Skip to content

External Files (macOS Only)#

On the Mac, FoldNotes can point at folders of files that live outside your collection — Markdown (.md) and Bike (.bike) outlines — and let you browse and edit them in place. You work on the original files and save straight back to them; nothing is copied into your collection, given FoldNotes front matter, or added to your note list, search, or graph. It's the macOS equivalent of Editing Bike Files in iOS, extended to whole folders and to Markdown.

This is open‑in‑place, not import

It's the opposite of importing. Import makes a one‑way copy of a file as a brand‑new FoldNotes note in your collection. Open in place leaves the file where it is and edits that file. Use import when you want the file to become a FoldNotes note; use External Files when you want to keep it where it is and just edit it.

macOS only, default collection only

External Files is a Mac feature, and the section appears only while your default FoldNotes collection is active. The folders you add are remembered on this Mac — they aren't synced to your other devices.

Adding a folder#

In the sidebar, find the External Files section, choose Add Folder…, and pick any directory of .md/.bike files. A one‑time note explains that files are edited in place (not imported); after that, opening files from the folder is a single click.

  • The folder appears as a collapsible item; expand it to see its sub‑folders and files.
  • You can add as many folders as you like.
  • Markdown + Bike only. The editor is markdown‑based, so the library lists .md/.markdown/.bike and skips other file types.
  • You can't add a folder that is, sits inside, or contains a FoldNotes collection, nor FoldNotes' own data folder — those hold real notes, not external files.

Browsing & opening#

Expand a folder to reveal its sub‑folders (collapsible) and the editable files beneath them. Click a file to open it in place. While it's open, the bottom status bar shows External · .md or External · .bike, so it's always clear you're editing a file outside your collection, and the file's row stays selected.

Creating a new file#

To make a new file in an external folder:

  • Right‑click a folder or sub‑folder ▸ New File…, or
  • with an external file selected, use the New command (⌘N).

A dialog asks for a name and a type — Markdown (.md) or Bike Outline (.bike) — and defaults the type to the most common one already in that folder. It states exactly where the file will be created and never overwrites an existing file. The new file opens in place, ready to edit.

Because you name it up front, external files skip the collection's automatic naming (no "Untitled", no rename banner).

Managing folders#

Right‑click an External Files folder for:

  • New File… — create a .md/.bike in it (above).
  • Rename… — change the name shown in the sidebar (doesn't touch the folder on disk).
  • Reveal in Finder — show the folder (or file) in Finder.
  • Refresh — re‑scan for files added or removed outside FoldNotes.
  • Remove "…" from Sidebar — stop listing the folder. This is non‑destructive: it only disconnects the folder from FoldNotes; your files stay exactly where they are on disk.

Staying in sync#

Because FoldNotes edits the original file (often in iCloud Drive), changes flow both ways:

  • Your edits save straight back to the file — visible in Bike, in another editor, or on another device.
  • Edits made elsewhere appear here — FoldNotes reloads the open file when it changes.
  • If it's changed in two places at once and you have unsaved edits, FoldNotes asks which version to keep — your changes, or the other version. Nothing is overwritten without you choosing.

Keep backups

As with any file you edit across apps and devices, keep backups of anything important.

Editing a Bike file#

External .bike files round‑trip faithfully — outline structure, row identity and bike://… links, lists, quotes, code, note rows, inline formatting, and open/done tasks (with completion times). Features the .bike format can't carry — tables, images, footnotes/comments, FoldNotes' four‑state tasks and task metadata — are switched off while editing one. See Editing Bike Files in iOS for the full round‑trip detail; the same engine powers external .bike editing on the Mac.

What's in the Inspector#

For an external file, the Inspector shows just the tabs that apply: Outline, Info, and Tasks. The collection‑only tabs — Note Graph, References, Properties — are hidden, since a file edited in place isn't part of your collection.

Where the files stay#

Nothing is imported. External files stay exactly where they are, never appear in your note list, search, graph, or backups, and gain no id:/fn-… front matter. Removing a folder from the sidebar leaves every file untouched.

To bring a file into FoldNotes as a real note instead, use Import.