Use tags and Smart Folders in Notes on Mac

1. In the Notes app on your Mac, open a note or create a new note.

2. Type the number sign (#), then type a word—for example, #meeting or #important—or choose from the list of suggested tags. (Suggested tags appear if you’ve already added tags in Notes or Reminders.)

   You can type the tag anywhere in a note. Tags must be a single word, but you can use hyphens and underscores (for example, #meeting-minutes or #important_documents).

3. Click OK.

   Tags you add appear in the Tag Browser in the sidebar.

If you add a tag to a shared note, it appears as dimmed text to other participants who don’t have the tag in their Tag Browser. They can Control-click the tag, then choose Add to Tags.

In the Notes app on your Mac, do one of the following:

• To see a list of notes that contain a tag, click the tag in the Tag Browser in the sidebar.

• To see a list of notes that contain multiple tags, click all of those tags in the sidebar.

1. In the Notes app on your Mac, Control-click a tag.

2. Select Rename Tag, then click Rename to confirm. The tag is updated in all notes that use it.

   Tip: You can rename a tag to a name that’s already in your Tag Browser. This can be useful if you want to group together notes that have similar tags, such as #house and #home.

If you rename a tag in a shared note, it appears as dimmed text to other participants who don’t have the tag in their Tag Browser. They can Control-click the tag, then choose Add to Tags.

In the Notes app on your Mac, do one of the following:

• Delete a tag: Control-click a tag in the Tag Browser, choose Delete Tag, then click Delete to confirm.

  The tag is deleted from all notes and Smart Folders that use it.

  Note: If you have a Smart Folder that only contains the tag you want to delete, you are asked if you want to delete the Smart Folder.

• Delete multiple tags: In the Tag Browser, select the tags you want to delete. Control-click a selected tag, choose Delete Tags, then click Delete to confirm.

  The tags are deleted from all notes and Smart Folders that use them.

• Change a tag to plain text: Control-click a tag within a note, then choose Convert to Text.

  Note: If you convert a tag to text in a shared note, it becomes plain text for all participants.

If you remove a tag from all the notes that use it, it is removed from your Tag Browser.

You can create a custom Smart Folder to organize notes with one or more tags that you specify. Smart Folders don’t contain notes; they contain references to notes in other folders. Smart Folders also can’t be locked, turned into subfolders, or shared, although they can reference shared notes.

1. In the Notes app on your Mac, do one of the following:

   • Click New Folder in the sidebar, then choose Smart Folder from the pop-up menu.

   • Choose File > New Smart Folder.

2. Type a name for the Smart Folder, then enter one or more tags in the Tags field, or choose from the list of suggested tags.

3. Click OK.

When you convert a folder into a Smart Folder, all of its notes are moved to the Notes folder and tagged with #[Folder Name]. This can’t be undone.

1. In the Notes app on your Mac, click the folder you want to convert in the sidebar. If you don’t see the sidebar, choose View > Show Folders.

2. Click the More button next to the folder name, choose Convert to Smart Folder, then click Convert.

   You can’t convert a folder that is shared, contains a locked or shared note, or has a subfolder.

You can change the name of a Smart Folder, remove tags, or add tags. A Smart Folder must have at least one tag.

1. In the Notes app on your Mac, do one of the following:

   • Position the pointer over a Smart Folder, click the More button , then choose Edit Smart Folder.

   • Control-click a Smart Folder, then choose Edit Smart Folder.

2. Do any of the following:

   • Change the Smart Folder name: Enter a new name in the Name field.

   • Add tags: Enter a new tag in the Tags field, or click a tag in the list that appears.

   • Remove tags: Click the tag you want to remove, then press Delete.

You can also move the Smart Folder in the sidebar. Just drag the folder to the location you want.

1. In the Notes app on your Mac, do any of the following:

   • Click a Smart Folder in the sidebar, then choose Edit > Delete Folder.

   • Position the pointer over a Smart Folder, click the More button , then choose Delete Folder.

   • Control-click a Smart Folder, then choose Delete Folder.

2. Click Delete to confirm.

Deleting a Smart Folder doesn’t delete the notes it references; they remain in their folders.