File Storage
Each note is saved as a.md file in your notes folder. The filename is automatically derived from the note’s title (the first # Heading in the content).
Filename Sanitization
When you save a note, Scratch sanitizes the title to create a safe filename:- Invalid characters (
/,\,:,*,?,",<,>,|) are replaced with- - Leading and trailing spaces are removed
- Empty titles default to “Untitled”
- If a file with the same name exists, a counter is appended (e.g.,
Meeting-2.md)
Title changes = File renames: When you change a note’s title, Scratch automatically renames the file. Your note ID updates, but you stay in the same note.
Example
A note with the title:Folder Structure
You can organize notes into subfolders for better structure. Scratch discovers all.md files recursively up to 10 levels deep.
Special Folders
Scratch excludes certain folders from note discovery:.git- Git repository metadata.scratch- App settings and cache.obsidian- Obsidian vault metadata.trash- Deleted notesassets- Images and attachments
Folder-Based Note IDs
Notes in subfolders have IDs that include the path:Wikilinks
Connect your notes using[[wikilinks]] - a simple way to reference other notes by title.
Creating Wikilinks
- Type
[[to trigger autocomplete - Shows all your notes - Select a note - Inserts
[[Note Title]] - Click the wikilink - Navigates to the linked note
Wikilink Behavior
- Case-insensitive matching:
[[scratch]]matches “Scratch” note - Autocomplete: Type
[[and see suggestions as you type - Non-existent notes: Clicking a wikilink to a note that doesn’t exist shows a toast notification
Wikilinks are stored as
[[Note Title]] in your Markdown. They work across folder boundaries - just use the note’s title.Note Naming Conventions
Customize how new notes are named using templates in Settings → General → Default Note Name.Available Tags
| Tag | Output | Example |
|---|---|---|
{timestamp} | Unix timestamp | 1709481600 |
{date} | ISO date | 2024-03-03 |
{year} | Year | 2024 |
{month} | Month | 03 |
{day} | Day | 03 |
{time} | Time (24h) | 14-30-00 |
{counter} | Auto-incrementing number | 1, 2, 3 |
Template Examples
Daily notes:2024/03/03.md
Numbered notes:
Note 1.md, Note 2.md
Meeting notes:
Meeting 2024-03-03.md
Pinning Notes
Pin frequently accessed notes to keep them at the top of your sidebar:- Right-click a note in the sidebar
- Select Pin Note
- Pinned notes appear first, sorted by date
Pinned note IDs are stored in
.scratch/settings.json in your notes folder. Pin status is per-folder, not global.Search and Discovery
Scratch uses Tantivy (full-text search) to index your notes for fast searching:- Search notes:
Cmd+Shift+F(or click search in sidebar) - Search current note:
Cmd+Ffor in-page find - Command Palette:
Cmd+Pto quickly jump to any note
What’s Indexed
- Note titles (higher ranking)
- Full note content
- Metadata (modified date)
Best Practices
- Use descriptive titles - Filenames are derived from titles, so make them clear
- Create subfolders sparingly - Scratch’s search is fast; folders are for broad categorization
- Link liberally - Use
[[wikilinks]]to create connections between ideas - Pin your index - Create a “Home” or “Index” note and pin it for quick navigation
- Keep assets organized - Images are automatically stored in the
assets/folder