Getting Started
This guide helps you take your first steps with OwnSpace.
Creating Your First Note
- Open the app — you will see the Inbox view by default
- Click the + button in the top bar, or press
Ctrl+Alt+N/Cmd+Alt+N - Enter a file name (without
.md) and press Enter - Start typing your note — use Markdown for formatting
Tip:
Press
Ctrl+E/Cmd+Eto switch to the WYSIWYG editor for rich text editing.
Press
Ctrl+Alt+E/Cmd+Alt+Eto edit the raw Markdown source directly.
Understanding the Layout
The interface has three main areas:
| Area | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Left sidebar | Navigate between PARA sections and workspace items |
| Center | Browse files and view/edit notes |
| Right panel | Context information: file metadata, tags, backlinks |
PARA Structure Explained
OwnSpace uses the PARA methodology to organize your knowledge:
- Projects — active tasks with a deadline
- Areas — ongoing responsibilities without an end date
- Resources — reference material and topics of interest
- Archive — completed projects and inactive items
New notes land in Inbox by default. Move them to the appropriate section later.
Search and Navigation
- Press
Ctrl+K/Cmd+Kto open quick search - Type keywords to find notes by title, content, or tags
- Click a result to open the note in the viewer
Recent
- Open Recent from the sidebar to see your most recently edited notes
- Notes are grouped by freshness — Today, Yesterday, This Week, Last Week, This Month, Older
- Up to 50 notes are shown, sorted by last modification date
Favorites
Click the star icon on any note to add it to Favorites for quick access. Access favorites from the sidebar.
Attachments
- Open Attachments from the sidebar to manage images attached to your notes
- Add images right in the editor — paste from clipboard or drag & drop
- Images are saved to the
attachments/folder — the same image is only added once
Moving Notes and Folders
- Desktop: drag a note or folder onto a folder in the list to move it inside — the target folder is highlighted.
- All devices: open the item menu (⋯) → Move to folder… and pick a folder.
- Moving works in regular folders and in the Inbox.
Next Steps
- Explore the PARA methodology to organize your notes effectively
- Set up cloud sync to back up your data
- Learn Markdown syntax for richer notes