Search and Filtering
WhichNotes provides powerful search capabilities to help you find exactly what you're looking for, whether it's a specific note, topic, or tag.
Basic Search
Using the Search Bar
- Access Search: Click the search bar at the top of the main page or press
Ctrl/Cmd + K - Type your query: Start typing any keyword, phrase, or topic
- View results: Matching notes appear instantly as you type
- Select a note: Click on any result to open it
Search Features
Real-time Results: Results update as you type Fuzzy Matching: Finds results even with slight misspellings Multi-word Search: Search for phrases with multiple words Turkish Character Support: Handles ı/i, ğ/g, ş/s, ç/c, ö/o, ü/u variations correctly
Advanced Search
Filter by Tags
Use tags to narrow down your search:
tag:work project
This finds notes tagged with "work" containing the word "project"
Filter by Type
Search by note type:
type:text- Text notes onlytype:url- URL bookmarks only
Combine Filters
Mix and match filters for precise results:
tag:personal type:text meeting
Finds text notes tagged "personal" containing "meeting"
Search Tips
💡 Make Notes Searchable
Use Descriptive Titles: Start notes with clear, searchable titles
Good: "Q4 Marketing Strategy Meeting Notes"
Bad: "Meeting"
Add Context: Include keywords you might search for later
"React useEffect hook - dependency array best practices"
Use Tags Consistently: Tag related notes with the same tags
#javascript #react #hooks
💡 Search Strategies
Start Broad: Begin with general terms, then refine
1. "marketing"
2. "marketing strategy"
3. "marketing strategy Q4"
Use Unique Keywords: Search for distinctive words
Instead of: "important meeting"
Try: "stakeholder quarterly review"
Remember Partial Info: You don't need the exact phrase
Searching "useEffect dependency" will find notes about
"React useEffect hook with dependency array"
Search Results
Understanding Results
Results are ranked by relevance:
- Title matches (highest priority)
- Content matches
- Tag matches
- Topic matches (AI-extracted)
Empty Results?
If you don't find what you're looking for:
✅ Check spelling - Try different variations ✅ Try synonyms - "meeting" vs "discussion" ✅ Search tags - Maybe you tagged it differently ✅ Browse by tag - Click tags to see related notes ✅ Check graph view - Connected notes might help
Keyboard Shortcuts
Speed up your search workflow:
| Shortcut | Action |
| -------------- | ------------------ |
| Ctrl/Cmd + K | Open search |
| Esc | Close search |
| ↑/↓ | Navigate results |
| Enter | Open selected note |
Planned Features
Coming soon to WhichNotes search:
- 🔜 Date range filtering
- 🔜 Search within results
- 🔜 Saved searches
- 🔜 Search history
- 🔜 Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT)
Search Best Practices
For Better Results
- Use specific terms rather than generic ones
- Include context in your notes for easier retrieval
- Tag consistently across related notes
- Keep titles descriptive and searchable
- Review search results to refine your queries
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Searching with spelling errors ❌ Using only generic terms ("note", "important") ❌ Not using tags when they would help ❌ Expecting exact phrase matches always
Troubleshooting
Q: Search is too slow A: We're optimizing search performance. Try being more specific with your query.
Q: Can't find a note I know exists A: Try browsing by tags or use the graph view to navigate to connected notes.
Q: Results seem wrong A: Search ranking is based on relevance. The note might be there but lower in results.
Q: Turkish characters not working A: Turkish character variations are supported. Try both versions (i/ı, o/ö, etc.)
Next Steps
Questions about search? Contact us.