Pinned Notes
What are Pinned Notes?
Pin important notes for instant access from the top of your sidebar. Keep frequently referenced notes always within reach.
Quick Start
Pin a note:
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Right-click note → Pin Note
Unpin a note:
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Right-click pinned note → Unpin Note
Pinned Notes Section
Pinned notes appear at the top of the Notes view:
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My Notes
📌 Pinned Notes (3)
├── 📌 project-roadmap.md
├── 📌 daily-standup-template.md
└── 📌 common-commands.md
📁 Recent Notes
└── ...
📁 2024
└── ...
Always visible, always accessible!
Pinning Notes
From Context Menu
Right-click any note:
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Open Note
Move to Folder
Rename Note
Duplicate Note
Delete Note
───────────────
Pin Note ← Click here
Archive Note
Note becomes pinned immediately.
From Any Location
You can pin notes from anywhere:
- Recent Notes section
- Date folders (year/month)
- Custom folders
- Search results (open note first, then pin)
Visual Indicators
Pinned notes show:
- 📌 Pin icon
- “Pinned Notes” section header
- Grouped at top of tree view
- Special highlighting
Unpinning Notes
Remove Pin
Right-click pinned note:
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Open Note
Move to Folder
Rename Note
Duplicate Note
Delete Note
───────────────
Unpin Note ← Click here
Archive Note
Result:
- Note removed from Pinned section
- Returns to original location
- Still accessible in date/custom folders
Automatic Cleanup
Pinned notes are automatically unpinned if:
- Note is deleted
- Note is archived
- Note file is moved outside workspace
No broken pins left behind!
Use Cases
Project Dashboards
Pin project overview notes:
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📌 Pinned Notes
├── 📌 project-alpha-overview.md
├── 📌 project-beta-status.md
└── 📌 team-contacts.md
Quick access to key project info!
Reference Material
Pin commonly referenced notes:
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📌 Pinned Notes
├── 📌 coding-standards.md
├── 📌 deployment-checklist.md
└── 📌 api-endpoints.md
Always available when you need them.
Templates
Pin your favorite templates:
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📌 Pinned Notes
├── 📌 daily-standup-template.md
├── 📌 bug-report-template.md
└── 📌 meeting-notes-template.md
Quick access for creating new notes.
Active Work
Pin notes you’re actively working on:
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📌 Pinned Notes
├── 📌 feature-auth-spec.md
├── 📌 bug-123-investigation.md
└── 📌 sprint-planning.md
Temporary pins - unpin when done.
Quick Reference
Pin cheat sheets and guides:
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📌 Pinned Notes
├── 📌 git-commands.md
├── 📌 regex-patterns.md
└── 📌 keyboard-shortcuts.md
Team Information
Pin team-related notes:
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📌 Pinned Notes
├── 📌 team-directory.md
├── 📌 on-call-schedule.md
└── 📌 meeting-links.md
Best Practices
- Limit Pins: Keep 3-7 pinned notes for best usability
- Review Regularly: Unpin notes when no longer needed
- Meaningful Names: Use clear names so pins are easy to scan
- Organize by Purpose: Group related pinned notes
- Temporary vs. Permanent: Some pins are permanent (references), some temporary (active work)
Pinning Strategies
The “Top 5” Strategy
Pin your 5 most important notes:
- Project roadmap
- Current sprint
- Team contacts
- Personal todo
- Quick reference
Review weekly, update as needed.
Project-Based Strategy
Pin current project materials:
- Pin when starting project
- Unpin when project completes
- Keeps pins relevant to current work
Role-Based Strategy
Pin based on your role:
Developer:
- Coding standards
- API documentation
- Development checklist
Manager:
- Team roster
- Meeting templates
- Project status
Designer:
- Design system
- Brand guidelines
- Asset locations
Time-Based Strategy
Pin for specific time periods:
Weekly:
- This week’s goals
- Weekly standup template
- Active tasks
Sprint:
- Sprint backlog
- Sprint retrospective
- Team capacity
Pinned Notes Workflow
Daily Workflow
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1. Open VS Code
2. Pinned notes immediately visible
3. Click to access frequently used notes
4. No navigation needed!
Weekly Review
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Sunday:
1. Review pinned notes
2. Unpin completed items
3. Pin upcoming week's priorities
4. Update project pins
Project Lifecycle
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Start:
- Pin project spec
- Pin task list
- Pin relevant docs
Middle:
- Adjust pins as focus shifts
- Add/remove as needed
End:
- Unpin project notes
- Archive or keep for reference
Pin Management
How Many Pins?
Recommended:
- 3-7 pins: Ideal for quick access
- Up to 10: Still manageable
- More than 10: Consider organizing differently
Too many pins:
- Defeats purpose of quick access
- Hard to scan
- Consider using tags/folders instead
Pin Organization
Pins appear in order pinned (chronological):
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📌 Pinned Notes
├── First pinned
├── Second pinned
└── Third pinned
To reorder:
- Unpin all
- Re-pin in desired order
Pin Persistence
Pinned state is stored:
- In workspace settings
- Survives VS Code restarts
- Workspace-specific (different pins per workspace)
Visual Design
Pin Icon
Pinned notes use 📌 (pushpin) icon:
- Universal symbol for “pinned”
- Distinct from other icons
- Easy to spot in tree view
Section Header
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📌 Pinned Notes (3)
Shows:
- 📌 Icon
- Section name
- Count of pinned notes
Collapsible
The Pinned Notes section can be collapsed:
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▼ 📌 Pinned Notes (3) ← Expanded
▶ 📌 Pinned Notes (3) ← Collapsed
Collapse if you need more space.
Integration with Other Features
Recent Notes
Pinned notes can also appear in Recent Notes:
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📌 Pinned Notes
└── 📌 active-project.md
📁 Recent Notes
├── active-project.md ← Same file
└── other-note.md
File appears in both locations!
Search
Pinned notes appear in search results:
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Search: "authentication"
Results:
📌 active-project.md (pinned)
📄 other-note.md
Archive
Archiving a pinned note:
- Automatically unpins
- Moves to archive
- No orphaned pins
Graph View
Pinned notes appear in graph:
- No special indicator (yet)
- Same as any other note
- Could be hub nodes if frequently linked
Tips & Tricks
Pin Templates
Pin your template starter:
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📌 Pinned Notes
└── 📌 _templates-index.md
Content:
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# Templates Index
Quick links to all templates:
- [[daily-standup-template]]
- [[meeting-notes-template]]
- [[bug-report-template]]
One pin → Access all templates!
Pin Index Notes
Create index notes that link to groups:
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# Project Alpha Index
- [[project-alpha-spec]]
- [[project-alpha-tasks]]
- [[project-alpha-decisions]]
- [[project-alpha-retrospective]]
Pin the index, access everything.
Pin Your “Home”
Create a dashboard note:
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# My Dashboard
## Current Focus
- [[feature-auth]]
- [[bug-123]]
## Reference
- [[team-contacts]]
- [[coding-standards]]
## This Week
![[weekly-goals]]
Pin this as your starting point each day.
Emoji Pins
Use emojis in pinned note names:
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📌 Pinned Notes
├── 📌 🎯 current-sprint.md
├── 📌 📚 reference-docs.md
└── 📌 ⚡ quick-commands.md
Visual categorization!
Pin Keyboard Shortcuts
Can’t pin the pin command, but you can:
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File > Preferences > Keyboard Shortcuts
Search: "Noted: Pin Note"
Assign: Cmd+K Cmd+P (or your choice)
Troubleshooting
Pin Not Showing
Check:
- Note was successfully pinned
- Pinned Notes section is expanded
- Tree view has refreshed
Try:
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Command: Noted: Refresh
Can’t Unpin
Verify:
- Right-clicking the actual pinned note
- Context menu shows “Unpin Note” option
- Not in read-only mode
Pins Disappeared
Possible causes:
- Workspace was reset
- Settings were cleared
- Notes were deleted/archived
Prevention:
- Keep notes in version control
- Don’t delete workspace settings
- Archive carefully
Too Many Pins
If pins become unmanageable:
- Unpin all
- Decide on top 5 only
- Re-pin selectively
- Use tags/folders for rest
Related Features
- Recent Notes - Another quick access method
- Quick Switcher - Fast navigation
- Favorites - Similar concept (if implemented)
- Bookmarks - Alternative organization
Keep important notes always at hand! 📌