Search Like a Pro: Finding Anything in OmniCanvas Instantly

Beyond Title Search

Most notetaking apps only search note titles or body text. OmniCanvas searches across multiple fields simultaneously, which means you can find notes even if you don't remember the title.

When you type in the search bar, OmniCanvas looks through:

• Note titles — The name you gave your note
• Tags — Any tags attached to the note
• Folder names — The folder (and parent folders) containing the note
• Canvas text — Any text you typed directly on the canvas using the text tool
• Sticky note content — Text inside sticky notes on the canvas

This multi-field search means you can find a note by remembering any detail about it — its name, a tag you added, the folder it is in, or even a word you wrote on the canvas. New to OmniCanvas? The beginner's tutorial covers the essentials first.

Using Search Effectively

The Keyboard Shortcut

Press Cmd+K (or Ctrl+K on Windows) to instantly focus the search bar from anywhere in the app. This is the fastest way to start searching. Type your query and press Enter.

Search by What You Remember

You do not need to remember the exact title. A few strategies:

• Remember a tag? Search for the tag name. Notes tagged with "project-x" will appear when you search "project-x."
• Remember the folder? Search for the folder name. All notes in that folder will match.
• Remember a word on the canvas? Search for that word. If you wrote "architecture" in a text element on the canvas, searching "architecture" will find that note.
• Remember a sticky note? Search for words from the sticky note content. Even content buried in a sticky note on the canvas is searchable.

Search in Graph View

Search works in the graph view too. When you search in graph view, matching nodes are highlighted and their connections become visible while non-matching nodes dim. This is a powerful way to explore what else is connected to the notes that match your search.

Quick Search Patterns

Find Recent Work

If you remember working on something but not the name, sort by last modified instead of searching. Switch to table view and sort by the "Last Modified" column to see your most recently edited notes at the top.

Find Notes by Type

If you use consistent tags for note types (like "meeting," "idea," or "reference"), searching for the type tag instantly filters to all notes of that type.

Find Notes Across Folders

Search ignores folder boundaries. If you are looking for all notes related to "onboarding" regardless of which project folder they are in, just search "onboarding" and results from every folder will appear.

Building Search-Friendly Notes

A few habits make your notes easier to find later:

Use Descriptive Titles

"Meeting Notes 3/15" is hard to find later. "Product Review - Q1 Metrics Discussion" is much more searchable. Include the topic in the title, not just the date or type.

Tag Consistently

Tags are powerful search shortcuts. A consistent tagging habit means you always have multiple ways to find any note.

Write Key Terms on the Canvas

If your canvas is primarily visual (drawings and shapes), add a text element with key terms related to the content. This makes the visual canvas searchable by text.

Use Sticky Notes for Context

Add a sticky note to each canvas summarizing what the canvas contains. This "meta" sticky note gives the search engine more text to match against.

Search and the Knowledge Graph

Search and the knowledge graph are complementary tools for finding information:

• Use search when you know what you are looking for. You have a specific term, tag, or topic in mind.
• Use the graph when you want to explore. You are not sure what you are looking for but want to browse connections and discover related notes.

Together, they ensure you can always find your notes — whether through targeted retrieval or visual exploration.