Google Keep is a great note-taking application. Being quite minimalist, it requires an organizational system for you to find your way around.
Note-taking enthusiasts know the power of organization. Creating a system for your Google Keep notes is no different, even if the app does not offer folder and subfolder features. Google Keep is deliberately minimalist, but there are many tips and tricks you can implement to not get lost in your digital notes.
Tricks and tips for good organization in Google Keep
It is important to establish an organization system before being overwhelmed by the flow of notes, but you can apply it retroactively, obviously. Start by deleting notes you no longer need and moving relatively important notes to more permanent locations. For example, a shopping list is not a permanent note, but a contact list could be. Then, start by creating a schema or rules using the available features in Keep.
Integrate color with colors and backgrounds
Since Google Keep does not have folders, use the color and background options. I suggest reserving the peach color for urgent tasks or notes. There are specific background patterns for shopping, recipes, places, travel, etc. You can drag and drop notes and sort them by color.
If you use Google Keep to track projects, colors can also help you set up a Kanban board.
Use labels to identify notes
You can think of labels as “folder names” to give Google Keep a labeling system that suits you. Identify similar notes with labels. Each note can have more than one label, to link several. The signs “/” and “|” can help visualize notes linked with different labels.
For example, notes can have a main label like “Personal Development”. Then, you can create separate linked notes with labels like “Personal Development / Health”, “Personal Development / Nutrition”, “Personal Development / Projects”, etc. You can also add labels with a “#” (hashtag).
You can use a similar system to keep one note private and share another linked note with a third party.
Think carefully about your labels, though, Google Keep only offers you 50.
Number the labels
The heart of Google Keep’s organization lies in the labeling system. While it is not possible to organize these labels by dragging and dropping, you can use numbers to enforce order.
Add a number to the label names in the order of your use. By opting for “1 – Work” instead of just “Work,” you ensure that this label is higher than “Food.”
Make notes (and labels) more visual with emojis
Don’t let the lack of formatting options prevent you from creating visual notes. You can insert all kinds of emojis and symbols in Google Keep. Inserting the right emoji into a note is also very simple on desktop, with the “Windows +” keyboard shortcut opening the emoji keyboard.
Tip: insert
Use emojis in your labels to have a more fun sidebar.
Pin only important notes at the top of the screen
Pinning notes is absolutely necessary. The limit not to exceed is the one that doesn’t require you to scroll. My screen allows me to see five notes in Tile view. I usually pin reminders or time-related notes, like a shopping list.
Use reminders for cleaning up
Reminders are a great way to make sure you don’t forget any of your important tasks or deadlines. You can also set reminders for recurring tasks. But why not also use reminders to clean up notes you no longer need?
Choose a future time to revisit a particular note. If it’s no longer useful, delete it.
Archive notes for a cleaner view
One issue with Google Keep is that all your notes appear on the home screen, even if you have labels. This can be overwhelming if you have a lot of notes.
A good tip from the YouTube channel Simpletivity suggests using the archiving feature for cleaning up. You can archive all your notes as long as they have the right labels. They will still be accessible via search, remain editable, but will no longer clutter your home screen. You can unarchive a note whenever you want.
You can then display only the most important notes on your home screen.
Tip: Google Keep has a powerful search tool with numerous filters. You can search by Types, Labels, Objects, People, or Colors.