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Welcome to Scratch

Scratch is a minimalist, offline-first markdown note-taking app designed for distraction-free writing. Your notes are stored as plain .md files you own—no cloud, no account, no internet required.

Offline-First

No cloud, no account, no internet required. Your notes stay on your computer as plain markdown files you own.

WYSIWYG Editing

Rich text editing that saves as markdown. Toggle to source mode (Cmd+Shift+M) to view and edit raw markdown.

Wikilinks

Type [[ to link between notes with autocomplete. Navigate your knowledge base effortlessly.

Slash Commands

Type / to quickly insert headings, lists, code blocks, tables, and more without leaving your keyboard.

Focus Mode

Distraction-free writing with animated sidebar and toolbar fade (Cmd+Shift+Enter).

AI Integration

Edit notes with Claude Code CLI or OpenAI Codex. Detects external file changes from other AI agents.

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Key Features

Notes are stored as plain .md files in a folder you choose. Filenames are derived from note titles, and the first # Heading becomes the note title displayed in the sidebar. Works seamlessly with other markdown editors and version control.
Open any .md file via drag-and-drop or “Open With” without selecting a notes folder. Perfect for quick viewing and editing of standalone markdown files.
Navigate your notes entirely with keyboard shortcuts. Command palette (Cmd+P) provides quick access to all features. Full shortcuts reference available in Settings.
Optional version control with push/pull for multi-device sync. Floating git status shows uncommitted changes with inline commit UI.
Choose between light, dark, or system theme. Customize typography (font family, size, line height, bold weight), page width (narrow/normal/wide/full), and RTL text direction.
Built with Tauri v2 (Rust backend) + React. 5-10x smaller than Obsidian or Notion with native performance.

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Editor Features

The TipTap-powered editor includes:
  • Auto-save with 300ms debounce
  • Copy & Export menu (Cmd+Shift+C) for Markdown, Plain Text, HTML, and PDF
  • Format bar with 13 formatting tools (bold, italic, headings, lists, code, etc.)
  • Inline link editor (Cmd+K) for add/edit/remove
  • Table editing with right-click context menu (insert/delete rows/columns, merge/split cells)
  • Image insertion from disk with automatic asset management
  • Markdown paste detection and parsing
  • External file change detection with auto-reload
  • Unsaved changes indicator and “last saved” status
On Windows and Linux, use Ctrl instead of Cmd for all keyboard shortcuts.

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Built With

Scratch leverages modern, performant technologies:

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Next Steps

Installation

Get Scratch installed on macOS, Windows, or Linux

Quick Start

Create your first note in under 2 minutes

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