Notes vault panes

The vault is easier to scan when each pane has one job: Vault finds the note, Editor changes it, and Tools explains its links and metadata. Collapse a pane when it competes with the text you are trying to read.

Three-column layout

On tablet and desktop widths the vault uses resizable Vault · Editor · Tools columns. Drag pane separators to resize; changes save to local storage and sync to your account when signed in.

Width presets

Open the command palette (Cmd/Ctrl+K) → Settings to apply pane width presets:

• Balanced — list and tools columns with room for the editor
• Wide editor — collapse side panes for writing focus
• Wide tools — expand the tools column for links, graph, and properties

Manual drags and collapse/expand also sync after a short debounce.

Right column tools

Stacked sections in the right column:

• Info — note type, word count, timestamps, tags, properties, and whiteboard locations
• Card library — search vault cards and open a reference beside the current note
• Links — wikilinks, backlinks, outline
• Properties — slug, tags, folder, custom fields
• Graph — local graph preview

Icon rail

On wide layouts, the right strip expands to full tools. Each tool maps to the same three sections.

Explorer

Folder tree + note list when no filters are active. Drag notes to reorder or move folders.

View modes (Details, List, Large icons) and list density (Dense list, Preview cards) are available from the palette Settings group and sync across devices when signed in.

Use Details when sorting by metadata, List when scanning many titles, and Preview cards when the note body is the deciding factor. Search first, then change the view; a view preset does not change which notes exist.

Mobile

On phone widths the vault uses tab navigation. Source preview includes a Cite sheet for inserting citations from linked papers.

On a phone, move between Vault, Editor, and Tools with the tabs rather than trying to resize desktop columns. Open the note before switching to Tools so the info, links, properties, and outline belong to the intended note.

Calendar and board

• Calendar — /notes/calendar — events and deadlines
• Board — kanban-style columns linked to notes

A focused layout routine

1. Open the note from Vault and close panes that are not needed for the current task.
2. Widen Editor while drafting or reviewing prose.
3. Open Links or Outline only when navigating relationships or headings.
4. Return to Properties before publishing or syncing if the folder, tags, or note kind matter.

Related: Wikilinks · Note queries · Notes workflows