How I Use RemNote (2021): The New Alias Feature And Other Tips

TL;DR

Use a “word bank” page with part-of-speech tags to store known vocabulary, then rely on portals to create filtered, clickable views (e.g., only “French verb” entries).

Briefing Cornell Notes

Briefing

RemNote can function as more than a flashcard app: it can run as a structured knowledge base for language learning and historical timelines by combining portals, templates, aliases, and (optionally) spaced-repetition queues. The core workflow pairs a “word bank” for known vocabulary with a separate capture area for new words, then routes those new items into flashcard review—so translation practice stays fast without forcing every new term into the same system.

For translation, the setup starts with a main “word bank” page containing a long, lightly organized list of French words. Each entry includes the French term, its English meaning, and a part-of-speech tag (adverb, verb, adjective, noun). Portals act as dynamic views: a portal can be created from an “automatically add template” page, then filtered using nested hashtags (for example, showing only instances of “French verb” within the “word bank”). This lets the user jump from a translation sentence to the exact vocabulary items already stored.

Translation practice then becomes a two-track process. When a sentence contains words already in the word bank, clicking a linked word creates a portal to that entry. For words that don’t exist yet, the workflow creates a new rem (using hashtags and templates) and places the new term into a “new words” area that feeds a spaced-repetition flashcard queue. The method relies on templates that auto-generate slots: a parent rem tagged to trigger “automatically add template” can include a child slot named “new words,” and that slot can itself contain portals for translation and part-of-speech tagging. The result is a quick loop: translate a sentence, link known words, capture unknown words, and immediately queue them for review.

The second workflow uses RemNote’s Pro-only “alias” feature to build timelines. Aliases collect related pages—like years—into a sortable, navigable sequence. The timeline structure is driven by portals and tags: years are aliased so they appear in order, and each year can be searched to reveal associated “date part,” “who,” and “event” information, with notes nested underneath. Broader time periods (centuries) are organized as headings, with years nested beneath them, and navigation arrows (aliases) link adjacent eras.

Aliases also connect timeline entities to other knowledge areas. Locations in an “atlas” page can be aliased into the timeline’s “where” field, and people in a “who’s who” page can be aliased into the timeline’s “who” field. When creating a new event, the workflow uses templates and prebuilt slot sets (such as a “history” rem with 24 descriptor slots) to standardize notes like “why it’s interesting,” “argument for,” “doesn’t work if,” and “best sources.” Sources can be inserted via quick search shortcuts that jump to Wikipedia pages.

Pricing is addressed directly: the Pro plan’s $6/month cost is framed as appropriate for the value gained from alias-driven navigation and template/portal automation, with the speaker suggesting it could even be higher (8–10) while still being justified. The overall message is that RemNote’s combination of portals, templates, and aliases can replace multiple tools—turning translation practice and historical research into one interconnected system.

Cornell Notes

RemNote can be used as a traditional knowledge base by combining portals, templates, and aliases—without abandoning flashcards entirely. For language learning, a “word bank” stores known vocabulary with part-of-speech tags, while unknown words are captured into a “new words” area that routes into the spaced-repetition queue. Portals then provide filtered, clickable views (e.g., showing only “French verb” entries inside the word bank) so translation stays fast. For history, the Pro-only alias feature links years, locations, and people across pages, letting timelines sort and navigate through nested events. Standardized note slots (like a “history” rem with descriptor slots) keep event writing consistent and searchable.

How does the “word bank + portals” setup speed up translation practice?

Known French words live in a word bank page as a long list, with each entry tagged by part of speech (adverb/verb/adjective/noun). A portal is created from an “automatically add template” page, then filtered using nested hashtags. For example, the portal can show only instances of “French verb” within the word bank, and clicking a result jumps to the exact word entry. During translation, linked words in a sentence can be clicked to create portals to those existing entries, reducing search time.

What’s the difference between handling known words and unknown words during translation?

Known words are linked out to existing word bank rems, so the user can click through to the stored translation and part-of-speech information. Unknown words are not necessarily added to the word bank immediately; instead, they’re created as new rems using templates (triggered by hashtags like a parent rem that activates “automatically add template”). Those new terms populate a “new words” slot and are then placed into the spaced repetition flashcard queue for review.

How do templates and slots make capturing new vocabulary faster?

Templates auto-generate the structure needed for new entries. A parent rem tagged to trigger “automatically add template” can include a child slot (e.g., “new words”). Inside that slot, the user can insert portals and fill in translation and part-of-speech tags. The workflow also supports nested portals (a portal inside “new words”) so the user can quickly select and translate the captured term without rebuilding the layout each time.

What does the alias feature change for building timelines?

Aliases let the timeline collect and connect related pages—especially years—so they appear in a sortable sequence. When a new year rem is created as an alias of the timeline’s parent rem, the timeline can display years “in a row,” then sort them using an “automatically sort” tag. Aliases also link adjacent centuries via navigation arrows, and connect timeline fields like “where” (atlas locations) and “who” (people) to their corresponding pages.

How does the timeline event-writing workflow stay consistent across different events?

Events are organized under a year and use a standardized set of descriptor slots. A “history” rem is built with many slots (24 in the example), and when the user inserts that template into an event page, unfilled slots appear in a dropdown for quick selection. The user fills fields like “why it’s interesting,” “argument for,” “doesn’t work if,” and “best sources,” then nests source links beneath the event notes.

Why are portals used inside the timeline, not just in the translation workflow?

Portals provide dynamic, nested views of related items. Within the timeline, clicking or expanding a year’s search portal reveals associated “date part,” “who,” and “event” entries, with notes nested underneath. This makes it possible to browse a century, then drill down to a specific year and see all linked event details without manually reorganizing content.

Review Questions

When translating, what triggers the creation of a new vocabulary item, and how is that item routed into review?
How do portals and nested hashtags work together to filter results inside the word bank?
What role do aliases play in linking years, locations, and people across the timeline, atlas, and who’s who pages?

Key Points

1
Use a “word bank” page with part-of-speech tags to store known vocabulary, then rely on portals to create filtered, clickable views (e.g., only “French verb” entries).
2
Handle unknown translation words by creating new rems via templates that populate a “new words” slot and send them into the spaced repetition flashcard queue.
3
Build translation capture speed with “automatically add template” and slot-based structure, so new terms don’t require manual layout every time.
4
For timelines, use the Pro-only alias feature to link years and keep them sortable in a continuous sequence.
5
Connect timeline fields to other knowledge areas by aliasing locations from an “atlas” page and people from a “who’s who” page into event pages.
6
Standardize event notes with a “history” rem that contains many descriptor slots, then insert it into new events to keep writing consistent.
7
Pro pricing at $6/month is treated as justified by the added navigation and automation value from aliases and template-driven workflows.

Highlights

Portals turn a single vocabulary list into multiple fast, filtered views—like showing only French verbs inside the word bank—so translation becomes click-and-translate rather than search-and-scroll.

Unknown vocabulary doesn’t have to go into the word bank immediately; templates can route new terms into a dedicated “new words” area that feeds spaced repetition.

Aliases make timelines navigable: years can be collected, sorted, and linked across centuries, while locations and people connect to their own pages via alias references.

A “history” rem with prebuilt descriptor slots standardizes how events are documented, from arguments to evidence to sources.

Topics

RemNote Workflows
Portals
Aliases
Language Translation
Historical Timelines