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wtf is takenote?

taniarascia/takenote — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-06-24

7,120TypeScriptAudience · developerComplexity · 2/5Setup · easy

TL;DR

TakeNote is a browser-based Markdown notes app for developers that stores everything in local browser storage with no server or account required, featuring a code-editor-style interface with syntax highlighting and multi-cursor editing.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((TakeNote))
    What it does
      Markdown notes
      Browser-based
      No server needed
    Tech Stack
      TypeScript
      React
      Redux
      CodeMirror
    Features
      Syntax highlighting
      Multi-cursor edit
      Note linking
    Privacy
      Local storage only
      No tracking
      Export to zip

Code map

Detail Auto

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filefunction / class

Why would anyone build with this?

REASON 1

Use TakeNote as a private developer notebook that stores Markdown notes in your browser with no account, server, or tracking.

REASON 2

Self-host TakeNote with GitHub OAuth so your notes automatically back up to a private GitHub repository instead of browser storage.

REASON 3

Export all notes as a zip of Markdown files to migrate them to another tool at any time.

REASON 4

Write and organize technical documentation or developer notes with multi-cursor editing and live Markdown preview.

What's in the stack?

TypeScriptReactReduxCodeMirrorNode.jsExpress

How it stacks up

taniarascia/takenoteguess-js/guesswei/pull
Stars7,1207,1207,123
LanguageTypeScriptTypeScriptTypeScript
Setup difficultyeasymoderateeasy
Complexity2/53/52/5
Audiencedeveloperdeveloperdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you spin it up?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

The GitHub-backed self-hosted version requires creating a GitHub OAuth app and running a separate Node/Express server alongside the frontend.

Wtf does this do

TakeNote is a notes application that runs in a web browser and is designed for developers who prefer writing in plain text and Markdown rather than rich formatted editors. You write notes in an interface that resembles a code editor, with syntax highlighting, multi-cursor editing, and keyboard shortcuts for common actions. A side panel shows a rendered preview of your Markdown so you can see formatted output without switching views. Notes are organized into categories and can be dragged between them or moved to favorites or trash. You can link notes to each other using a special syntax based on each note's unique ID. Search works across all notes or within a single category. A Prettier formatting option lets you auto-format the Markdown in any note. There is no server-side database in the public demo version. Notes are stored in your browser's local storage, so they stay on your device and are not sent anywhere. You can export all your notes as a zip of Markdown files at any time. The app has no analytics or tracking. A self-hosted version with GitHub integration also exists in the codebase, though the author states it is not actively deployed or supported. In that version, notes back up automatically to a private GitHub repository in your account instead of browser storage. Setting it up requires creating a GitHub OAuth application and running a Node/Express server alongside the frontend. The README notes the project is available as open source for learning and self-hosting but the author does not provide support. Built with TypeScript, React, Redux, and Codemirror, among other libraries.

Yoink these prompts

Prompt 1
I want to self-host TakeNote with GitHub OAuth so my notes back up to a private GitHub repo. Walk me through creating the GitHub OAuth app and running the Node/Express server.
Prompt 2
How do I link two notes together in TakeNote using the note ID syntax? Show me the exact linking format.
Prompt 3
I want to contribute a new feature to TakeNote's React and Redux codebase. Walk me through the project structure and how state is managed.
Prompt 4
How do I export all my TakeNote notes as Markdown files and what format does the zip archive use?
Prompt 5
Set up TakeNote locally for development: show me the steps to clone the repo, install dependencies, and start the dev server.

Frequently asked questions

wtf is takenote?

TakeNote is a browser-based Markdown notes app for developers that stores everything in local browser storage with no server or account required, featuring a code-editor-style interface with syntax highlighting and multi-cursor editing.

What language is takenote written in?

Mainly TypeScript. The stack also includes TypeScript, React, Redux.

How hard is takenote to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is takenote for?

Mainly developer.

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