need to be able to tell one locked note from another in the list, so the name stays in the clear.
If the first line is the private part, move it down a line, or rename the note.
What It Changes
The real cost of a note isn't typing it.
It's the moment before, when the app wants something from you and the thought is already slipping.
Take that moment away and you write more things down, including the ones that seemed too small to bother with. Those are often the ones you go looking for later.
There's more on getting started in Your first note.
A name can wait. The thought usually can't.
