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Quick Start Guide

Get up and running with Scratch in just a few steps. This guide walks you through selecting your notes folder, creating your first note, and exploring key features.

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Choose Your Notes Folder

When you first launch Scratch, you’ll see a welcome screen asking you to choose your notes folder.
1

Launch Scratch

Open the Scratch app. You’ll see a welcome screen with a folder icon and the message:
“Scratch is an offline-first notes app. Your notes are simply stored on your computer as markdown files.”
2

Select a folder

Click “Choose your notes folder” and select where you want your notes stored.
Choose an empty folder or create a new one. You can change this later in Settings > General.
3

Access your notes

Once selected, Scratch will create a .scratch subdirectory for settings and load any existing .md files as notes.
Your notes folder can be synced with cloud storage (Dropbox, iCloud Drive, etc.) or use Git for version control and multi-device sync.

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Create Your First Note

Now let’s create a note and explore the editor.
1

Create a new note

Press Cmd+N (macOS) or Ctrl+N (Windows/Linux) to create a new note.A blank note appears with the placeholder text “Start writing…”
2

Add a title

Start typing a heading:
# My First Note
The first # Heading becomes the note title in the sidebar. As you type, Scratch auto-saves every 500ms.
3

Add content

Continue writing. The WYSIWYG editor supports:
  • Bold (Cmd+B) and italic (Cmd+I)
  • Headings, lists, blockquotes, code blocks
  • Links, images, tables, and task lists
Use the format bar at the top or keyboard shortcuts to apply formatting.

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Try Key Features

Wikilinks let you link between notes seamlessly.
1

Start a wikilink

Type [[ in your note. An autocomplete menu appears showing all your notes.
2

Select a note

Use arrow keys to navigate and Enter to select, or continue typing to filter.
3

Navigate

Click the wikilink to jump to that note. If the note doesn’t exist yet, you’ll see a toast notification.
Wikilinks use note titles (case-insensitive matching). They’re rendered as [[Note Title]] in markdown source.

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Use Slash Commands

Slash commands provide quick access to formatting without leaving your keyboard.
1

Trigger slash menu

Type / in your note. A popup menu appears with formatting options.
2

Choose an option

Select from:
  • Headings (H1-H6)
  • Bullet list, Numbered list, Task list
  • Blockquote, Code block
  • Horizontal rule, Table, Image
3

Insert content

Press Enter or click to insert the selected format.
Slash commands work anywhere in your note. They’re especially useful for inserting tables and images.

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View Markdown Source

Switch between WYSIWYG and raw markdown mode.
1

Toggle source mode

Press Cmd+Shift+M (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+M (Windows/Linux).
2

Edit raw markdown

You’ll see the raw markdown source. Edit directly if you prefer.
3

Return to WYSIWYG

Press Cmd+Shift+M again to return to the rich text editor.
Source mode uses the same auto-save debounce (300ms). Changes are parsed back to the editor when you exit source mode.

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Enable Focus Mode

Focus mode hides distractions for deep writing.
1

Enter focus mode

Press Cmd+Shift+Enter (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+Enter (Windows/Linux).
2

Write distraction-free

The sidebar and toolbar fade out with animated transitions. Only your note content remains.
3

Exit focus mode

Press Cmd+Shift+Enter again to restore the full interface.

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Essential Keyboard Shortcuts

Scratch is designed for keyboard-first navigation. Here are the essentials:
ShortcutAction
Cmd+NCreate new note
Cmd+POpen command palette
Cmd+FFind in current note
Cmd+Shift+FSearch all notes
Cmd+KAdd/edit link
Cmd+Shift+CCopy & Export menu
Cmd+Shift+MToggle markdown source
Cmd+Shift+EnterToggle focus mode
Cmd+,Open settings
Cmd+\Toggle sidebar
Cmd+RReload current note
↑/↓Navigate note list
On Windows and Linux, replace Cmd with Ctrl. View the full shortcuts reference in Settings > Shortcuts.

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Explore Advanced Features

Command Palette

Press Cmd+P to access all commands and quickly jump to any note.

Copy & Export

Press Cmd+Shift+C to copy or export your note as Markdown, Plain Text, HTML, or PDF.

Git Integration

Enable Git in Settings > General for version control and multi-device sync with push/pull.

Customize Appearance

Go to Settings > Appearance to customize theme, typography, page width, and text direction.

Search Notes

Press Cmd+Shift+F to search all notes with full-text search powered by Tantivy.

AI Editing

Integrate with Claude Code CLI or OpenAI Codex for AI-powered note editing.

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Tips for Success

Scratch doesn’t have built-in folders, but you can organize notes using:
  • Prefixes: Project - Task 1, Project - Task 2
  • Tags: Add #tag in your notes and search for them
  • Wikilinks: Create index notes with links to related notes
Right-click any note in the sidebar and select “Pin” to keep it at the top of your list.
Scratch watches your notes folder for external changes. If you edit files with other tools (VS Code, AI agents), the sidebar updates automatically.
Since notes are plain markdown files, you can:
  • Sync with Dropbox, iCloud Drive, or Google Drive
  • Use Git for version control (built-in support)
  • Copy the entire notes folder for backups
Master the command palette (Cmd+P) and essential shortcuts. You can navigate Scratch entirely without a mouse.

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Next Steps

You’re ready to start using Scratch! Here are some resources to help you get the most out of it:
Scratch is designed to stay minimal and focused. If you have feature requests, check the philosophy in the repository’s Contributing guidelines.

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