Notherion documentation
Everything you need to start weaving your thoughts. Notherion is a local-first, keyboard-driven outliner and knowledge base.
Introduction
Notherion organises your notes as blocks — small, linkable bullets — instead of long documents. You capture ideas in a daily journal, connect them with links, and a personal knowledge graph forms as you write. Everything is stored on your own device.
Install
Download the Windows installer from the home page and run it. On first launch, choose a folder where Notherion will store your graph.
- Pick an empty folder for a new graph, or open an existing one.
- Your notes are written as plain files inside that folder.
- Back it up like any other folder — copy it, sync it, or version it with Git.
Blocks & outlining
Every line you write is a block. Press Enter for a new block, Tab to indent (nest) it, and Shift+Tab to outdent.
- Fold / unfold: click the bullet's arrow to collapse a branch.
- Zoom in: click a bullet to focus on that block as its own page.
- Reorder: drag a bullet, or use Alt+Shift+↑/↓.
Pages & links
Link to any page by wrapping its name in double brackets. If the page doesn't exist yet, it's created the moment you link to it.
Open any page and you'll see Linked References at the bottom — every block anywhere that mentions this page, gathered automatically. This two-way linking is what turns your notes into a graph.
Tags
A tag like #reading is just a link — it creates a reading page that collects everything tagged with it.
Block references
Reference a single block (not a whole page) by typing (( and searching for it. The reference stays in sync — edit the original and every reference updates.
- Reference:
((block))shows the block inline. - Embed:
{{embed ((block))}}shows it with its children.
Journals
Notherion opens each day to a fresh, dated journal page. It's the fastest place to capture a thought without deciding where it belongs — you can link or move it to a page later.
- Type freely; link people, projects, and topics as you go.
- Anything you tag or link shows up on the relevant page automatically.
Tasks & workflow
Turn any block into a task with a keyword at the start. Cycle the state with Ctrl+Enter.
| Keyword | Meaning |
|---|---|
LATER / TODO | Something to do |
NOW / DOING | In progress |
DONE | Completed |
Add a deadline or scheduled date and the task appears on that day's journal. Collect everything outstanding with a query (below).
Queries
A query is a live list that keeps itself up to date. Drop one on any page to gather blocks by tag, page, property, or task state.
Whenever you add a note that matches, it appears in the result automatically — no manual upkeep.
Properties & tags
Add structured metadata to any block with key:: value pairs. Properties are queryable, so they're great for lightweight databases (books, contacts, tasks).
PDF annotation & flashcards
Open a PDF inside Notherion and highlight it. Each highlight becomes a linked block you can reference and revisit — your notes and the source stay connected.
Flashcards
Tag any block with #card to turn it into a flashcard. Built-in spaced repetition schedules reviews for you, right where you took the note.
Keyboard shortcuts
Notherion is built to run from the keyboard. A few to start with:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+K | Search / command palette |
| Ctrl+Shift+K | Open the graph view |
| Tab / Shift+Tab | Indent / outdent a block |
| Ctrl+Enter | Cycle task state |
| [[ / (( | Link a page / reference a block |
Your files
Your entire graph lives in the folder you chose on first launch, as open, plain-text files. That means:
- No lock-in — read and edit your notes with any editor.
- Back up or sync the folder however you like.
- Version it with Git to keep a full history.
Notherion works fully offline. Your data is yours.