Insert commands

Type / where a note can take a command, and a list opens at the caret. Choose an entry to insert text, change the note or act on its child notes, and keep your hands on the keyboard.

Open the list: / (also \ and two backticks, on by default)
Without typing: Edit ▸ Insert Command…, which has no shortcut
Run by name: an exact name such as \h1, then Space
Settings: Settings ▸ Editor ▸ Insert commands

Open the list and choose

The list opens at the caret when you type a command opener in a note. Type more to filter it, use the arrow keys to move, and press Return to choose. Entries are grouped under Insert, Note style, Text style, Checklist and Note actions. The empty list shows the common entries; typing a letter brings out the rare ones too.

/Type to filter. Return runs the highlighted entry.

Type the opener
Type / in a note. \ and two backticks also open the list when they are turned on in Settings.
Filter
Type part of the name, such as head, todo or date. A name that matches exactly is listed first.
Choose
Use the arrow keys to move, then press Return. Esc or Keep as plain text keeps what you typed, and the list stays closed for that opener until the caret moves.

Without typing, choose Edit ▸ Insert Command…. It opens the list at the caret of the note you are editing, and starts the edit at the end of the selected note if it is not being edited. The command is off when no note is selected. The ⌘K palette also lists these commands by name, marked Insert command.

Run a command by typing its name

Type an exact name after the opener and press Space to run it, without opening the list. Text-inserting commands keep the space after their text, so you can keep typing.

SpaceThe typed name goes; the heading stays.

You type	What happens
`\h1`	Heading 1 for the note. `\todo` adds a checkbox the same way.
`\date`	Today's date as text, in the date style set in Settings.
`\today`	A reference to today's page.
`\\date`	A doubled opener never runs. It types a backslash and the word.

Examples. Every command's typed name is in the full list.

Change the openers, Space and date styles

Settings ▸ Editor ▸ Insert commands holds the choices for every workspace. / is always on. Turn \ and two backticks on or off, and turn off running a typed command on Space. The Date style and Time style menus set how Date, Time and Date and time insert text. Each style shows the date or time now, as the command would insert it.

The Insert commands group in Settings. Slash is always on and greyed out, and the backslash, two backticks and run-a-typed-command-on-Space options are checked. The Date style menu is open with Medium, 2 Nov 2026 checked, and the Time style row sits behind the menu. — The choices apply to every workspace and are kept apart from your notes.

The choices apply to every workspace and are kept apart from your notes.

The date styles are Short, Medium, Long, Full and ISO 8601. The time styles use the same names.

Common commands

The insert command list opened from an empty note, with no filter typed. It is headed Insert into outline and shows the Insert group (Field, Reference, Supertag, Saved search, Image or file, Table, Code block, Date) and the start of the Note style group (Heading 1, Heading 2). Each entry has its typed name beside it. The list is cut off below Heading 2. — The list groups commands by what they do. The footer offers Keep as plain text.

The list groups commands by what they do. The footer offers Keep as plain text.

Entry	Typed name	What it does
Field	`\field` or `>`	Opens the field list at the caret. Typing `>` does the same.
Reference	`@`	Opens the note list at the caret, as typing `@` does.
Supertag	`#`	Opens the supertag list at the caret, as typing `#` does.
Image or file	`\file`	Opens the file picker to attach a picture or file.
Table	`\table`	Makes the note a table with a header row, two body rows and three columns.
Code block	`\code`	Makes the note a code block.
Heading 1, 2, 3	`\h1`, `\h2`, `\h3`	Makes the note that heading level.
Heading 4	`\h4`	A heading one level below Heading 3.
Checkbox	`\todo`	Adds a checkbox, or checks and unchecks it.
Plain note	`\plain`	Removes the heading, code block and checkbox.
Quote	`\quote`	Sets the note apart with a bar at its left.
Divider	`\divider`	Makes the note a horizontal rule with no text.
Numbered list	`\numbered`	Numbers the child notes 1, 2, 3 in their order, without storing the numbers.
Bold, Italic, Inline code, Strikethrough	`\bold`, `\italic`, `\inline-code`, `\strikethrough`	Applies the style to the selected text, or to the text you type next.
Highlight	`\highlight`	Highlights the text with the default highlight.
Date, Time, Date and time	`\date`, `\time`, `\now`	Inserts the date, the time or both as text, in the style set in Settings.
Today, Tomorrow, Yesterday	`\today`, `\tomorrow`, `\yesterday`	Inserts a reference to that day's page.
Check all, Uncheck all	`\check-all`, `\uncheck-all`	Checks or clears every checkbox in the child notes, as one Undo step.
Move note…, Duplicate, New note	`\move`, `\duplicate`, `\new`	Moves the note to another page, copies it, or makes a note after it.

Typed names are shown as you would type them after the opener. The full list is on All insert commands.

Combine it

Limits

Doubled openers and fenced code never run as commands: \\date types a backslash and the word, and three backticks start a code block.
A value in brackets fills the command's main option, so \date(short) means \date in the short style.