Evergreen notes explained, with a note before and after
Evergreen notes are notes written to be revised and reused over years. Andy Matuschak's version makes each note atomic, built around one concept, densely linked to others, titled as a claim and written for yourself. A transient note is a jot you use once and rarely reread.
If you have ever written a note, read it once, and never opened it again, you have met the problem evergreen notes try to solve. The idea comes from researcher Andy Matuschak, and it is simple to state: write fewer notes, and write them so you will want to return.
The short version
Matuschak describes evergreen notes as notes written and organised to evolve and accumulate over time, across projects. He contrasts them with transient notes, which most people take and seldom revisit. Jorge Arango draws the same line with a plain example: a grocery list is transient, and its job ends when the shopping does. An evergreen note's job is to be reused.
The five properties
| Property | What it means | A question to test it |
|---|---|---|
| Atomic | One idea per note, covered as completely as you can | Could I link to this idea without dragging in unrelated ones? |
| Concept-oriented | Organised by idea, not by book, project or source | Is the title about a concept or about where I read it? |
| Densely linked | Connected to other notes, with a reason | Can I name two notes this one should point to? |
| Associative | Links over rigid folder hierarchies | Does this idea belong in more than one place? |
| Written for yourself | Your words, for your future use | Would I understand this in a year without the source open? |
Maggie Appleton illustrates a similar set of principles, adding that titles should be statements. Sources differ slightly in how they list the properties, so treat the list as a family and not a standard.
Titles that make a claim
The least obvious habit is the title. Matuschak argues that a note title works like an API: it should stand for the whole note, so you can cite the idea elsewhere without rereading. His examples are complete phrases that state something, and he prefers positive framing. A title such as "Meetings" labels a topic. A title such as "A meeting without a decision is a status update" makes a claim you can agree with, argue with or link to. The second example is ours, written for illustration.
A note, before and after
This is an invented example. Say you read about review habits and scribbled this in your phone:
weekly review - tues didnt work, sunday ok?? kids stuff. try again
It is honest and quick, and useless in three months. Here is the same material as an evergreen note.
Title: A weekly review needs a start time that survives my worst day
Body: I skipped my review three Tuesdays in a row because evening plans kept moving it. Sunday morning survived because nothing competes with it. The fix is a fixed slot I can protect, not more discipline. This assumes one slot a week is enough, which I have not tested for busy months.
Links: To a note called "Friction at the start of a habit decides whether it happens", because both describe the same cost. To "Small recurring tasks need a trigger", because a start time is a trigger.
What changed? The title is a claim. One idea remains and the scribbled facts became evidence. A limit is stated, and each link carries a reason. That reason matters in the same way as in a Zettelkasten, where a link alone is just a pointer.
Write your first one in ten minutes
- Open the last note you wrote that you still care about.
- Ask: what is the one idea here? Write it as a sentence.
- Make that sentence the title, in your own words and as a claim.
- Write three to five sentences: the evidence, why you believe it, one limit.
- Find one existing note it connects to, and link it with a sentence on why.
- Close it. Do the same with one note a week for a month.
Fabric's guide to evergreen notes says the first ten or twenty will feel slow. That page gives no time estimates, so the ten minutes above is our rule of thumb. Fabric sells a notes app, so weigh its advice accordingly.
Evergreen notes vs Zettelkasten
They are close cousins. Matuschak notes that both are atomic, concept-oriented and densely linked, and both favour your own ideas and restating material in your own words. He then lists his additions: a writing inbox for incomplete scraps, spaced repetition to revisit them, a taxonomy of note types running from early ideas to syntheses, titles as key indexes instead of numeric IDs, and backlinks. He also says his notes are public and exist mainly to develop ideas for his creative projects. If you want the older, more structured method, Zettelkasten for beginners has a five-note exercise.
Keeping them evergreen
None of the pages I read prescribes a maintenance schedule, so this part is our suggestion. Revise a note when you open it for another reason. If a new note contradicts an old one, edit the old one and link both. If a note keeps growing, split it into two with sharper titles. Do not split by reflex: Matuschak warns that notes cut too finely fragment the network of links.
Where this goes wrong
- Writing notes about books. A note titled with a book name is a container. Pull out one concept per note.
- Linking without reasons. Ten empty links are decoration.
- Over-polishing. A rough evergreen note you wrote beats a perfect one you did not.
- Using it for the wrong notes. Receipts, to-dos and quick jots do not need this. Send them to a simple inbox and use the weekly review.
If you are not sure whether this level of effort suits your week, how to choose a note-taking system compares it with lighter options.
Questions people ask
What are evergreen notes in simple terms?
Evergreen notes are notes you write so that they stay useful and get better each time you return. Each holds one idea in your own words, has a title that states a claim, and links to related notes. They are the opposite of a quick jot you never reread.
What is the difference between evergreen notes and Zettelkasten?
They share atomic, linked, own-words notes. Matuschak lists differences: he uses a writing inbox for rough scraps, a taxonomy of note types, titles that act like APIs instead of numeric IDs, backlinks and spaced repetition. His system is aimed at developing ideas for his creative projects.
How long should an evergreen note be?
Short enough to hold one idea and long enough to stand alone. A few sentences is typical. Matuschak says there is no clear test for the right size, only a trade-off: too broad hides new ideas, too fine fragments your links.
Do I need special software to write evergreen notes?
No. You need a tool where you can give a note a title, edit it later and refer to it from another note. Paper index cards, plain text files and many notes apps can do that. Backlinks help but are not required.
Are evergreen notes worth it for everyday notes?
Usually not for to-dos, receipts or meeting jots. They pay off for ideas you will build on, such as writing, research or a long project. If your notes are mostly tasks, a small capture-and-sort system is a better fit.
Sources
- Andy Matuschak: Evergreen notes The origin page: purpose, the five properties, links to supporting notes. Read via a page fetch, which returned a summary of the page rather than its raw text.
- Andy Matuschak: Evergreen notes should be atomic One thing per note, as completely as possible; the risk of splitting too finely; no clear test for the right size. Read via a page fetch (summary).
- Andy Matuschak: Evergreen note titles are like APIs A title should stand for the whole note, so you can cite its ideas without reopening it. Read via a page fetch (summary).
- Andy Matuschak: Similarities and differences between evergreen note-writing and Zettelkasten Shared traits and the differences he lists (writing inbox, note-type taxonomy, titles over numeric IDs, backlinks, spaced repetition). Read via a page fetch (summary).
- Maggie Appleton: Evergreen notes Four illustrated principles: atomic, densely linked, titled as statements, concept-oriented. Read via a page fetch (summary). The page did not give details of her seedling, budding and evergreen stages.
- Jorge Arango: Evergreen notes A February 2023 post separating transient notes, such as a grocery list, from notes you revise. Read via a page fetch (summary).
- Fabric: Evergreen notes A vendor guide: its principles, a Zettelkasten comparison and the remark that the first ten or twenty notes feel slow. Marketing page for a notes app. Read via a page fetch (summary).
Made by EASYTECH, who also make Nom.
