SiYuan Notes User GuideWhy choose Siyuan Notes?🤔
type
status
date
slug
summary
tags
category
icon
password
Siyuan Notes is a personal knowledge management system that prioritizes privacy protection and data security. It supports fully offline usage, ensuring that your data always remains in your own hands, while also offering end-to-end encrypted synchronization, so your notes are secure even in the cloud.
Data Security is Paramount
"Local-first software" is a software design principle that allows users to enjoy the convenience of cloud services while maintaining full data ownership, much like using traditional local software.
Compared to local software, cloud services offer the advantage of accessing data from any device and enabling real-time collaboration with anyone, providing significant benefits in seamless collaboration. However, cloud services also have their drawbacks:
- All data access in cloud services is conducted through servers, meaning users can only perform actions permitted by the cloud service provider. In other words, the cloud service provider is the true owner of the data and controls all of it.
- Data in cloud services is tightly bound to the service itself. If the cloud service shuts down, the data becomes inaccessible. Even if data can be exported, it often loses its value without the cloud service.
As a local-first note-taking software, Siyuan Notes adheres to the principle of "no offline, no notes." Unlike purely online services, users' notes will not be lost due to the shutdown of a platform or uncontrollable network factors, ensuring the long-term availability of data. Content saved locally belongs to the user and is unaffected by others, accessible at any time even without an internet connection.
In end-to-end transmission, Siyuan Notes employs the industry-recognized AES-GCM encryption algorithm to ensure the privacy of user data. Note content is always protected by high-strength encryption. Neither cloud service providers nor developers can decrypt user data, truly putting the control of data in the hands of the user.
Local-first software possesses the following characteristics:
- Runs locally without network latency.
- Supports multi-device synchronization.
- Network is not a necessity.
- More resilient data.
- Inherently secure and private.
- Users have complete ownership and control.
💡 You can visit Local-first software to learn more about the philosophy of local-first software.
Powerful Editing, Smooth Writing
Rich Content Blocks
The editing functionality of Siyuan Notes revolves around the concept of "blocks." Whether it's a text paragraph, a list item, an image, or a file, each is treated as an independent "block." These blocks, each with their own functions, can be combined like Lego bricks to construct articles. The final form of a page depends on how you arrange and combine these blocks. You can easily adjust the order and position of blocks by dragging them with your mouse, enabling efficient content organization.
Supports Markdown Syntax
Siyuan Notes supports mainstream Markdown syntax and employs a What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get (WYSIWYG) real-time rendering approach, instantly converting Markdown source code into rich text effects. This eliminates the need to frequently switch between source code and preview modes, as is common in traditional Markdown editors. This design allows users to focus on content creation without being distracted by formatting adjustments.
While editing, you can quickly set text styles by directly inputting Markdown syntax characters. Additionally, Siyuan Notes provides a convenient slash
/ shortcut menu, which can be accessed directly in both Chinese and English input modes, allowing users to easily select the desired "blocks." Furthermore, the menu integrates shortcut operations for quickly inserting "blocks," offering multiple methods that significantly enhance writing and formatting efficiency.Flexible Adjustment of Note Structure
Siyuan Notes supports block-level references and bidirectional links. Users can view content through block reference jumps or by hovering the mouse, and they can edit it directly. Bidirectional links help users build networks between pieces of knowledge. This design makes the connections between notes more intuitive, avoiding the limitations of traditional linear note-taking.
The bidirectional linking feature is not an unordered mesh structure but an extension based on a tree structure. The bidirectional linking function in Siyuan Notes aligns closely with the tree structure of outline-based note-taking. Users can further explore the connections between different levels while building on the tree structure.
For individual notes, Siyuan provides a powerful and intuitive outline for documents. It supports folding, expanding, and quick organization of outlines, allowing users to adjust the document structure easily by dragging the outline. Additionally, users can
zoom in to focus on a specific heading level, making the document structure clear and easy to navigate. For long documents, users can freely combine or split sections, and flexibly interchange documents and headings without affecting reference relationships. This makes the reorganization and reuse of knowledge more convenient.High Performance
Editing Large Documents: Siyuan employs dynamic loading technology, enabling smooth editing of documents with millions of characters even on ordinary computers. You no longer need to worry about slow loading or lag when working with large documents.
Feature-Rich
SQL Query: Siyuan Notes supports using SQL syntax to organize and embed notes, enabling functions like random extraction and summarization. This makes it easy to manage and utilize your knowledge base.
Template Functionality: Quickly reuse preset content, especially suitable for repetitive frameworks such as weekly or monthly reports, making daily recording more convenient and efficient.
Flashcards: Spaced repetition using the FSRS algorithm. Improve memory efficiency, adjust learning outcomes, optimize time allocation, and increase motivation. By effectively reviewing learned content, you can track your progress and achievements, thereby boosting confidence and self-identity.
Database: Multi-dimensional tables, similar to Notion's database.
Web Clipping: With Siyuan's official extensions and web clipper plugins, you can save articles directly to Siyuan Notes.
Plugin System: A wide variety of plugins await your exploration, catering to your unique preferences and needs.
Personalized Customization, Showcasing Individuality
Siyuan Notes supports highly customizable interface layouts and module displays, allowing users to flexibly adjust interface elements according to personal preferences. For example, you can hide rarely used features while keeping frequently accessed ones visible, making the interface more concise and efficient. With multi-window and split-screen functionality, you can display multiple note pages on the same screen, enabling real-time editing and referencing of multiple notes simultaneously. This enhances efficiency in reviewing and editing, helping you focus on core tasks.
Siyuan Notes supports custom themes and offers a wealth of community resources, including themes, icons, templates, and widgets, allowing you to create a personalized note-taking environment. Additionally, it supports CSS and JS code snippets for further modifications on top of themes, enabling you to DIY your preferred effects.
If you're an "advanced user," you can develop your own themes, widgets, browser extensions, and more using the open API provided by Siyuan Notes.
Local Free + Flexible Sync Solutions
Siyuan Notes adopts a "basic features free + subscription for premium services" model, with affordable subscription prices and educational discounts to meet the needs of different users. (Details)
The official cloud sync feature is available, and users only need to become a member (annual fee of 148 RMB) to enjoy seamless cross-device synchronization. This method requires no additional configuration and is simple to operate, making it suitable for users who want to get started quickly.
For users who require more flexibility or custom sync solutions, Siyuan Notes supports synchronization through third-party S3 cloud storage. Users need to purchase an additional feature (64 RMB one-time fee) and activate cloud storage services on platforms like Alibaba Cloud or Tencent Cloud, then configure it according to the official guide. Although the process is relatively complex, it provides users with more autonomous sync options.
Subscription Users: ￥148/year (Educational Discount: ￥96/year)
📦 Basic Features
📥 Inbox
📁 Official Cloud Storage: 8GB
Feature Add-ons (￥64/Lifetime)
Continuous Iteration, Long-term Stability
是否会随意砍掉我特别需要的功能？
用户体验上我们正在逐步完善，把现在的功能做好、做稳、做到极致是第一要务，添加新特性会谨慎对待，并且不会再移除已有功能了（除非是实在没人用的功能或者有更好的替代方案）。
是否已经实现盈利，能够运营多久？
如果思源运营不下去了，跑路了怎么办？
首先，思源是一款本地优先的软件，它不是在线服务，所以即使我们跑路了，软件依然能用。
其次，思源提供了标准 Markdown 的批量导出，只要能导入 Markdown 的笔记软件都能接盘思源，虽然不能保证数据语义无损，但是至少能保证排版格式正确。
再次，思源底层数据解析器是完全开源的（项目地址），任何时间都可以通过该开源项目实现数据迁移，通过这个实现数据迁移能够完整保留原始语义
最后，就算我们要跑路，我们也会在跑路前完整开源代码（但我觉得这不大可能发生，最有可能的是我们在运营良好的时候选择开源，而不是倒闭时甩锅）
💡补充：思源笔记已经全部开源！
以后如果有资本介入，是否还会保持初心？
本地优先、确保隐私安全是思源最基本的初心，只要思源存在一天这一点就不会改变，没有任何力量能改变这个初心。
全面的多端同步
思源笔记支持多平台的无缝使用，覆盖Windows、MacOS、Linux、iOS、Android、鸿蒙等多个主流操作系统。此外，用户还可以通过Docker部署方式，将思源笔记运行在自己的服务器上，进一步扩展其使用场景和灵活性。无论是桌面端还是移动端，思源笔记都能为用户提供一致的体验，满足不同设备间的无缝切换需求。
Loading...