AINoter Documentation

Welcome to the official AINoter user guide. AINoter is a lightweight prompt manager for macOS that helps you build your prompt library and instantly access prompts from any application.

Whether you're working with ChatGPT, Claude, or other AI assistants, AINoter streamlines your workflow by keeping all your prompts one hotkey away. This documentation covers everything you need to get started and make the most of the app.

What you'll learn

• Creating and editing prompts
• Organizing prompts with folders
• Setting up global hotkeys for instant access
• Using Inspector to manage item details
• Editing prompts in the editor
• Using Quick Access Window from any app
• Backing up and restoring your prompt library

Create a prompt

1 Click + in the top bar.
2 Enter Name.
3 Click ✓ to save. Cancel — X.
4 Open the prompt and add content in the Editor.

Create a folder

Folders help keep prompts organized.

1 Click the button in the top bar.
2 Enter Folder Name.
3 Click Save.

Shortcuts

A shortcut lets you copy a prompt to the clipboard without switching windows.

Set a shortcut

1 Open a prompt (or create a new one).
2 In Prompt Inspector, in the Shortcut field, use Click to add shortcut.
3 When you see "Listening for shortcut…", press your key combination.
4 The shortcut is saved automatically.

Use a shortcut

• Press the shortcut — the prompt text is copied to the clipboard.
• Paste it where you need it.

Change or remove a shortcut

• To change it: click the current Shortcut, then press a new key combination.
• To remove it: click X next to the shortcut.

Shortcut requirements

These requirements apply to prompt shortcuts and the Quick Access Window hotkey.

• Include at least one modifier: Command, Control, Function, or Shift.
• Do not use Option as the only modifier. Combine Option with Command, Control, or Function.
• Do not use navigation, editing, or confirmation keys as the main shortcut key. Use a letter, number, or symbol instead.
• Do not use a shortcut that is already assigned in AINoter or reserved by macOS as a standard system shortcut.

Inspector

Inspector is the right-side panel that shows details for the selected item.

Prompt Inspector

• Name — the title of your prompt.
• Notes — a place to keep your own notes related to the prompt.
• Shortcut — lets you quickly copy the prompt. See Shortcuts.
• Created at — shows when the prompt was created.

Folder Inspector

• Name — the title of your folder.
• Created at — shows when the folder was created.

Editor

Editor is where you write and edit prompt content.

You can customize the editor in Settings → Editor.

How to use

1 Open any prompt from the list.
2 Edit the prompt text in the editor area.

Quick Access Window

Quick Access Window is a floating window for copying prompts, which you can open outside the app (from any window) using a hotkey.

How selection works

• Select a folder → it opens.
• Select a prompt → it's copied to the clipboard, and the window closes.

Mouse

Click the item you need in the list.

Keyboard

• Press 1–9 to select one of the first 9 items in the list.
• Number keys are fixed and can’t be customized.
• The same action is performed as with a mouse click.
Quick Access Window (light theme) Quick Access Window (dark theme)

Order

• The list order matches your Sidebar.
• To change what appears first, reorder prompts and folders in the main window.
• The Quick Access Window list can’t be rearranged separately.

Hotkey to open Quick Access Window

You can set the hotkey in Settings → Quick Access Window.

Settings

Settings are organized into dedicated pages available from the Sidebar navigation.

• Editor
• Quick Access Window
• Menubar
• Backup

Editor

In Settings → Editor, you can adjust text appearance in the main editor.

• Font — choose a typeface that fits your reading and writing style.
• Font Size — increase or decrease text size for comfort.
• Line Height — adjust spacing between lines to improve readability.

Quick Access Window

In Settings → Quick Access Window, you can set the hotkey used to open the Quick Access Window. This hotkey follows the same shortcut requirements.

Menubar

In Settings → Menubar, you can control menu bar behavior.

• When app is active — the menu bar item is visible only while the app is open.
• Always — the menu bar item stays visible even after closing the app.

Backup

Backups are saved copies of your prompts and folders. They help you restore data if something was deleted or changed.

Location: Settings → Backup.

Auto-backup

Turn on Auto-backup — AINoter will create a backup automatically every 30 minutes.

Create a backup manually

Click backup — a new backup appears in the list with its date and time.

Restore from a backup

Note: Restoring will replace your current prompts and folders with the selected backup.
1 Find the backup you need in the list.
2 Click restore next to it.

Delete backups

• Delete one backup: click delete next to it.
• Delete all backups: click delete all backups.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I set a shortcut for a prompt?
Select a prompt from the list. In the Inspector, choose Click to add shortcut. then press your key combination.
How do I create a folder?
Click the button in the top bar, enter Folder Name, then click Save.
How do I organize prompts?
Use folders to group by theme. Drag & drop to reorder.
How does Quick Access Window work?
Before using Quick Access Window, assign a hotkey in Settings → Quick Access Window. Press it to open the window, then select an item: prompts are copied to your clipboard, and folders open to show their contents. You can also press 1–9 to select an item by its number in the list.
How do I search prompts?
Press ⌘ F to focus search. Filtering happens instantly as you type (name + content).
How do backups work?
Backups let you save copies of your prompts and folders so you can restore them later. In Settings → Backup, you can create a backup manually, restore a previous backup, or enable Auto-backup to create a new backup every 30 minutes.

Need More Help?

Contact us: support@bscoders.com