Create and move
Use New note, New folder and New top-level folder. Drag an item onto a folder to move it, or use Node > Move… for a chosen destination.
Start with confidence
From download to first useful note.
Short, practical guidance for opening JotaTron, exploring the sample and keeping your notebook recoverable.
Quick start
Create your first notebook.
Each JotaTron notebook is a local `.db` file with its own login and preferences.
- Download and extract the ZIP
Keep `JotaTron.exe` and its supplied documents together in a writable folder.
- Run JotaTron.exe
At Database selection, choose Create new… and select a new `.db` filename.
- Create the notebook login
Enter a username and password. Tick Encrypt this database only if you need stored-file protection and can safeguard the password.
- Create a note
Use the page-plus button or Ctrl+N. Type Markdown in the editor and watch the preview update.
- Add structure
Create folders and add tags from the Node menu or right-click menu.
- Make a first backup
Use File > Backup database… and choose a new filename on suitable separate storage.
Explore before creating
Open the Studio & Workshop sample.
The sample is fictional and unencrypted. Its public login lets you explore folders, tags, search, images and Tag Map without using personal data.
Username: alex
Password: StudioDemo2026!
Password: StudioDemo2026!
- Download both files
Get JotaTron and the separate sample `.db` from the Download page.
- Choose Open database
Select `JotaTron-Studio-and-Workshop-DEMO.db`.
- Enter the public sample login
It is case-sensitive and the password ends with `!`.
- Open Start here
Then try Search notes and View > Open Tag Map.
Everyday workflow
Folders place notes. Tags connect them.
Select a folder before creating a note to put it inside that folder. Tags remain direct assignments and do not automatically flow from a folder to its children.
Assign and edit
Choose Node > Add / assign tags… for the selected note or folder. Edit tags separately to rename, recolour, merge or remove them.
Search content
Ctrl+F searches saved note content across the notebook. Select several tags to require every chosen tag as well as the text match.
Explore visually
Open Tag Map, click a card to navigate, double-click to focus and save useful arrangements in one of eight layout slots.
Protect your work
Use complete database backups.
File > Backup database… creates a complete same-format copy. If the source is encrypted, this normal backup remains encrypted and needs the password that applied when it was made.
For scheduled copies, open Settings > Automatic backups…. Choose an existing writable folder, interval and retained-copy count, then select Apply changes and Save settings.
Automatic backups run only while that notebook is open and unlocked. They are complete copies, not per-note history.
Restore to a new filename first
Copy the chosen backup to a new working filename, open it with the credentials that applied at the time, and verify notes and images before replacing or deleting anything.
Encryption
Choose it when creating a notebook.
Encryption is a property of the database. An ordinary local login and an encrypted notebook are different things.
When encrypted
SQLCipher protects notes, names, tags, images and indexes stored in the file. Clipboard contents and exported files sit outside that protection.
When unencrypted
The notebook still has a JotaTron login, but database tools can read the file. Do not present the login as file encryption.
No password recovery
Keep an encryption password safe. Losing it means losing access to the encrypted database and its encrypted backups. A previously made unencrypted backup is readable data and should be protected accordingly.
Optional setup
Enable local dictation.
- Open Settings > Offline dictation…
Confirm that the computer supports AVX2 and choose Download model.
- Choose the microphone and pause
Enable dictation for the notebook, then Apply changes and Save settings.
- Place the caret in a note
Toggle the microphone button. Finalised phrases appear at the current caret and can be undone normally.
- Stop with the microphone or Escape
After setup, microphone audio and recognition stay on the computer.
Useful answers
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an online account?
No. Each notebook has a local username and password, but there is no JotaTron cloud account.
Can I move a whole notebook?
Yes. Close the app before making a manual file copy, or use a complete database backup and open the copied `.db` with the corresponding credentials.
Does autosave replace backups?
No. Autosave protects current edits. A backup is a separate complete copy of the notebook file.
Is Markdown required?
You edit Markdown source, but toolbar actions help insert common formatting and the live preview shows the result.
Is there cloud sync, collaboration or a phone app?
No built-in cloud sync, collaboration or mobile client is included. The supported application is Windows x64.
Is there note history or a recycle bin?
There is no persisted per-note revision history or recycle bin. Editing Undo and complete backups serve different purposes.