Notes
A note is a highlight that has reader-added annotation text. There is no standalone "note" type in our reader: every note is built on a highlight, and the two share the same underlying record. Adding text to a highlight makes it a note; removing that text reverts it to a plain highlight.
Use this reference when a CS or support team member needs to explain how notes are created, edited, or relate to highlights and citations.
Notes are available for PDF and EPUB products only. Audiobook products do not support annotations.
Prerequisites
- The reader must be authenticated and have access to the product.
- The tenant must have annotation features enabled.
How Notes Relate to Highlights
Every note has all the properties of a highlight (selected text, color, position, timestamp) plus one additional field.
| Additional field | Description |
|---|---|
| Annotation text | Free-form plain text written by the reader |
Annotation text is plain text only. Markdown and rich text formatting are not supported.
How Notes Are Created
- The reader selects text in the document viewport.
- The reader chooses Add note from the context menu (instead of selecting a color directly).
- A text input modal opens.
- The reader types the annotation text and confirms.
- The note is saved with the default or last-used highlighter color.
There is no auto-save in the note modal. If the reader closes the modal without confirming, the annotation text is lost. The text selection itself is also discarded.
Editing a Note
Readers can edit the annotation text of an existing note from the Notebook panel or from the inline popover in the document.
| Action | Location | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Edit annotation text | Notebook panel or inline popover | Updates the annotationText field in place |
| Change Color | Notebook panel or inline popover | Replaces the highlighter color |
Reverting a Note to a Highlight
Clearing the annotation text field (leaving it empty) reverts the note to a plain highlight. The underlying record is the same; only the annotationText field changes.
Deleting a Note
Deleting a note removes both the annotation text and the underlying highlight permanently.
Deleted notes cannot be recovered.
Using Citations with Notes
From the Notebook panel, readers can copy a formatted citation from any note using the Citation Copy action. The citation includes the selected text and document metadata in the chosen format (APA, MLA, Chicago, Vancouver, IEEE, ISO 690, or ABNT). See Citations for supported formats and requirements.
Sync and Persistence
Notes follow the same sync behavior as highlights.
| Context | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Authenticated (web or app) | Persisted to the backend in real time via the host bridge |
| Standalone mode (no host bridge) | Stored in localStorage; data is tied to the browser session |
| Offline | Changes are saved locally and synced when the connection is restored (last-write-wins conflict resolution) |
Related Documentation
- Notebook Overview - the full Notebook panel, tabs, export, and available actions
- Highlights - plain highlights without annotation text
- Highlighters - the color system used for both highlights and notes
- Citations - copy formatted citations directly from annotations