Quick Capture
Quick Capture lets you jot down a thought from anywhere on your computer — without switching windows, finding the right note, or breaking your flow. A floating overlay appears, you type, and it’s saved. The whole interaction takes seconds.
Global shortcut
Section titled “Global shortcut”| Platform | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| macOS & Windows | Ctrl+Shift+N |
This shortcut works globally — even when Ariv is minimized or in the background. The capture overlay floats above all other windows, so you never have to leave what you’re doing.
Press Escape to dismiss the overlay without saving.
Capture modes
Section titled “Capture modes”Quick Capture supports two modes, controlled by the files.quickCaptureMode setting:
New Note mode
Section titled “New Note mode”Each capture creates a brand new note. This is the default and works best when your captures are self-contained thoughts, ideas, or tasks that deserve their own file.
The new note is created in the location defined by your files.defaultLocation setting (see below).
Append mode
Section titled “Append mode”Each capture is appended to an existing note that you select. This works well when you want all your quick thoughts to land in a single running log or inbox note.
When you use Append mode, a note picker appears so you can choose the target note. Your most recent selection is remembered for next time.
Where captures go
Section titled “Where captures go”The files.defaultLocation setting controls where new captured notes are saved:
| Option | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Vault Root | Saves to the top level of your vault |
| Inbox | Saves to your inbox folder |
| Current Folder | Saves to whatever folder you’re currently browsing |
When to use Quick Capture
Section titled “When to use Quick Capture”Quick Capture is designed for speed above all else. Use it when:
- A thought strikes mid-task — Capture it before it vanishes, without context-switching.
- You’re in a meeting or call — Jot a quick note without fumbling for the right file.
- You see something worth saving — A URL, a quote, a snippet of text.
- You have an idea for later — Get it out of your head and into your vault.
The goal is to make the gap between “I should write this down” and “it’s written down” as small as possible.
Quick Capture vs. other capture methods
Section titled “Quick Capture vs. other capture methods”| Method | Best for | Persistence |
|---|---|---|
| Quick Capture | Fleeting thoughts you want saved as notes | Creates a new note or appends to one |
| Scratchpad | Temporary text you need visible while working | Persistent panel, not a separate note |
| Daily Notes | Structured daily journaling and planning | One note per day |
Related: Scratchpad — Persistent scratch space for temporary text | Daily Notes — Structured daily journaling