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The sidebar

Browse, search, create, and delete notes from the file tree.

Toggle the sidebar with ⌥⌘S, or the toolbar icon. Drag the divider to resize it.

The sidebar file tree with folders expanded and notes listed beneath them.

The sidebar has several tabs: the file tree, starred notes, themes, and plugins when you have any enabled.

ActionHow
Expand or collapse a folderClick the folder row
Open a noteClick it — opens in a tab
New note+ at the bottom
Delete− (asks first; hold ⌥ to skip for a single note)
Select several⇧-click, at any depth
Reveal in Finder⌥-click, or right-click → Reveal in Finder
Toggle preview linesThe eye icon at the bottom

Folders sort alphabetically; files sort by modification date, newest first.

The preview line shows the first line of content from each note without opening it. Turn it off for a denser list.

The sidebar search field with a term entered and matching notes listed.

The field at the top searches every note in the vault, not just the visible folder:

  • Filenames are matched first, because it is fast
  • then file contents
  • results replace the tree, sorted by modification date
  • a spinner shows while a large vault is scanned — the search runs in the background and the app stays responsive

Clear with the × or Esc.

  • Reveal in Finder
  • Create from Sample — a new note demonstrating every Markdown feature
  • Delete All Notes — every .md in the vault, with a confirmation

Documented against Shady Notes 4.1.19 · release notes