# Write and organize notes

Create notes and folders, add frontmatter properties, and know which Markdown syntax Loam reads.

This page shows how to create and organize notes, set their properties, and which Markdown syntax Loam reads. Each step works in the app or from the `loam` command line.

## Create a note

1. Press Cmd+N to open a new note in a new tab.
2. Or press Cmd+O, type a name, and create the note from the quick switcher.
3. Or open the Files panel and create a note in the folder you want.

From the command line, `loam --vault ~/Notes daily.append text="Met Bob"` adds a line to today's daily note, and creates the note if it is missing.

## Organize with folders

Folders are plain folders in the vault. Moving or renaming a note also rewrites the links that point to it.

| Command | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| `files.new-folder folder=Projects name=Archive` | Creates the folder `Projects/Archive`. |
| `notes.rename from=Inbox.md to=Projects/Inbox.md` | Moves a note and rewrites the links to it. |
| `files.trash path=Old.md` | Moves a note to `.trash/`, where it stays for 30 days. |

Restore a trashed item with `trash.restore`, or list what is in the trash with `trash.list`.

> **Warning:** Do not edit `.loam/cache/`, `.git/` or `.trash/` by hand. Loam manages them.

## Add properties

Properties sit at the top of the note, between two `---` lines. Write them as YAML: `key: value`, lists in brackets, and dates as `YYYY-MM-DD`.

```markdown
---
status: doing
created: 2026-10-28
tags: [project, work]
---

# Plan
```

Set one property from the command line. The rest of the note stays as it was:

```bash
loam --vault ~/Notes query.set-property path=Projects/Plan.md key=status value=done
```

An empty value removes the property.

## Formats Loam reads

Notes use CommonMark with the GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) extensions. Loam also reads YAML frontmatter and wikilinks. Stick to the standard syntax, so that any tool can read your notes.

- CommonMark and GFM: headings, lists, tables, task lists and code blocks.
- YAML frontmatter, between two `---` lines at the top of the note.
- Links to notes: `[text](Folder/Note.md)`, or `[[Folder/Note]]` and `[[Folder/Note|label]]`. See [links and search](/docs/links-and-search) for what each one does.
- Tasks: `- [ ] Draft plan 📅 2026-11-02 #work`. The due date is `📅 YYYY-MM-DD`.

> **Tip:** For AI agents: `loam guide notes` has the writing rules. Read a note right before you change it, since the user may be typing in it.