Frequently asked questions
Here are the most common questions about AnotPad. If yours is not here, contact us.
Is AnotPad free?
Yes. Using AnotPad costs nothing. To keep the service running, the content pages (like this one) show Google AdSense ads, and you choose whether to accept them. Your notes never show ads.
Do I need to create an account or log in?
No. You do not give a name or an email to use it. Just pick a name for your note, which becomes its address.
How do I create a note?
On the home page, type a name (for example, shopping-list) and click "Create or open". You can also type the address directly in your browser: https://anotpad.com/shopping-list. Everything you write is saved automatically.
Are my notes private?
Not by default. Anyone who knows the address of a note can open and edit it. Choose names that are hard to guess and, if you want an extra barrier, protect the note with a password. Password locking is simple and is not a safe: do not store passwords, card details or personal documents in AnotPad.
Can I use the same note on my phone and my computer?
Yes. Open the same address on both devices. Changes show up in real time, with no need to refresh the page.
How do I organize notes in folders?
Use slashes in the address: for example, work/meetings/october. The app shows a panel with the folders and the notes next to each other, and you can create subfolders, rename them and move between them.
What are the size limits?
Each attached file can be up to 2 MB, and images are automatically reduced before upload. The text can be large, but from 500 thousand characters on the app warns that the note may get slow. In that case, split the content into notes or subfolders.
I forgot the password of a note. Now what?
In the unlock window, use "Remove lock" and enter the email you registered when you protected the note. If you no longer have access to that email, contact us.
How do I delete a note?
Open the note, click the ⋮ menu and choose "Delete note". Its text, version history and files are deleted and this cannot be undone.
Can I recover text I deleted by accident?
AnotPad automatically keeps the last 2 versions of the text while you edit. Click the clock icon in the bottom bar to see and restore one of them.
Does it work offline?
You need to be connected to open and save notes. If the connection drops while the page is open, what you type is saved as soon as it comes back, as long as you do not close the page.
How do I share a note as read-only?
In the ⋮ menu choose "Copy read-only link". Whoever opens that link sees the note without the editing buttons. It is just a view: anyone who removes the end of the address can edit again.
Can I create a reminder for a note?
Yes. In the ⋮ menu choose "Create reminder", enter the title, date and time and use "Add to Google Calendar" or "Download .ics file" (which opens in Outlook, Apple Calendar and other apps). The event carries the link to the note. The alert comes from your calendar app: AnotPad does not store the reminder or your email.
How do I make a to-do list with checkboxes?
In the note’s formatting bar, click "Checklist" (the icon with two ticked boxes). Enter creates the next item, clicking the box ticks it and Ctrl+Enter ticks the item where the cursor is. When the list has two or more items, a counter shows up, like "3 of 8 items".
Can I open a note on my phone with a QR code?
Yes. In the ⋮ menu choose "Open on phone (QR code)" and point your phone’s camera at the code. By default the code leads to the read-only link; turn that option off to generate an editing code. The code is generated on your device and nothing is sent to third parties.
Can I import text from a PDF or Word file?
Yes. In the note’s ⋮ menu choose "Import PDF or Word", pick a PDF or a .docx file (up to 25 MB) and the text found is shown for you to review. You can add it to the end of the note or replace the note’s text (the previous text goes to the history). Only text is imported, with no images, fonts or colors, and the file is read in your browser and never sent anywhere. Scanned PDFs (page images) have no text to read, and old .doc files need to be saved as .docx or PDF first.
Can I install AnotPad as an app?
Yes. In browsers that allow it (Chrome, Edge and Android ones), the "Install app" button shows up on the home page and in the note’s ⋮ menu. On iPhone and iPad, use Share › Add to Home Screen. It is the same site, with its own icon and a window without the browser bar.