Smart Collections

What are Smart Collections?

Smart Collections are saved search queries that automatically update as your notes change. Think of them as dynamic folders that organize notes based on criteria you define - tags, dates, content patterns, and more.

Think of it like this:

Instead of manually dragging notes into folders, you define rules like:

• “Show me all notes tagged #bug from this month”
• “Show me all meeting notes with action items”
• “Show me my learning notes from the last week”

Then the collection automatically shows all matching notes - and updates when you create or edit notes!

Quick Start

Let’s create your first Smart Collection in 3 easy steps:

Step 1: Open the Command

Press Cmd+Shift+P (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) to open the Command Palette, then type:

Noted: Create Smart Collection

Press Enter.

Step 2: Fill in the Details

You’ll see a series of prompts:

Prompt 1 - Collection Name:

Work Notes This Month

This is what you’ll see in your Collections sidebar.

Prompt 2 - Search Query:

tag:work from:THIS MONTH

This filters for notes tagged with #work created this month (auto-updates!).

Prompt 3 - Description (optional):

All work-related notes from this month

Press Enter to skip, or add a description for reference.

Prompt 4 - Icon (optional):

🚀

Choose from 10 icons or press Enter to use the default 🔍.

Prompt 5 - Pin Collection? (yes/no):

yes

Type yes to pin it to the top of your Collections sidebar for quick access.

Step 3: Find Your Collection

Look in the Collections sidebar panel (in the Noted activity bar on the left). You’ll see:

Collections View
  ├── 📌 Pinned Collections
  │   └── 🚀 Work Notes This Month (15)

Click on the collection to see all matching notes! The number (15) shows how many notes match your query.

The collection updates automatically as you create or modify notes - no manual refresh needed!

Tip: Pin frequently-used collections to keep them at the top of the sidebar.

Why Use Smart Collections?

Problem: Manually organizing hundreds of notes into folders is time-consuming and inflexible.

Solution: Smart Collections automatically group notes by any criteria you choose.

Benefits:

• Auto-update as notes change
• Multiple views of the same notes (one note can appear in many collections)
• Powerful filtering with all Advanced Search features
• Save time with pre-built queries
• Quick access to important note sets

Creating Collections

Basic Collection

Create a simple collection that shows all notes:

1. Run command: Noted: Create Smart Collection
2. Enter when prompted:
   • Name: Recent Notes
   • Query: (press Enter to leave empty - shows all notes)
   • Description: All notes sorted by date
   • Icon: 📜
   • Pin: yes

Collection with Tag Filter

Filter notes by a specific tag:

1. Run command: Noted: Create Smart Collection
2. Enter when prompted:
   • Name: Backend Work
   • Query: tag:backend
   • Description: All backend development notes

Collection with Date Range

Filter notes by date:

1. Run command: Noted: Create Smart Collection
2. Enter when prompted:
   • Name: This Week
   • Query: from:THIS WEEK
   • Description: Notes from Sunday to today - auto-updates!

Advanced Collection

Combine multiple filters (tags + dates):

1. Run command: Noted: Create Smart Collection
2. Enter when prompted:
   • Name: Critical Backend Bugs
   • Query: tag:backend tag:bug tag:critical from:THIS MONTH
   • Description: High-priority backend bugs this month - auto-updates!
   • Icon: 🔥
   • Pin: yes

Collection Query Syntax

Collections use the same powerful query syntax as Advanced Search.

Tag Filters

Single tag:

tag:backend

Multiple tags (AND):

tag:backend tag:security

All notes must have BOTH tags.

Date Filters

Smart Collections support both static dates and dynamic date keywords for flexible date filtering.

Static Dates

From date (inclusive):

from:2025-10-01

To date (inclusive):

to:2025-10-31

Date range:

from:2025-10-01 to:2025-10-31

Date format: YYYY-MM-DD (ISO 8601)

Dynamic Date Keywords

Create collections that auto-update based on the current date:

TODAY:

from:TODAY

Shows notes from today onward.

YESTERDAY:

from:YESTERDAY to:YESTERDAY

Shows only yesterday’s notes.

LAST N DAYS:

from:LAST 7 DAYS
from:LAST 30 DAYS
from:LAST 90 DAYS

Shows notes from the last N days. Works with any number!

THIS WEEK:

from:THIS WEEK

Shows notes from Sunday (start of week) to today.

THIS MONTH:

from:THIS MONTH

Shows notes from the 1st of the current month to today.

THIS YEAR:

from:THIS YEAR

Shows notes from January 1st of the current year to today.

Combine with TO:

from:LAST 30 DAYS to:TODAY
from:THIS MONTH to:TODAY

These keywords are case-insensitive, so TODAY, today, and Today all work!

Text Search

Simple text:

authentication

Multiple words:

authentication oauth

Regex Patterns

Bug numbers:

regex: bug-\d+

Feature or bug:

regex: (feature|bug).*auth

TODO items:

regex: - \[ \]

Case Sensitivity

Case-sensitive matching:

case:true Authentication

Default is case-insensitive.

Combining Filters

Mix and match any filters:

tag:backend from:THIS MONTH regex: bug-\d+

This finds:

• Notes with #backend tag
• Created this month (auto-updates!)
• Containing patterns like “bug-123”

Managing Collections

Running a Collection

From Collections View:

Right-click collection → Run Collection

Shows:

• All matching notes
• Number of matches
• Preview of content
• Click to open note

From Command Palette:

Command: Noted: Run Collection
Select: Collection name

Editing a Collection

Change name, query, or description:

Right-click collection → Edit Collection
Update: Name, query, or description

Example: Update date range for “This Month” collection each month.

Pinning Collections

Pin to top:

Right-click collection → Pin/Unpin Collection

Pinned section:

Collections View
  ├── 📌 Pinned Collections
  │   ├── Critical Bugs (5)
  │   ├── This Week (23)
  │   └── Work Notes (45)
  └── Collections
      ├── Archive (120)
      └── Learning Notes (18)

Duplicating Collections

Create variations:

Right-click collection → Duplicate Collection

Use to:

• Create similar collections with different filters
• Make a backup before editing
• Create monthly variations (This Month → Last Month)

Deleting Collections

Right-click collection → Delete Collection
Confirm deletion

Note: Deleting a collection doesn’t delete any notes - it only removes the saved query.

Refreshing Collections

Command: Noted: Refresh Collections

Rebuilds the collections view. Use if:

• Collections seem out of sync
• New collections don’t appear
• Counts are incorrect

Collection Icons

Choose from 10 built-in icons:

Icon	Name	Best For
🔍	Search	General collections
📁	Folder	Organized groups
🏷️	Tag	Tag-based collections
📅	Calendar	Date-based collections
⭐	Star	Favorites
🔖	Bookmark	Reading lists
❤️	Heart	Personal favorites
🔥	Flame	Urgent/hot items
⚡	Zap	Quick actions
🚀	Rocket	Projects

Save Current Search as Collection

Found a search query you use often? Save it as a collection!

How to Save a Search

1. Run a search:
   • Open Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P)
   • Run: Noted: Search Notes
   • Enter query: tag:meeting from:THIS MONTH

2. Review the results to make sure the query finds what you want

3. Save as collection:
   • Open Command Palette again (Cmd+Shift+P)
   • Run: Noted: Save Current Search as Collection
   • When prompted:
     • Name: October Meetings
     • Description: Meetings from October
     • Icon: Choose one or press Enter
     • Pin: yes or no

The collection is created instantly with your search query already filled in!

Pre-Built Collection Ideas

Time-Based Collections

Today’s Notes:

Name: Today
Query: from:TODAY to:TODAY
Description: Notes created today - updates automatically!

This Week:

Name: This Week
Query: from:THIS WEEK
Description: Sunday to today - no manual updates needed!

This Month:

Name: This Month
Query: from:THIS MONTH
Description: Always shows current month's notes

Last 7 Days:

Name: Last 7 Days
Query: from:LAST 7 DAYS
Description: Rolling 7-day window - always current!

Last 30 Days:

Name: Last 30 Days
Query: from:LAST 30 DAYS
Description: Rolling 30-day window - always current!

Last Quarter (static):

Name: Q3 2024
Query: from:2024-07-01 to:2024-09-30
Description: Historical data - use static dates

Status Collections

Recent Changes:

Name: Recently Modified
Query: from:LAST 7 DAYS
Description: Notes from the last week - always current!

Note: For untagged notes and orphaned notes, use the dedicated Orphans & Placeholders panel rather than Smart Collections, as these require special detection that cannot be expressed as search queries.

Project Collections

Project Alpha:

Name: Project Alpha
Query: tag:project-alpha

Active Projects:

Name: Active Projects
Query: tag:project tag:active

Project Meetings:

Name: Project Meetings
Query: tag:project-alpha tag:meeting

Bug Tracking

All Bugs:

Name: All Bugs
Query: tag:bug

Open Bugs:

Name: Open Bugs
Query: tag:bug tag:open

Critical Bugs:

Name: Critical Bugs
Query: tag:bug tag:critical
Pin: Yes

Recent Bugs:

Name: New Bugs This Month
Query: tag:bug from:THIS MONTH
Description: Auto-updates each month!

Learning & Reference

Learning Notes:

Name: Learning Log
Query: tag:learning

Study This Week:

Name: Recent Learning
Query: tag:learning from:THIS WEEK
Description: This week's learning notes - auto-updates!

JavaScript Learning:

Name: JavaScript
Query: tag:learning javascript

Reference Material:

Name: Reference Docs
Query: tag:reference

Meeting Notes

All Meetings:

Name: All Meetings
Query: tag:meeting

Team Meetings:

Name: Team Meetings
Query: tag:meeting tag:team

This Month’s Meetings:

Name: This Month's Meetings
Query: tag:meeting from:THIS MONTH
Description: Current month's meetings - auto-updates!

Historical Meetings:

Name: October 2024 Meetings
Query: tag:meeting from:2024-10-01 to:2024-10-31
Description: Use static dates for historical records

Meetings with Action Items:

Name: Action Items
Query: tag:meeting regex: - \[ \]
Description: Meetings with open TODOs

Use Cases

Personal Knowledge Management

Organize by topic:

Collections:
- Programming (tag:programming)
- Design (tag:design)
- Productivity (tag:productivity)
- Learning (tag:learning)

Organize by status:

Collections:
- Inbox (tag:inbox)
- In Progress (tag:in-progress)
- Done (tag:done)
- Archive (tag:archive)

Project Management

Organize by project:

Collections:
- Project Alpha (tag:project-alpha)
- Project Beta (tag:project-beta)
- Infrastructure (tag:infrastructure)

Organize by priority:

Collections:
- 🔴 Urgent (tag:urgent)
- 🟡 High Priority (tag:high-priority)
- 🟢 Low Priority (tag:low-priority)

Development Workflow

Track work items:

Collections:
- 🐛 Bugs (tag:bug)
- ✨ Features (tag:feature)
- 🔧 Tech Debt (tag:tech-debt)
- 📝 Documentation (tag:docs)

Track progress:

Collections:
- 📋 Backlog (tag:backlog)
- 🚧 In Progress (tag:in-progress)
- ✅ Done This Week (tag:done from:THIS WEEK)

Research & Writing

Research stages:

Collections:
- 🔍 Research Notes (tag:research)
- 📊 Data Analysis (tag:analysis)
- ✍️ Drafts (tag:draft)
- 📚 Published (tag:published)

By topic:

Collections:
- AI/ML (tag:ai tag:machine-learning)
- Security (tag:security)
- Performance (tag:performance)

Best Practices

1. Start Small

Begin with 3-5 essential collections:

• Recent Notes (no filter)
• This Week (from:THIS WEEK)
• Last 30 Days (from:LAST 30 DAYS)
• Your main project (tag:project-name)
• Urgent items (tag:urgent)

Add more as needed.

2. Pin Important Collections

Pin collections you use daily:

• Active project collections
• Urgent/priority collections
• Inbox or processing queues

Keep unpinned collections for occasional use.

3. Use Descriptive Names

Good names:

• “Backend Bugs This Quarter”
• “Team Meetings October”
• “Unprocessed Inbox Items”

Avoid:

• “Collection 1”
• “Notes”
• “Stuff”

4. Use Dynamic Date Keywords

No more manual date updates!

✅ "This Month"    → from:THIS MONTH        (Auto-updates!)
✅ "Last 30 Days"  → from:LAST 30 DAYS      (Auto-updates!)
✅ "This Week"     → from:THIS WEEK         (Auto-updates!)

Use static dates for historical records:

📅 "October 2024"   → from:2024-10-01 to:2024-10-31
📅 "Q3 2024"        → from:2024-07-01 to:2024-09-30

5. Combine with Tags

Use consistent tagging for effective collections:

Tag strategy:
- Project: #project-alpha, #project-beta
- Type: #bug, #feature, #meeting
- Status: #todo, #in-progress, #done
- Priority: #urgent, #high, #low

Collections:
- "Alpha Urgent" → tag:project-alpha tag:urgent
- "Alpha Bugs" → tag:project-alpha tag:bug
- "Done This Week" → tag:done from:THIS WEEK

6. Use Icons Consistently

Icon conventions:

• 🔥 Flame → Urgent/High Priority
• 🚀 Rocket → Projects
• 📅 Calendar → Date-based collections
• 🏷️ Tag → Tag-based collections
• ⭐ Star → Favorites
• ⚡ Zap → Quick actions
• 🔖 Bookmark → Reading lists
• 🔍 Search → General searches

7. Review & Prune Regularly

Monthly review:

1. Delete unused collections
2. Update date ranges
3. Refine queries based on usage
4. Check if collections still serve your workflow

Advanced Tips

Dynamic Date Collections

Create collections that automatically stay current using dynamic date keywords:

Rolling Windows (Auto-Update!):

Last 7 Days   → from:LAST 7 DAYS
Last 30 Days  → from:LAST 30 DAYS
Last 90 Days  → from:LAST 90 DAYS

Current Periods (Auto-Update!):

Today         → from:TODAY to:TODAY
This Week     → from:THIS WEEK
This Month    → from:THIS MONTH
This Year     → from:THIS YEAR

Historical Periods (Static Dates):

"Week 42"     → from:2024-10-14 to:2024-10-20
"October 24"  → from:2024-10-01 to:2024-10-31
"Q3 2024"     → from:2024-07-01 to:2024-09-30

Pro Tip: Use dynamic keywords for ongoing tracking, static dates for historical records!

Multi-Layer Organization

Create hierarchical collections:

Level 1 - Project:

Project Alpha (tag:project-alpha)

Level 2 - Status:

Alpha - In Progress (tag:project-alpha tag:in-progress)
Alpha - Done (tag:project-alpha tag:done)

Level 3 - Type:

Alpha Bugs (tag:project-alpha tag:bug)
Alpha Features (tag:project-alpha tag:feature)

Collection Templates

Create collection templates in a reference note:

# Collection Templates

## New Project Template
Name: [Project Name]
Query: tag:project-[name]
Description: All notes for [Project Name]
Icon: Rocket
Pin: Yes

## Sprint Template
Name: Sprint [Number]
Query: tag:sprint-[number] from:[start-date] to:[end-date]
Description: Sprint [number] - [dates]
Icon: Calendar
Pin: Yes during sprint

## Weekly Review Template
Name: Week of [Date]
Query: from:[monday] to:[sunday]
Description: All notes from week of [date]
Icon: Calendar
Pin: No

Regex Power Patterns

Find TODO items:

Query: regex: - \[ \]

Find completed items:

Query: regex: - \[x\]

Find specific patterns:

Query: regex: bug-\d+   (bug-123, bug-456)
Query: regex: #\d+      (GitHub issue numbers)
Query: regex: v\d+\.\d+  (version numbers)

Combination Collections

Active high-priority work:

Query: tag:in-progress tag:high-priority from:THIS MONTH

Recent team meetings with action items:

Query: tag:meeting tag:team regex: - \[ \] from:LAST 30 DAYS

Troubleshooting

Collection Shows No Results

Check:

1. Query syntax is correct
2. Tags are spelled correctly
3. Date format is YYYY-MM-DD
4. Files match all combined filters
5. Files are saved (unsaved changes not indexed)

Try:

• Simplify query (remove filters one by one)
• Run query in Advanced Search first
• Verify tags exist in Tags view

Collection Shows Wrong Results

Check:

1. Query combines filters correctly
2. Date range is what you expect
3. Tag filters use AND logic (all tags required)
4. Regex pattern is valid

Fix:

• Edit collection and review query
• Test query in Advanced Search
• Check recent file modifications

Collection Not Updating

Cause: Collections auto-update, but may need refresh.

Fix:

Command: Noted: Refresh Collections

Or:

• Close and reopen VS Code
• Save the note you expect to appear
• Rebuild tag index: Noted: Refresh Tags

Too Many Collections

Symptoms:

• Hard to find the right collection
• Collections view is cluttered
• Rarely use most collections

Solutions:

1. Delete unused collections
2. Pin only essential collections (3-5)
3. Use more specific queries
4. Combine similar collections

Slow Collection Performance

For very large workspaces:

Optimize:

1. Use tag filters first (fastest)
2. Add date filters to limit scope
3. Be specific with text search
4. Avoid complex regex patterns
5. Consider archiving old notes

Keyboard Shortcuts

Create shortcuts for frequently-used commands:

Suggested bindings:

Command	Suggested Shortcut	Purpose
Create Collection	Cmd+K Cmd+C	New collection
Run Collection	Cmd+K Cmd+R	Run selected
Refresh Collections	Cmd+K Cmd+Shift+C	Refresh view

Set in: Preferences → Keyboard Shortcuts → Search "collection"

Related Features

• Advanced Search - Powerful search with filters
• Tags System - Organize with tags
• Pinned Notes - Pin individual notes
• Archive - Archive old notes

Comparison: Collections vs Other Features

Collections vs Folders

Folders:

• Static organization
• One note = one folder
• Manual management

Collections:

• Dynamic organization
• One note = many collections
• Automatic management

Collections vs Tags

Tags:

• Broad categorization
• Single dimension
• Manual application

Collections:

• Precise filtering
• Multiple dimensions (tags + dates + content)
• Automatic grouping

Collections vs Pinned Notes

Pinned Notes:

• Individual important notes
• Manual pinning
• Quick access

Collections:

• Groups of notes
• Automatic membership
• Filtered views

Use Together: Pin individual notes AND create collections for related groups!

Collections vs Search

Search:

• Ad-hoc queries
• Enter each time
• Temporary results

Collections:

• Saved queries
• Reusable
• Always available

Workflow: Search → Refine → Save as Collection

---

Organize notes effortlessly with Smart Collections! 📚✨

Quick Reference Card

╔══════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║         SMART COLLECTIONS CHEAT SHEET        ║
╠══════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ FILTERS:                                     ║
║  tag:name           - Filter by tag          ║
║  from:YYYY-MM-DD    - From date (static)     ║
║  to:YYYY-MM-DD      - To date (static)       ║
║  regex:pattern      - Regex search           ║
║  case:true          - Case sensitive         ║
║                                              ║
║ DYNAMIC DATE KEYWORDS:                       ║
║  TODAY              - Today's date           ║
║  YESTERDAY          - Yesterday's date       ║
║  LAST N DAYS        - Last 7, 30, 90 days    ║
║  THIS WEEK          - Sunday to today        ║
║  THIS MONTH         - 1st to today           ║
║  THIS YEAR          - Jan 1 to today         ║
║                                              ║
║ COMMON COLLECTIONS:                          ║
║  Recent             - from:LAST 7 DAYS       ║
║  This Week          - from:THIS WEEK         ║
║  This Month         - from:THIS MONTH        ║
║  Last 30 Days       - from:LAST 30 DAYS      ║
║  Project            - tag:project-name       ║
║  Urgent             - tag:urgent             ║
║                                              ║
║ COMMANDS:                                    ║
║  Create             - New collection         ║
║  Edit               - Modify collection      ║
║  Run                - Show results           ║
║  Pin/Unpin          - Toggle pinned          ║
║  Duplicate          - Copy collection        ║
║  Delete             - Remove collection      ║
║  Refresh            - Rebuild view           ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════╝