Getting Started

Notely is a desktop Markdown notes app for Windows. Your notes live as plain .md files in a folder of your choice — no accounts required, no cloud lock-in.

Requirements

Requirement	Details
Platform	Windows 10 / 11 (x64)
Storage	~120 MB for the application
Network	Not required for core features
Git	Optional — required only for Git features

Download & Install

1. Go to the latest release on GitHub.
2. Download the portable .exe file.
3. Run it — no installer needed.

Portable App

Notely is a portable executable. You can run it from any folder, including a USB drive or a synced folder.

Release Types

When downloading or building Notely, three package formats are available. Choose the one that fits your workflow:

1. NSIS Installer (.exe)

A standard Windows installer that installs Notely on your system, creates Start Menu/desktop shortcuts, and registers file associations.

• Best for: Long-term installations on a single personal or work computer.
• Pros: Standard user experience, clean updates, easy shortcut access.

2. Portable Executable (.exe)

A single self-contained application file that runs immediately without installation.

• Best for: Quick testing, running from a USB drive, or on locked-down environments (e.g. corporate laptops) where administrator/install permissions are restricted.
• Pros: Zero-install footprint; doesn't alter system files.

3. ZIP Archive (.zip)

A compressed folder containing the compiled application files and dependencies.

• Best for: Portable configurations where you want full control over where the application files are kept, or for offline distribution.
• Pros: Easy to inspect files directly; runs without installation.

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Cons & Limitations of Packaged Electron Applications

Since Notely is packaged as an Electron desktop application, it inherits a few tradeoffs compared to native Windows apps or web tools:

1. Large Package Size: The bundle includes both Chromium (browser engine) and Node.js runtime, resulting in a download size of over 100MB+ per package.
2. Memory Footprint: Each open window launches separate helper processes for the renderer, main processor, and utility threads. This consumes more RAM compared to light text editors (like Notepad).
3. Windows SmartScreen/Signing Warnings: Unsigned custom builds may trigger Windows Defender SmartScreen warnings on launch. Users will need to click More Info -> Run Anyway to launch the application unless it is signed with a valid Microsoft Developer Certificate.
4. Native Bindings (e.g., node-pty): Notely compiles binary system dependencies (like the embedded terminal interface) specifically for target operating system architectures (x64). These require corresponding C++ runtimes on the host machine.

Open Your Workspace

A workspace is a folder on your computer where your notes live. Notely reads .md files from this folder and its subfolders.

First launch:

1. Open Notely.
2. The workspace picker appears automatically.
3. Click Open Workspace and select a folder.
4. Notely loads your notes.

Subsequent launches:

Use File → Open Recent or the command palette (Ctrl + K) to reopen a recent workspace instantly.

Key Concepts

Concept	What it is
Workspace	A folder containing your Markdown notes
Note	A single .md file inside the workspace
Folder	A subfolder for organizing related notes
.notes-app	A hidden folder Notely creates for note history and support data

What to Do Next

New to Notely? → Create your first note

Ready to write? → Editor overview

Coming from another tool? → Feature Reference

Need Git integration? → Git overview

Help at Any Time

Shortcut	Action
F1	Open Help Center (in-app)
Ctrl + /	Open Keyboard Shortcuts
Ctrl + K	Open Command Palette
Ctrl + Shift + F	Search all notes
Ctrl + W	Close current tab

For the complete list of hotkeys, see the Keyboard Shortcuts Reference.