NoteDrop Documentation

Installation

1. Download NoteDrop

   Download the latest release from the NoteDrop website or the Mac App Store.

2. Move to Applications

   Drag NoteDrop.app to your Applications folder.

3. Launch the app

   Double-click to launch. You'll see a document icon appear in your menu bar.

First Run

When you first launch NoteDrop, you'll see a welcome guide that walks you through the key features:

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

Enabling Finder Extension

To use the right-click context menu in Finder, you need to enable the NoteDrop Finder extension.

Steps to Enable (macOS Tahoe)

1. Ensure NoteDrop is in Applications

   Drag NoteDrop.app to your Applications folder if you haven't already.

2. Open System Settings

   Click the Apple menu → System Settings (or use Spotlight).

3. Navigate to Login Items & Extensions

   Go to General → Login Items & Extensions.

4. Open Extensions

   Click Extensions at the bottom of the pane.

5. Enable NoteDrop

   Find Finder in the list, expand it, and enable NoteDrop.

6. Restart Finder

   Option-click the Finder icon in your Dock and select "Relaunch".

Creating Notes

Creating a file note is simple:

1. Invoke NoteDrop

   Use any of the three entry points (menu bar, keyboard shortcut, or Finder context menu).

2. Select note type

   Choose from the dropdown: File Note, Telephone Attendance, Conference Note, etc.

3. Enter your note

   Type your note in the text area. Plain text, preserves line breaks.

4. Save

   Press ⌘↩ or click Save. The PDF is created instantly.

Entry Points

NoteDrop provides three ways to create a note. All work identically after invocation.

Menu Bar

Click the NoteDrop icon in your menu bar, then select "New File Note". If you have a folder selected in Finder, it will be used automatically.

Keyboard Shortcut

Press ⌃⌥⌘N (Control + Option + Command + N) from anywhere. This is the fastest method when you're working in Finder.

Quick Actions (Recommended)

Right-click any folder in Finder, then select Quick Actions → New File Note. This works automatically without any setup.

Finder Extension (Optional)

For direct context menu access (without the Quick Actions submenu), enable the Finder extension in System Settings. See Enabling Finder Extension for setup instructions.

Note Types

NoteDrop includes common legal note types. The selected type affects both the filename and PDF header.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Recommended Folder Setup

NoteDrop works best with a consistent folder structure. Here's the recommended setup:

Matters/
├── 013456 SURNAME First Name – Estate of/
│   ├── Correspondence/     ← File notes save here
│   ├── Probate/
│   ├── Assets/
│   └── Accounts/
├── 013457 SMITH John – Conveyancing/
│   ├── Correspondence/
│   ├── Contract/
│   └── Settlement/
└── ...

Key points:

• Each matter has its own folder under a parent "Matters" directory
• Matter folder name includes number, client name, and matter type
• A "Correspondence" subfolder holds file notes and communications

Folder Name Parsing

NoteDrop can automatically extract matter details from folder names that follow this pattern:

Examples

If parsing fails, NoteDrop will simply use the full folder name. Parsing never blocks saving.

Correspondence Folder

NoteDrop automatically saves notes to a "Correspondence" subfolder if one exists:

• If you select a matter folder that contains "Correspondence", notes save there
• If you select the Correspondence folder directly, notes save there
• If no Correspondence folder exists, notes save in the selected folder

You can customize the folder name in Settings (default: "Correspondence").

General Settings

Access settings from the menu bar: NoteDrop → Settings (or ⌘,)

Document Settings

Configure what appears in your PDF headers:

Shortcuts Settings

Customize the global keyboard shortcut:

• Default: ⌃⌥⌘N
• Click the shortcut button and press your preferred key combination
• Must include at least one modifier (⌃, ⌥, or ⌘)

PDF Format

Generated PDFs include a professional header, your note content, and page numbers:

Header Elements

• Firm name — Displayed prominently at top (if configured)
• Matter details — Number, client name, and matter type parsed from folder
• Timestamp — Date and time when note was created
• Author — Your name (if configured in Settings)

Body

• Note type displayed as heading (e.g., "TELEPHONE ATTENDANCE")
• Your note text with line breaks preserved
• Plain text formatting — clean and professional

Footer

• Page numbers for multi-page notes

Filename Convention

Files are named automatically using this format:

The description is entered in the "Description" field when creating a note. This allows you to include context like "with Client", "re Settlement", or other identifying details.

Examples

• 2026-01-09 – Telephone Attendance – with Client.pdf
• 2026-01-09 – File Note – re Settlement Offer.pdf
• 2026-01-09 – Capacity Note – Initial Assessment.pdf
• 2026-01-09 – Email – from Opposing Counsel.pdf

Fallback Behavior

If no description is provided, NoteDrop uses the matter description from the folder name:

• 2026-01-09 – File Note – Estate of SMITH John.pdf

If a file with the same name exists, NoteDrop appends (2), (3), etc.

Automatic Updates

NoteDrop includes automatic update checking via Sparkle. When a new version is available:

1. Notification

   You'll see a notification that an update is available.

2. Review changes

   The update dialog shows what's new in the release.

3. Install

   Click "Install Update" to download and install automatically. NoteDrop will restart with the new version.

Updates are signed and verified to ensure authenticity. NoteDrop never auto-installs without your confirmation.

Troubleshooting

"Folder not writable" error

This means NoteDrop doesn't have permission to write to the folder. Try:

• Select the folder again using Finder's "Open" dialog
• Check folder permissions in Finder → Get Info
• Ensure the folder isn't on a read-only volume

Context menu not appearing in Finder

The Finder extension requires a few conditions to work:

1. App in Applications: NoteDrop must be in your Applications folder (not Downloads, mounted DMG, or elsewhere)
2. Extension enabled: Go to System Settings → General → Login Items & Extensions → Extensions, find Finder, and enable NoteDrop
3. Restart Finder: Option-click the Finder icon in your Dock and select "Relaunch"

If you moved NoteDrop to Applications after first launching it, you may need to log out and back in for the extension to appear in System Settings.

Keyboard shortcut not working

Check for conflicts with other apps:

• Try changing the shortcut in NoteDrop Settings
• Check System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts for conflicts
• Ensure NoteDrop is running (check menu bar)

Matter details not parsing

Parsing requires a specific folder name format:

• Use an en dash (–) to separate client name and matter type
• Put the matter number at the start
• Check that "Parse matter details" is enabled in Settings