Amplenote Explained 12: All about tagging, part 2

TL;DR

A note in Amplenote can have multiple tags, enabling both broad grouping (e.g., “projects”) and finer categorization (e.g., “interests/film”).

Briefing Cornell Notes

Briefing

Tagging in Amplenote works like folders for organization, but it becomes far more powerful when tags are used as a multi-dimensional search system. Each note can carry multiple tags at once—such as a “projects” tag to indicate the note’s role and additional tags like “interests/homebuilding,” “interests/film,” “interests/social,” or “interests/work.” Clicking a tag updates the note list instantly, giving a quick overview of all notes that share that label. The practical payoff is that projects can be grouped broadly (everything under “projects”) and then refined by category without reorganizing notes into separate folders.

Refinement comes from selecting multiple tags at the same time. Holding Shift while clicking another tag adds it to the active selection, narrowing results to notes that match all selected tags. For example, selecting “projects” and then “interests/film” limits the list to project notes specifically tied to film. Exclusion is handled with a carrot prefix: adding a “carrot” before a tag filters out notes that include that tag. This makes it easy to find “nonwork projects” by selecting “projects,” then excluding “interests/work.”

Amplenote also supports tag-based filtering for untagged content. Typing “group colon untagged” in the search bar filters down to notes that have no tags assigned at all—useful for cleanup and ensuring nothing important is left unclassified. Because many people revisit the same filters, Amplenote lets users save search queries as shortcuts. After applying a filter (like nonwork projects), users can open the triple-dot menu in the search bar and choose “save search query to shortcuts,” then rename the shortcut for clarity. The system supports multiple saved shortcuts, so frequent views—such as “not daily jots” to exclude daily notes—can be accessed quickly.

There are also built-in shortcuts for time-based browsing: “today” and “this week,” which automatically show notes modified in the current day or current week. A final step turns any shortcut into a default shortcut by clicking the star next to it. Default shortcuts (marked with a gold star) automatically apply every time a user opens Notes mode, so the same filter is ready without re-entering it.

Importantly, shortcuts aren’t one-size-fits-all across the app. Tag shortcuts behave the same in Jots mode and Tasks mode, but each mode can maintain its own distinct set of shortcuts and defaults. That means a default in Jots mode (like “daily jots”) can differ from a default in Tasks mode (like “inbox”), keeping workflows separate while still using the same tagging and search logic. In short: tags in Amplenote aren’t just labels—they’re the engine behind fast, repeatable, and mode-specific note retrieval.

Cornell Notes

Amplenote tags act like folders for organization, but notes can hold multiple tags simultaneously, enabling powerful filtering. Users can click tags to view matching notes, then narrow results by Shift-clicking additional tags so only notes with all selected tags appear. A carrot prefix before a tag excludes notes with that tag, and “group: untagged” filters to notes with no tags. Frequently used tag searches can be saved as shortcuts, including time-based shortcuts like “today” and “this week.” Any shortcut can be starred to become a default for a mode, and Jots mode and Tasks mode can each have their own shortcut sets and defaults.

How can a single note be organized using tags in Amplenote, and what does that enable beyond folder-like structure?

A note can carry multiple tags at once. For example, one tag can mark the note as a “project,” while another tag can categorize the project by interest area such as “interests/homebuilding,” “interests/film,” “interests/social,” or “interests/work.” This setup lets users view broad groupings (click “projects”) and then refine them by category without moving the note into separate folder trees.

What’s the difference between selecting one tag and selecting multiple tags at once?

Selecting a single tag shows notes that have that tag. Selecting multiple tags works as an intersection: Shift-clicking another tag adds it to the active selection, so the note list is limited to notes that include all selected tags. Example: choosing “projects” and then Shift-clicking “interests/film” yields only project notes tagged for film.

How does Amplenote exclude notes from a tag search?

Exclusion uses a carrot prefix before the tag. After selecting “projects,” adding a carrot before “interests/work” filters out any notes tagged with “interests/work,” leaving only nonwork projects. This is a quick way to invert a category filter without manually removing items.

How can users find notes that have no tags assigned?

Typing “group: untagged” in the search bar filters to notes that don’t have any tags. It’s a practical tool for auditing and cleaning up tagging coverage.

How do saved shortcuts and default shortcuts change day-to-day searching?

After applying a filter, users can save the search query to shortcuts via the triple-dot menu in the search bar, then rename it for clarity (e.g., “nonwork projects”). Shortcuts can be starred to become default shortcuts, meaning the filter auto-applies whenever the user opens Notes mode. Default shortcuts are marked with a gold star.

Do shortcuts behave the same across Jots mode and Tasks mode?

Tag shortcuts work in both Jots mode and Tasks mode, but each mode can maintain its own distinct shortcuts and defaults. For instance, Jots mode can have “daily jots” as the default shortcut while Tasks mode can have “inbox” as the default shortcut, keeping workflows separated.

Review Questions

When would you use Shift-click tag selection instead of clicking a single tag?
What search syntax would you use to exclude notes with a specific tag, and how does it differ from selecting multiple tags?
How do default shortcuts reduce repeated work, and what’s the key difference between defaults in Jots mode versus Tasks mode?

Key Points

1
A note in Amplenote can have multiple tags, enabling both broad grouping (e.g., “projects”) and finer categorization (e.g., “interests/film”).
2
Shift-clicking tags narrows results to notes that contain all selected tags, effectively creating an AND filter.
3
Prefixing a tag with a carrot excludes notes that have that tag, making it easy to find “nonwork” items by filtering out “interests/work.”
4
Typing “group: untagged” in the search bar lists notes with no tags, supporting tagging audits and cleanup.
5
Saved search queries can be turned into sidebar shortcuts, so frequently used filters don’t need to be retyped.
6
Any shortcut can be promoted to a default shortcut (gold star), automatically applying the filter whenever the mode opens.
7
Jots mode and Tasks mode can each have separate shortcut sets and defaults, allowing different default views per workflow.

Highlights

Tags function like folders for organization, but multiple tags per note unlock multi-category filtering.

Shift-click creates an intersection filter: only notes with every selected tag remain visible.

A carrot prefix excludes a tag from results, enabling quick “nonwork” searches.

Saved searches can be promoted to default shortcuts, applying automatically each time a mode opens.

Default shortcuts differ by mode: Jots mode and Tasks mode can each have their own default starred shortcut.

Topics

Tag Searching
Saved Shortcuts
Default Shortcuts
Excluding Tags
Untagged Notes