Features of atiea, the markdown notes app for Mac

Markdown editor with live highlighting

Write headings, lists, tasks, quotes, tables and code. atiea highlights markdown as you type, so the structure of a note is visible at a glance without leaving the keyboard.

Every format is in the Format menu and the floating formatting toolbar: headings, bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, highlight, inline code and code blocks, bulleted and numbered lists, to-dos, quotes and separators. The common ones have shortcuts, such as ⌘B for bold and ⌘K for a link. New to the syntax? Start with the markdown cheat sheet.

Wiki links and backlinks

Link notes with [[double brackets]] and see every note that points back to the one you are reading. Notes become a connected library instead of a pile. Follow a link to a note that does not exist yet and atiea creates it for you.

It is the same idea behind the Zettelkasten method. See what wiki links and backlinks are and a simple Zettelkasten workflow.

Tags by typing

Write #tag anywhere in a note and atiea collects it in the sidebar. There is no tag manager to maintain and no folder hierarchy to design.

Nested tags such as #work/meetings group related topics in the sidebar. Use tags for broad topics such as #projects or #reading, and wiki links for specific connections between ideas.

Local-first storage

Your notes live on your Mac, work offline and need no account.

Because notes are plain markdown, they are not trapped in the app. Read more about the approach in why local-first matters for privacy.

Pinned notes, grid and list views

Pin the notes you return to every day, sort the list by last modified, created or title, and find anything with search (⌘F).

All Notes (⇧⌘G) shows every note as a card. Drag one card onto another to make a group, then give the group a name.

Smart filters and archive

The sidebar sorts your library for you: Notes, Today, Untagged, Archive and Trash. Move finished notes to the archive to keep the list short without deleting anything.

Note info

The info panel shows a note’s word and character count, reading time, tags, timestamps and every note that links to it.

Focus mode and appearance

Focus mode (⌃⌘F) clears everything away except the note you are writing.

Choose a light, dark or automatic look, a Default, Charcoal or Sepia editor background, the font size and how wide a line runs.

Trash and recovery

Deleted notes go to the trash first, so a slip of the keyboard does not cost you your writing. Restore them any time; notes left in the trash are removed after 30 days, or after the number of days you choose in Settings.

Coming soon: iPhone, iPad and iCloud sync

An iPhone and iPad version of atiea is in testing now. It brings iCloud sync, so your notes follow you between your Mac, iPhone and iPad.

Export to Markdown, HTML, PDF and DOCX

Share a note as a PDF or Word document, publish it as HTML, or keep the raw markdown. Your writing is never trapped.

Details and alternatives in how to convert markdown to PDF or Word on Mac.

Keyboard shortcuts

Action	Shortcut
New note	⌘N
Find	⌘F
All notes as a grid	⇧⌘G
Focus mode	⌃⌘F
Headings	⌘1 to ⌘6
Bold	⌘B
Italic	⌘I
Underline	⌘U
Strikethrough	⇧⌘U
Highlight	⇧⌘M
Inline code	⌘E
Link	⌘K
Wiki link	⌘D
Bulleted list	⌘L
Numbered list	⇧⌘L
Quote	⇧⌘T
To-do	⌘T
Check or uncheck a to-do	⌘.

Learn more

• How to take notes in markdown
• What are wiki links and backlinks?
• A 7-point checklist for choosing a markdown notes app
• atiea vs Obsidian · atiea vs Notion
• About atiea · Glossary