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HOW TO USE BOOKWITS NOTES BEGINNER

Notes Module Guide

See the detailed walkthrough and examples

A beginner-friendly guide to Bookwits Notes: create and organize notes, connect them to client records, keep private notes secure, and manage your note workflow with folders, categories, search, and filters.
How to Use Bookwits
Detailed guide
Module overview
Learn how to create notes, organize them into folders and categories, link them to client records, attach files, and manage private or pinned notes.
Written guide below
Why this module matters Notes centralizes knowledge that would otherwise be scattered across chats, spreadsheets, and documents. It gives your team one searchable place for internal context tied directly to client records.

Notes and guidelines: autosave, organization and privacy

In this chapter (26)

Where to find this workflow and its controls

Choose Notes in the sidebar. The left panel contains All notes, Pinned, Private, Folders, Tags and a client filter. The next panel contains Search notes, New and the note list. Select an existing note to read it in the editor; the details panel contains its folder, tag, pin and privacy controls.

Use the panel-toggle controls if the list or details panel is hidden. The fullscreen control enlarges the editor; it does not create a second note. Folder/tag management is separate from the note's own text.

For entity-specific information, open client profile → company or personal tax year → Notes or Guidelines. Keep reusable operating instructions in Guidelines rather than losing them inside a dated conversation.

Owner, Admin and Member: access, restrictions and exceptions for this chapter

See the current application screenshots for this chapter

Where to find Notes

Go to: Notes from main navigation.
From here you can
  • Create a new note
  • Search notes by keyword
  • Filter by all, pinned, and private
  • Filter by folders and categories
  • Link notes to client records
  • Attach files and private images

What a note contains

Core fields
  • Title
  • Rich-text body
  • Folder (optional)
  • Category (optional)
  • Pin status
  • Private status
Optional record links
  • Company
  • Personal tax year
  • Bookkeeper client record
Best practice: each note should have one clear topic and one clear next action.

Quick Start (First 10 minutes)

If you are new, do these in order:
1
Create one note with a clear title
2
Link it to the right client/company/tax year
3
Assign one folder and one category
4
Add one attachment
5
Test pin + private filters

Working through the module

1) Create a new note
  1. Choose Notes in the left sidebar. Use the green New button beside the notes search to open a blank note. If you opened Notes inside a client, company or year, verify that context before writing.
  2. Enter a title that explains what the note contains, such as “Maple Grove — month-end review questions”. Write the actual instructions or findings in the body, not only in the title.
  3. Review the linked record, folder, category and privacy in the details area. A private note is different from a note placed in a folder; folder organization alone is not a privacy setting.
  4. After writing, click outside the editor to trigger its save behavior and check the last-edited feedback. Reopen the note to verify an important change. If an error appears, keep your text before navigating away.

You can start with a short draft and refine later.

2) Understand autosave behavior

Notes save when the editor loses focus and when key selections change.

  • Title/body edits are saved automatically.
  • Scroll down the note list to load more notes automatically.
  • Titles are optional. Add a title or note text before saving.
  • Edits made during a save are saved next. Switching notes waits for pending changes; if saving fails, your current draft stays open so you can retry.
  • Navigation waits for pending changes. If you close or reload the browser while changes are unsaved, stay on the page when prompted to finish saving.
  • If notes cannot be loaded, use Retry. A loading error does not mean your notes were deleted.
  • Folder/category/client selection changes trigger save.
  • A "last edited" indicator updates after successful save.
3) Link note to the correct record

In the right details panel, choose the related record:

  • Company
  • Personal tax year
  • Bookkeeper client

This makes the note discoverable in the right client context.

4) Organize with folders and categories
  1. Open a note from Notes and expand its details panel if it is closed. Find the Folder and Category selections there; these organize the note rather than changing the words in its body.
  2. Choose the appropriate existing folder/category. Use a clear distinction such as client-specific working notes versus reusable team procedures. Check any selected Private or pinned setting separately.
  3. Select that folder/category in the notes sidebar to confirm where the note appears. If it is missing, review the search and other active filters before moving it again or creating another copy.
Use folders for broad structure and categories for classification tags.
5) Use pin and private states
  • Pinned : keep important notes easy to surface.
  • Private : mark sensitive notes for restricted visibility.

You can toggle both from the details panel switches.

6) Filter and search notes fast

Use the left panel and search box together:

  • Quick filters: All, Pinned, Private
  • Folder filters
  • Category filters
  • Client-linked filter options
  • Search field for text-based narrowing
7) Add attachments and private images
  • Use the editor to insert private images.
  • Use attachment area in details panel to add files.
  • Attachments remain associated with the current note.

This is useful for client evidence, checklists, and reference docs.

8) Use focus mode and fullscreen editing
  • Hide/show left panel (filters) from toolbar controls.
  • Hide/show right panel (details) from toolbar controls.
  • Open fullscreen editor for distraction-free writing.
9) Manage folders and categories (admin/owner)

If you are Admin/Owner, settings controls let you:

  • Create folder/category
  • Edit name and category color
  • Reorder using drag-and-drop
  • Delete and undo delete states

These controls help standardize note organization for the entire team.

10) Delete a note safely
  1. In Notes, open the exact note and read its title and linked record. If the text is still useful but badly organized, change its folder/title instead of deleting it.
  2. Find Delete note in the note’s details area. Read the confirmation and verify which note will be removed. Do not use deletion merely to close the editor or clear a search result.
  3. Confirm only if removal is authorized; otherwise cancel. After deletion, check the remaining list and retain any required engagement evidence through your firm’s approved process.

After delete, counts and filtered lists update automatically.

Troubleshooting (Common Beginner Issues)

"My note is missing from the list"
  • Check active filters (Pinned/Private/Folder/Category)
  • Clear client filter and test All Notes
  • Use search with a keyword from title/body
"I changed folder/category but I don’t see it updated"
  • Click outside the field to trigger autosave
  • Reopen the note card from list
"I cannot manage folders/categories"
  • Folder/category settings are available to Admin/Owner access
  • Ask your workspace admin for role update if needed
"Delete category failed"
  • Some categories can be linked to existing notes
  • Move notes to another category first, then delete

Glossary

Pinned note: A high-priority note highlighted in pinned workflows.
Private note: A note visible only to its creator.
Folder: Broad container used for note grouping.
Category: Label/tag style classification for notes.
Autosave: Save behavior triggered by blur/selection changes.

Choose the right place for the information

Use a note for reusable context, decisions or a handoff explanation. Use a task for work with an owner and deadline, a comment for discussion of a particular task, and a document for a source file. Guidelines inside company or tax-year workspaces help keep instructions near the record; always check the selected connection before entering content.

Save and confirm before leaving

  1. Choose Notes in the left sidebar. Use the green New button beside the notes search to open a blank note. If you opened Notes inside a client, company or year, verify that context before writing.
  2. Enter a title that explains what the note contains, such as “Maple Grove — month-end review questions”. Write the actual instructions or findings in the body, not only in the title.
  3. Review the linked record, folder, category and privacy in the details area. A private note is different from a note placed in a folder; folder organization alone is not a privacy setting.
  4. After writing, click outside the editor to trigger its save behavior and check the last-edited feedback. Reopen the note to verify an important change. If an error appears, keep your text before navigating away.

Private means creator-only, not merely “not client-facing”

A note marked Private is visible only to its creator. It is not a shared confidential team note. If a colleague needs a handoff note, do not mark it private and then assume the colleague or administrator can read it. A non-private note still follows the relevant client/team access; unchecking Private does not make a note public on the internet.

Use folders, categories and pins for different purposes

A folder provides broad organization, a category classifies the content, and pinning makes it easier to surface important notes. None replaces linking the correct client. Combine search with All/Pinned/Private, folder and category filters. Clear all of them when a note appears missing. Hiding a side panel or entering fullscreen changes the editor layout, not visibility permissions.

Maintain the shared structure carefully

Owners/Admins can manage folders and categories. Renaming, recoloring and reordering are organization changes; deleting a note is a separate action. Move notes from a category when required before deleting it. Keep attachments relevant and open them to confirm the correct file is linked; an inserted image is not the same as a file deliberately shared through Documents.

Example: write a useful handoff without hiding it from the reviewer

Jordan discovers that Sarah’s bank uses a different statement cutoff than expected. A reusable company note can explain the cutoff and where the supporting statement is stored. Link the correct company, use a recognizable title such as “Bank statement cutoff — operating account,” and separate verified facts from open questions.

If Morgan must read this handoff, do not mark it Private. Private means creator-only, including when the intended colleague has an administrative role. Conversely, removing Private does not publish the note on the internet; normal record and workspace access still matter. Choose the visibility deliberately before asking someone to rely on the note.

After typing, leave the editor field and check the save indication. Reopen the same note to confirm a critical instruction. Use a folder for broad organization and a category for classification; neither replaces linking the company. If the note seems missing, clear search, private/pinned filters and category/folder selections before creating a duplicate. A guideline explains recurring context; an action with an owner and deadline belongs in a task.

Private notes, guidelines and links to records have different effects

A private note is personal visibility, not merely a note placed in a folder named “Private.” Use the actual Private note control and inspect its description. Pinning changes prominence; a folder or tag changes organization. None of those labels should be treated as a substitute for the note's visibility control.

Example: keep a personal draft of a review question private, then put the agreed recurring procedure in the appropriate company's Guidelines. Do not assume everyone can read the personal draft or that moving it into a named folder changes its permission.

Where the editor offers Link record, use the record picker to locate an existing accessible item and inspect its type/context before inserting the reference. A link is a route back to a record, not a copy of that record and not a grant of access. Someone following it still needs the destination's permissions. Ordinary web links and smart-field substitutions serve different purposes.

Current application screen examples

Notes: pinned/private filters and folder navigation
Notes: pinned/private filters and folder navigation. Application screen with illustrative sample data. The controls shown here use the English interface. Open the full-size screenshot
The blank note editor and its formatting controls
The blank note editor and its formatting controls. Application screen with illustrative sample data. The controls shown here use the English interface. Open the full-size screenshot

Owner, Admin and Member: permissions for this workflow

Member sees accessible shared-client/company/year notes and non-private general team notes. Owner/Admin have broader client scope, but a private note remains creator-only for every role. Member may use existing folders/categories; Owner/Admin manage their definitions, names, order and deletion. In the client Guidelines panel, the management edit/delete menus and category gears also differ by role. A visible category does not mean every note in it is visible.

Compare all staff roles, feature restrictions and exceptions

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