One app for notes, writing, and design

Flashpage combines a fast local notes app with the polish of a design canvas — while keeping every page a plain file you own. Here's everything it can do.

Installation guide

Core concept

Files you own — nothing trapped in a database.

Local-first: Runs entirely on your own computer — no account, no cloud, no internet needed.
Plain-file storage: Every page is a standard Markdown (.md) file with a small YAML header.
Files are the source of truth: The .md files on disk are always the real copy of your data.
External edits picked up: Edit .md files outside the app and Flashpage syncs them on next launch.
Rebuildable search index: A fast, disposable SQLite index rebuilt automatically every launch.
Subject + tags model: One subject and any number of tags per page for flexible organization.

Home & organization

Browse a big library without ever filing a note in just one place.

Page grid: All pages as cards with title, subject, tags, and last-updated time.
Favorites: Star pages; favorites always sort to the top when not searching.
Browse by subject: Group pages into subject folders.
Browse by tag: Group by tag; a page appears under every tag it has.
View cycling: One button cycles all pages → subjects → tags.
Persistent state: Remembers which view and folder you were in across restarts.

Flashnotebook

New

Group related pages into notebooks, and switch between pages and notebooks in one click.

Notebooks: A notebook is a folder for related pages, with a name and one subject.
One-click switch: Click the Flashpage title (or press Ctrl+Shift+D) to flip between pages and notebooks.
Page list panel: Inside a notebook, a side panel lists its pages so you can jump between them.
New notebook / new page: Ctrl+N creates a notebook in Flashnotebook view, and a new page when you're inside one.
Browse by subject: In Flashnotebook view, the folder button groups your notebooks by subject.
Search reaches inside: Search finds pages inside notebooks and badges each result with its notebook.
Edit a notebook: Rename a notebook or change its subject from the card's menu.
Live counts: Home shows how many pages and notebooks you have.

Search

Fast, forgiving, and filterable.

Instant search: Fast, debounced search across your whole library.
Type-to-search: Start typing anywhere on Home to jump into the search box.
Tag filter (#): #exam restricts results to matching tags.
Subject filter ($): $biology restricts results to matching subjects.
Combined filters: Mix text, #, and $ in any order, multi-word, no quotes.
Smart ranking: Exact matches first, then most recently updated.

Editor & writing

A visual editor that saves clean Markdown.

WYSIWYG editor: Visual, word-processor-style editing that saves clean Markdown.
Edit & Preview: Same editor in two modes; Preview is a read-only, share-ready view.
Formatting toolbar: One-click buttons for all formatting; hideable, with tooltips + shortcuts.
Slash menu: Type "/" at the start of a line to insert blocks quickly.
Smart lists: Backspace at a list item's start outdents instead of deleting.
Find & replace: Ctrl+F to find, Ctrl+H to replace one match or all.

Elements & design

A design canvas built into your notes.

Tables: Insert tables with header rows; full column/row editing, merge/split.
Typeable shapes: Rectangle, pill, circle, diamond, hexagon, triangle — each holds text.
Images: Insert from a gallery of every image used, or from a file.
Image editing: Resize, rotate, and reposition images directly in the page.
Canva-style sidebar: Slim icon rail with Elements, Images, Tools, Data, and Media tabs.
Drag-and-drop upload: Drop image/media files onto the sidebar to add them.

Media

Playable media, right inside a page.

Image library: Every image ever added, reusable across pages.
Video: Add and play videos inside a page.
Audio: Add and play audio files inside a page.
GIFs & presets: Add your own animated GIFs or use a built-in set.
Background uploads: Large files upload in the background without freezing the app.

Tools & document prep

Everything to finish a document before you share it.

Signature pad: Draw a signature and insert it as a transparent image.
Redact: Permanently scramble selected text to remove sensitive info.
Variables: Insert reusable [placeholder] tokens; rename one to update every copy.
Variable list: See every variable in a page with counts; rename in place.

Import & export

Move work in and out with a click.

Export to PDF: Polished, print-ready PDF; silent, no print dialog.
Fast PDF export: Ctrl+Shift+P sends the current page straight to PDF.
Export to Word: Save an editable .doc for Microsoft Word.
Export to Markdown: Save a plain-text .md copy.
Import PDF: Create a page from a PDF, or insert its content into a page.
Background jobs: Imports and exports run in the background with a completion popup.

Appearance & personalization

Make it yours — light, dark, and everything between.

Light / Dark / System: Choose a theme or follow your system setting.
Accent color tones: Pick the accent used for buttons, links, and highlights.
Background images: Custom images behind the Home screen and the editor.
~40 built-in fonts: Sans, serif, mono, handwriting, display — bundled, no download.
60+ languages: Per-page language selection driving native spellcheck.
Opacity controls: Fade Home and page surfaces while keeping text fully readable.

Data safety & reliability

Plain text means your writing is always safe.

Plain-text durability: Your writing is always in readable .md files — nothing proprietary.
Easy backups: Back up by copying one folder.
Delete-wins safety: Deleting a page can't be undone by an in-flight auto-save.
Self-contained pages: Inserted media is copied into the page's asset folder.
Auto-recovery: The search index rebuilds each launch, so outside edits appear.

Viewing & navigation

Read, zoom, and work across windows.

Preview mode: Ctrl+P; read-only, share-ready rendering with metadata locked.
Content zoom: Magnify content (keyboard, Ctrl+scroll, pinch) without reflowing.
Multiple windows: Ctrl+Shift+N opens a second window for side-by-side work.
Word wrap toggle: Soft-wrap long lines or scroll horizontally, per page.
Keyboard cheat sheet: Ctrl+/ shows every shortcut, always in sync with the app.

Data & analytics

A light spreadsheet with real formulas and charts — actively evolving.

Spreadsheet: Insert an editable grid with a header row.
Excel-style formulas: Type = in a cell: references, arithmetic, IF logic, text joining.
Smart sort: Sort by value — understands numbers, %, currency, and dates.
Total & average rows: Append a row summing or averaging every numeric column.
Click-to-reference: Click or drag cells while typing a formula to fill in references.
Formula reference: A built-in ƒx function list in the sidebar.
CSV / TSV import: Turn a CSV or TSV file into a table.
Copy as CSV: Copy a table for pasting into Excel or Google Sheets.
Charts: Line, bar, horizontal bar, area, scatter, pie, donut, radar.
Chart from a table: Pick any table on the page as a chart's data, and edit it with a live preview.

Ready to try it yourself?

Download Flashpage for Windows or Linux and see how it feels to keep everything in plain, portable files.

Read the docs