Learn the basics

Your first document in three steps

Choose a starting point, make it yours, and take the result with you.

  1. Choose an example

    Start with an article, meeting notes, or a research note. Each example includes something different to try.

  2. Write and format

    Click in the document to type. Select text before changing its emphasis, color, or heading style.

  3. Take your result

    Open the output, choose HTML or Markdown, then copy or download it. HTML keeps more formatting; Markdown is convenient for text workflows.

Find the tool for what you want to do

A few practical ways to make your document clearer.

Give your document structure

Use headings for sections and normal paragraphs for the details. Select an existing paragraph to change its style.

Make the key sentence stand out

Select text, then use bold, a text color, or a highlight. A short quote can give an important idea its own space.

Organize decisions and tasks

Use a list for steps and a table when readers need to compare tasks, people, or dates. The meeting example includes both.

Add a picture and a caption

Select an image to explore its size, alignment, and caption. The examples include illustrations you can use to practice.

Connect to another page

Select a phrase and use the link tool to add a web address. The article includes a link to more community garden ideas.

Explain code and equations

Use the code and equation tools for technical notes. Start with the research example to see how these blocks fit into a document.

Choose Full or Mini

Use Full for longer documents, or Mini for a comment or quick note. You can switch modes while keeping your work.

Choose an output format

Use HTML when formatting matters and Markdown for a text-based workflow. Some formatting has no Markdown equivalent; check the output before using it elsewhere.