Multiple Collections

FoldNotes on macOS supports multiple independent note collections. Each collection is a folder of .md files with its own cache, sync engine, and Spotlight index.

{: .note } Multiple collections is a macOS-only feature. The iOS companion app uses a single iCloud collection.

What Is a Collection?

A collection is a folder on disk containing your Markdown notes. One collection is active at a time — its notes appear in the Notes List and editor.

Each collection gets: - Its own SwiftData cache - Its own Spotlight index - Its own sync engine instance (iCloud or FSEvents for local folders) - Task notifications scheduled across all collections simultaneously

Adding Collections

There are two ways to add a collection:

New Collection

File → New Collection... creates a fresh empty folder. FoldNotes owns the folder and writes full metadata freely. A Welcome note is created automatically. Mode is always foldnotes.

Open Existing Folder

File → Open Existing Folder... points at an existing folder — for example an Obsidian vault, Logseq graph, or any folder of Markdown files. FoldNotes analyses the folder and presents a mode selector:

Mode	Best For	Behaviour
foldnotes	Folders you want full FoldNotes features in	Full fn-* front matter written (tasks, fold state, cursor, hash)
compatible	Obsidian vaults, Logseq graphs, shared markdown folders	Minimal front matter only: id, created, title, and any existing user properties. All fn-* keys are stripped — your files stay clean.
readOnly	Reference vaults you want to browse but not modify	No writes to disk. Notes can be viewed and searched but not edited.

FoldNotes auto-detects .obsidian/ and .logseq/ directories and defaults to compatible mode.

Folder Safety

When opening an existing folder, FoldNotes validates it to prevent accidents: - System paths (/, /Library, ~/Library) are blocked - Broad directories (~/Desktop, ~/Documents, ~/Downloads) are blocked - Git repos, Xcode projects, Node projects, and other dev projects are detected and rejected - Folders with too many non-Markdown files are flagged - A risk warning dialog with an "I understand the risks" checkbox is shown before proceeding

Collection Modes

Compatible Mode

Compatible mode is designed for coexistence with other Markdown tools. When you edit a note in a compatible collection:

Written to file: id, created, title, and any user-defined YAML properties that were already in the file.

Not written: fn-folded, fn-cursor, fn-daily, fn-tasks, fn-name-locked, fn-favourite, fn-archived, fn-hash. This prevents FoldNotes-specific metadata from polluting your vault.

What you lose: Task UUIDs don't persist across sessions (fresh UUIDs on each load), fold state doesn't persist, cursor position doesn't restore, favourite/archive flags only last in the local cache.

What still works: Tags (extracted from body text), daily notes, search, backlinks, the SwiftData cache, and all editing features.

ReadOnly Mode

ReadOnly collections are browse-only. The editor is locked, a "Read Only" banner appears, and all write operations (create, edit, rename, delete) are blocked. Useful for reference vaults you want to search but not accidentally modify.

Managing Collections

In the App

The container outline sidebar lists collections. Right-click for rename, delete, or switch.

Via CLI

# Show active collection info (includes mode)
fn collection

# Switch active collection (by name, UUID, or path)
fn collection switch "My Notes"

# Add a new collection
fn collection add ~/Documents/Research --name "Research"
fn collection add ~/obsidian-vault --mode compatible --activate

# Remove a collection (files on disk are NOT deleted)
fn collection remove "Research" --confirm "Research"

# Query any collection without switching
fn --collection "Research" list
fn --collection "Research" tasks --due-today

Switching Collections

Switching collections is a heavyweight operation — open documents are saved and closed, the sync engine restarts, and the cache reloads.

When you tap a deep link, Spotlight result, or notification that points to a different collection: - If the app isn't running, it switches silently and opens the note - If you're actively working, a confirmation alert appears before switching

Default Collection

The first collection registered (auto-detected on first launch from iCloud or ~/Documents/FoldNotes/) is the default. The default collection cannot be removed.

Collection Export

You can export an entire collection as a ZIP archive via File → Export Collection.... This is a one-way export — useful for migrating to another app or keeping a portable copy of your notes. Exports can also be scheduled on a daily or weekly basis via File → Scheduled Export….