Shortcuts, Siri & Spotlight

Start and add to file notes from the Shortcuts app, Siri and Spotlight, or from a link in another app. Nothing needs to be set up.

Shortcuts Actions

NoteDrop's actions appear in the Shortcuts app under NoteDrop:

ActionWhat it does
New File Note Starts a note for a matter — or, with Matter left empty, for the folder open in Finder. You can also set the note type, text, description and duration (45, 90 min, 1.5h, 1:15). It opens the note panel filled in; turn Open Note Panel off to save straight away (text is then required) and be told where the note went.
Add to File Note Appends text to a recent note and marks it amended.
Open File Note Opens a recent note.
Show File Note in Finder Selects a recent note in a Finder window.
Get Recent File Notes Returns NoteDrop's recent notes, newest first, for use in other actions.
Search Matters Finds matters by number or name in your matters folder and recently used matters.
Open NoteDrop Settings Opens the Settings window.

Matters and recent notes can be picked by number or name wherever an action asks for one. Matters come from your matters folder plus the matters you've recently filed notes in.

Siri

These phrases work as soon as NoteDrop is installed:

  • "New file note in NoteDrop"
  • "New file note for <matter> in NoteDrop"
  • "Make a file note in NoteDrop"
  • "Recent file notes in NoteDrop" / "Show my recent NoteDrop notes"
  • "Search matters in NoteDrop" / "Find a matter in NoteDrop"

Siri learns which matters you file notes in and can suggest New File Note for them.

macOS 27: NoteDrop also supports the system's notes actions for Siri and Apple Intelligence, so asking to "create a note" for a matter or "add to a note" can be handled by NoteDrop.

Spotlight

With Index notes in Spotlight turned on (Settings › Filing › Spotlight), saved notes and your recent matters appear in Spotlight:

  • Notes show as "<type> – <matter>", and their whole text is searchable. Choosing one opens the note, or shows its folder if the file has moved.
  • Choosing a matter opens a new note for it.

Turning indexing off removes NoteDrop's entries; turning it back on re-indexes your recent notes. See Privacy for what the index holds.