Files, PDFs and Slides

Now we'll move to the files panel — the place beside the page where a note keeps its slides, chapters and handouts. You can attach any file, read a PDF right next to your writing, have a slide deck turned into a PDF, and link a sentence in your note to page 12 of the slides so that clicking it opens that exact page.

Opening the files panel

Three ways in:

• Click the Files button ① — a paperclip at the right of the editor header, left of the Share button. When the note has files, the count sits beside the clip. Hover: "Files beside the page ⌥⌘P".
• View › Show Files / Hide Files, shortcut ⌥⌘P.
• The command palette entry Show Files.

The panel ② appears to the right of the page. Its left edge is a drag handle (the cursor becomes a double arrow) for resizing.

Adding files

• Drag files from Finder anywhere onto the panel. An accent-colored border shows while you hover.
• Click + (a plus, in the panel's header; hover: "Add files to this note") to choose files.
• When the note has no files yet, the panel reads Drop your files here — Slides, chapters, handouts — PDF, Word, PowerPoint, pictures: any file. They are copied into this note's folder. with a Choose Files… button in the middle.

Files are copied into an attachments folder beside the note, so the note and its files travel together.

The strip of chips

Under the header, one chip ③ per file, in order, each with an icon for its type: a rich-text document for PDF, a photo for images, stacked slides for PowerPoint or Keynote, a text document for Word/Pages/text, a table for spreadsheets, an archive box for zips, a waveform for audio, film for video.

• Click a chip to open the file in the panel.
• Right-click a chip: Reveal in Finder, and below a divider Remove from Note.
• With files but none open, the panel reads Click a file above to open it here — Drop more files anywhere in this panel.

The file tile

An open file fills a tile ④: a header over the document. The header shows the file's icon and name, and for a PDF p. 3 of 24. Its buttons, left to right:

• Open in the app made for it (an arrow leaving a square).
• Link (a link icon). Active only while text is selected in the note. Hover changes with the situation: "Link the selected text to page 12 of this file", "Link the selected text to this file", or "Select text in the note first, then link it to this file".
• Arrange (an icon showing the current layout). A menu of layouts for several open files: Fill, left half, right half, top half, bottom half, Side by Side, One and Two, Four. Empty slots in a layout read Drop files here — or click to add; clicking one chooses files that open in that slot.
• Close (an ×) closes the tile; the chip stays.

Scroll a PDF in its tile; the page counter follows.

Linking words to a page

This is the feature the panel exists for.

1. Open the file in the panel and scroll to the page you mean.
2. In the note, select the words that should point there — "see the depreciation schedule".
3. Click Link in the tile header, or the format bar's Link to a File button (a link with a plus badge, beside Insert Link), or right-click the selection and choose Link to a File…, or Format › Link to a File….
4. The Link to a File sheet shows your selection, a File pop-up (defaulting to the front tile) and, for a PDF, a Page toggle with a number field defaulting to the page showing. Under them: "Clicking the link opens this file beside the page, at that page." Click Link (Return).

The words become a link. Later, click it — or press ⌥⌘L with the cursor on it (Format › Open Linked File) — and the file opens beside the page at that page.

• If the words already link to a different file, the sheet asks whether to keep both (the phrase gets a second chip) or replace.
• If your selection surrounds existing links it asks Replace the link inside what you selected? — cancel to keep them.
• A phrase pointing at several files opens a small menu of them when clicked.
• Remove Link on the format bar (a broken-link icon; its hover card says to remove the link and keep the words, and to Select All first to clear the whole note) strips the link and keeps the words.

Slides and documents become PDFs

Only a PDF has pages to point at. Link words to a PowerPoint, Word, Pages, Numbers or Keynote file and Cocoa asks Link to a page of “Lecture 3.pptx”? — it can make a PDF with the app that owns the file (PowerPoint, Keynote, Pages or Numbers) and link to a page of that. Say yes and:

• The tile shows a small spinner with the hint Making a PDF….
• When it finishes, the editor header briefly reads PDF ready — go to the page, then link. Scroll to the page and link again.

The first time, macOS asks whether Cocoa may control that app. If you refuse, conversion fails with “Lecture 3.pptx” could not be made into a PDF. and an Open Settings button that takes you to System Settings › Privacy & Security › Automation, where you can allow it.

When a file goes missing

If a file was moved or deleted outside Cocoa, its tile reads File Not Found — “Lecture 3.pdf” is no longer where it was. It may have been moved or deleted. Clicking a link to such a file shows That file is not attached to this note. with the path, and the advice to drop it back into the files panel. Dropping the file in again repairs every link to it.

The inspector, briefly

The Show Inspector toolbar button ⑤ (⌥⌘I) opens a pane on the far right with the note's paper and page settings and a Links Here panel listing notes that link to this one. Chapter 4 covers the paper settings; chapter 12 covers links between notes.

Maya links her notes to the slides

Maya drags "Chapter 10 slides.pptx" onto the files panel. She selects the sentence "Treasury stock reduces equity" and clicks Link in the tile header. Cocoa asks to make a PDF; she agrees, macOS asks permission for PowerPoint once, and a moment later the header says PDF ready — go to the page, then link. She scrolls the new PDF to slide 14, selects the sentence again, clicks Link, keeps page 14, and clicks Link. From now on that sentence opens slide 14 beside the page.

Summary

• Open the files panel with the paperclip in the editor header, View › Show Files, or ⌥⌘P.
• Drag files in or click +; they are copied beside the note. Chips open files in tiles.
• The tile header offers Open in the app made for it, Link, Arrange and Close.
• Link to a File ties selected words to a file, and to a page of a PDF; ⌥⌘L opens the linked file.
• Slides and documents are turned into PDFs by their own apps, with your permission.

Common mistakes

• Trying to link with nothing selected — Link stays dimmed until words are selected in the note.
• Dropping a Keynote or Pages document — export it as PDF first; packages cannot be attached.
• Moving an attached file in Finder — links show File Not Found until you drop it back.

Best practices

• One PDF per lecture in the note for that lecture; link the headings to the slides.
• Use Side by Side to read the slides and the textbook chapter together.
• Keep the panel closed while writing and press ⌥⌘P when you need a source.

Keyboard shortcuts used

Related features to learn next

• Chapter 12, Organizing and Moving Notes — links between notes and backlinks.
• Chapter 13, Import, Export, Backups and Sync — importing whole folders of documents.
• Chapter 16, Troubleshooting — conversion and permission problems.