Field guide / 001Writing that stays yours

Markdown
Notes.

A practical guide to writing and keeping notes in Markdown.

A note can be a plain text file you understand, move, and keep. Learn the marks, try them yourself, and make a workflow that lasts.

Begin with the basics
01 / Practice

A note changes as you write.

Start with plain text. Add three small pieces of structure and watch what happens.

Field exercise · 01Ready when you are
Three small edits

Give a plain note some shape.

Change the source. Cindermark renders what you write here in your browser.

0 / 3
Live preview

A field note

A useful idea can begin as one plain sentence.

Return to this later.

Read the CommonMark spec.

  1. 01

    Make a heading. Add # before “A field note”.

  2. 02

    Make a task. Add - [ ] before “Return to this later”.

  3. 03

    Make a link. Try [CommonMark](https://spec.commonmark.org/).

Your text stays in this browser tab. This example uses Cindermark, the open-source parser behind Ember. Markdown support can differ among tools.
Open the full preview tool
02 / Read

A reading index.

Find the page you need, then get back to your notes.

01What is Markdown?Markdown is a way to add simple structure to plain text. See the marks, the rendered result, and where the format fits.02What are Markdown notes?A practical introduction to notes in Markdown: plain text, .md files, portability, syncing, strengths, and limits.03Markdown files: the useful basicsWhat .md files contain, how to open them, and how folders, images, and links affect portability.04Markdown syntax, by exampleA compact Markdown reference for headings, emphasis, links, images, lists, tasks, quotes, code, and tables.05Keeping Markdown notes on GitHubA practical GitHub note workflow: private repositories, READMEs, browser editing, history, attachments, and privacy limits.06Markdown notes and iCloudUnderstand iCloud Drive files, app-managed CloudKit data, and manual Markdown file syncing without conflating them.07Taking Markdown notes on iPhoneHow to make Markdown practical on iPhone, from quick capture and editing to files, syncing, and export.08Taking Markdown notes on MacA practical Mac Markdown workflow: keyboard-friendly editing, local files, iCloud choices, and export.09Exporting Markdown for the long termA practical export checklist covering .md text, attachments, folders, links, and a test restore.
03 / A note on tools

Use the ideas anywhere.

These guides explain Markdown and the files behind it. If you want to see one native approach, Ember Notes is made by the publisher of this site. Its editor is powered by the open-source Cindermark parser used in the exercise above.

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