First Run

When you first launch NoteDrop, you'll see a welcome guide that walks you through setup.

Welcome Guide

The welcome guide has seven pages: a welcome, five setup steps, and a send-off. Every setup step can be skipped and changed later in Settings.

  1. Welcome

    An overview of the panel and what NoteDrop does.

  2. What's Your Industry?

    Choose your profession (Legal, Medical, Real Estate, Accounting, Generic, or Simple). Your industry sets the labels in your notes and how NoteDrop reads folder names; the page shows how to name your folders. Try It with a Folder… lets you pick one of your own folders and see what NoteDrop reads from it. Change it later in Settings › Filing › Industry Profile.

  3. Your Details

    Firm and author names for the letterhead of every file note, and the paper size (A4 or US Letter). Change them later in Settings › Document.

  4. Matters Folder

    Choose the top-level folder that holds your matters (or patients, properties, clients…). The folder picker starts there, matter search looks through it, and notedrop:// links can only open folders inside it. You can skip this and set it later in Settings › Filing › Matters Folder.

  5. Turn On the Finder Extension

    Turn on the optional Finder extension to add "New File Note" to your right-click menu and a NoteDrop button you can put in Finder's toolbar. Turn On Finder Extension… opens macOS's own Finder extensions list; the page shows when the extension is on. Also in Settings › Filing › Finder.

  6. Let NoteDrop Use Finder

    With Finder Automation allowed, the keyboard shortcut and menu bar file a note into the folder open in Finder; without it, NoteDrop asks you to choose a folder each time. Allow NoteDrop to Control Finder… triggers macOS's one-time prompt (choose Allow). The status is also in Settings › Filing › Finder.

  7. You're Ready

    The three ways to start a note from anywhere (Finder right-click, the keyboard shortcut, the menu bar icon), a Launch at login switch, and Create a Test Note…, which opens the note panel on a folder you choose so you can try it straight away.

Close the guide at any point with esc, ⌘W or the close button — it's the same as Skip, and anything you've already set is kept.

Permissions You'll Be Asked For

  • Control Finder (Automation) — the first time you use the keyboard shortcut or the menu bar's New File Note, macOS asks whether NoteDrop may control Finder. This lets NoteDrop see which folder you're working in. If you decline, NoteDrop asks you to choose a folder instead; Settings › Filing › Finder shows the Finder Automation status and can fix it.
  • Microphone — only when you first use dictation in the note panel.

Reopening the Welcome Guide

You can access the welcome guide anytime from the menu bar: NoteDrop → Welcome Guide…