How to use Monarch Notes

You can use Monarch Notes by either cycling to the tool with the TAB key or by using the keyboard shortcut for Monarch Notes (default is cmd+.)

First create a new note with cmd+N and then you can start writing. The new note will be saved in the location you specified in Monarch Settings (you can change this). You can save a note with a new name by pressing cmd+S.

Open a note

To open notes in Monarch, press cmd+O. You can press the arrow keys to choose a note to open and then ENTER to open that note.

If a note does not exist, you can press SHIFT+ENTER to create it directly from the note switcher view.

Unsupported types

These data types are not fully supported in Monarch Notes but will be in the future.

  • Tables

  • Images

  • Links

Exporting Notes

Monarch Notes are written and stored in plain markdown so there is no need for the ability to export your data. Your notes are always “exported” sitting in the folder you specify, ready to be used in Monarch or in any other tool you prefer.

Pro tip: You can use Monarch Notes simultaneously with a larger, dedicated text editor such as Obsidian and because the notes are your own data, the notes will update in real time in the other app as you edit them in Monarch and vice-versa.

Using Monarch Notes with Obsidian (or similar apps)

You can use Monarch seamlessly with other markdown-based notes apps like Obsidian by simply setting your Note Capture location to be the same folder as your Obsidian vault. Now when you open the note switcher with cmd+O in Monarch, you’ll see all the notes in your vault and can easily work on them directly within Monarch, while having them update in Obsidian in real time.