10 Creative Ways to Save Stuff in Evernote
Hacks you will relish to stay organized and productive.
I’m a long-time Evernote user and adopted this baby in 2019. Today, Evernote has grown into a mature note-taking and matured technology since then and has been a lifesaver for many of us.
There have been problems, constraints, and challenges with Evernote, too, like every organization.
Today, I’m taking a shot at my ten favorite use cases on Evernote. I hope this is of some use to you too.
1. Drag and drop.
You can use this to gather essential things in Evernote to work with them in one relatively distraction-free place.
- You can drag a document, image, or file from your computer into Evernote.
- Evernote automatically saves the file as a new note when you drop it in the note list.
- You can place a file in a note by opening it and dropping it.
2. Clip the web.
Have you ever clicked on a bookmark to find that it had changed or disappeared?
If so, you’re not alone.
Try Web Clipper next time. Evernote’s Web Clipper allows you to save pages from the internet to your notes. This method preserves the appearance of the page as it was when it was found.
Pro tip: Web Clipper automatically strips away the sidebars and other unimportant bits from pages clipped from Gmail, Amazon, YouTube, or LinkedIn.
3. Take a picture.
Taking a picture with Evernote is a better solution. In addition, adding a reminder is now possible.
Also, any word within the image can be searched for so you can easily find it later.
4. Capture audio.
Have you ever taken notes at a meeting or lecture but missed some crucial details?
There is a chance that you were capturing a critical insight and missed what was said afterward. If you want to remember what was said while still giving your full attention to the speaker, try recording audio with Evernote.
You can add comments to the same note when recording an audio file or after you hear it.
5. Sketch on your phone or tablet.
You can add sketches to your notes if you’re thinking visually (or you want to give your thumbs a break).
Sketch notes to illustrate ideas in meetings or capture the inspiration that doesn’t come in words.
6. Send stuff from Gmail to Evernote (and vice versa).
Let’s say you’re going on vacation. All your trip details are scattered in many emails, and you have a trip checklist in Evernote.
As you rush through the airport, bring your emails into Evernote, where you can see all your trip-related emails in one place rather than switching between Evernote and your inbox.
Pro tip: Do you need someone to know about your travel plans? Send one message with your trip details included, and avoid cluttering the other person’s inbox by adding the note with your trip details to an outgoing email.
7. Integrate with Google Drive, Slack, Salesforce, and Microsoft Teams
Switching apps is a fact of life, making you lose focus. Evernote integrates with Google Drive, Slack, Salesforce, and Microsoft Teams, bringing that world closer together.
- Add Google Drive files to Evernote without leaving the note you’re working on. Each file shows up as a box with useful information like the filename and the last time it was modified, instead of links, which can be vague about where they lead.
- Does your company use Slack for private chats or group conversations? If so, you can create notes, find existing notes, and clip conversations into Evernote while working in Slack.
- Access Evernote content from within Salesforce. Gather everything you need, from scanned business cards to sales collateral, in one convenient place. Notes sync automatically, and they’re searchable in both Evernote and Salesforce.
- Get information from Evernote into Microsoft Teams without leaving a chat thread. Pin notes right into conversations and view content saved in Evernote from within the chat so you can stay in your flow — not juggling between apps.
Learn about using Evernote with Google Drive, Slack, Salesforce, or Microsoft Teams
8. Automate tasks with IFTTT and Zapier
Social media posts, receipts, emails, and countless other types of information trickle (or flood) into your life daily. This information is excellent for Evernote, but you must put it in your notebooks before using it. You can automate this by using IFTTT and Zapier. Then you can focus less on getting your information into Evernote and more on what you can do with it. For example, you can set reminders, track expenses, manage to-do lists, and more.
9. Let Siri take dictation.
You can get ideas anywhere, not just in front of your computer. For example, you may be busy with a recipe in the kitchen and suddenly come up with a great idea, or perhaps you are out jogging and think of a great way to start a meeting.
With Siri’s ability to take notes in Evernote, you can now capture ideas before they disappear.
Say, “Take a note in Evernote.” Once you’ve spoken your mind, Siri will save your thoughts to an Evernote note.
If you already have notes, Siri can also add to them. It works on both Apple Watches and HomePods.
10. Share your ideas
Evernote makes it easy to express yourself and collect information in one place.
You can share your big ideas with others when the time comes. You can send notes to anyone using email, URLs, iMessages, or Work Chat.
Using these methods, you can even send notes to people who do not use Evernote.
I’m sure you are using some of the functionalities mentioned above. Let me know if I have missed any of your favorite features.
I’m enjoying my last ten years with Evernote despite trying Google Keep, Notion, One Note, Obsidian, Craft, and many more.
Feel free to become a member for full access to my content — and the entire Medium library! In addition, I’ll earn a small commission if you sign up through my link. Thank you for supporting my work!