Learn
Documentation for Tana Outliner, the knowledge graph with an outline editor.
Get started
The ultimate Tana Outliner starter guideTana Outliner is one of the most powerful knowledge management tools I have used. But sometimes all those powerful features can overshadow just how simple it can be to get started. And I guarantee that most people are overthinking it from the very start.
Editor and structure
Outline editorThe outline editor is where you write in Tana Outliner. You organize content by nesting and indenting bullet points, and you can expand, collapse, and rearrange them freely. Zoom into any bullet point and it becomes a full page. There are no separate documents or files.
Nodes and referencesEvery bullet point in Tana Outliner's outline is a node. Nodes are the core building block of everything in Tana Outliner. The same node can show up in multiple places as a reference. Edit it anywhere and every reference updates, so your information stays current everywhere it appears.
Node typesEvery bullet point in Tana Outliner is a node, but nodes come in different types. Each type has a distinct bullet icon so you can tell them apart at a glance: content nodes, references, search nodes, command nodes, fields, and more.
Workflows
All guides
Knowledge graph
SupertagsSupertags turn a node into a typed object with a template of fields. All nodes with the same supertag form a collection you can search, filter, and view as a table. Supertags are how you define the types of things in your workspace and give them consistent structure.
FieldsFields are named attributes on a node. Each field has a type (text, date, number, URL, options) that determines what values it accepts. When you add fields to a supertag template, every node with that supertag gets the same fields automatically, making your data sortable, filterable, and queryable.
ViewsViews control how a node's children are displayed. The same data can be shown as an outline, table, cards, calendar, list, tabs, or side menu. You can filter, sort, and group by fields. Switching views does not change the underlying data.
Live sessions
All sessions
Tana Outliner Systems Lab: Portable knowledge coreKeep structured knowledge in Tana Outliner and reusable instructions in GitHub, so AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT can work with your system wherever you are.
AI and automation
Tana AITana Outliner includes AI across the product: meeting transcription without a bot, chat that can reference your notes, image generation, voice memos, and live dictation. AI credits are included with paid plans.
AI meeting notetakerA built-in notetaker in the Tana Outliner desktop app that records audio from your computer, transcribes it in real time, and generates a summary when the meeting ends. It works for video calls, in-person meetings, lectures, and interviews without adding a bot to the call. Supports over 60 languages with automatic detection.
AI ChatAI chat lets you have a conversation with an AI model directly inside Tana Outliner. Press Space below any note to start a chat with that note as context, or open the AI chats sidebar to start a standalone conversation. You can pull in specific notes as context by typing @ to reference them.
Templates
All templates
Focus modeEnter focus mode on any node. Your workspace transforms to help you concentrate. When you're done, exit focus mode and see exactly how long you focused. Build a record of deep work across all your projects.
Goals that stickThe Goals template helps you define meaningful goals and stay connected to them over time. Voice-enabled for natural goal capture, with an AI agent to check in on progress, refine obstacle plans, and find your next action.
A habit tracker that keeps you consistentMost habit trackers fail because they live outside your normal workflow. Tana Outliner's habit tracking template changes the game by embedding powerful tracking functionality directly into your daily notes. Stop switching between apps and start building consistent habits.
More features
What's new
See all- NewGPT-5.6 Luna, Terra, and Sol available as AI models. GPT-5.6 Luna, Terra, and Sol are now in the AI model picker for commands and chat, with reasoning levels from None to High. Luna adds an Extra High level, and new chats use Luna at Medium reasoning. Choosing your own model is part of a paid plan.
- NewThree shapes for Markdown workspace export. Exporting a workspace as Markdown now asks how to arrange the ZIP. "Workspace outline" mirrors your outline as folders. "Supertag folders" gives each supertag a folder of tagged items. "Structured vault" adds YAML fields, tag schemas, and links between notes, for moving a workspace into another tool. The last two let you choose which supertags to include.
- NewClick a table calculation to copy it. Click the result under a table column to copy it. Sum, Average, Median, Min, Max, Count, Values, and Unique copy the value as displayed, and a short confirmation tells you it reached the clipboard.
- ImprovedIn-app help answers from the current documentation. AI help now draws on the current Tana Outliner documentation, refreshed daily, so answers match what the app does today. Citations point at the right page and keep their numbering across follow-up questions. Keyboard shortcuts and example markup render as written, and thumbs up or down on an answer records your rating.
- ImprovedCalmer calendar and date picker. Past events are dimmed so the rest of the day stands out, the day and week grids fill the panel instead of stopping short below the last hour, and the all-day row drops its label so events get the width. The date picker closes once you pick a date, and empty sections no longer leave a gap behind.
- ImprovedWorkspace API tokens stay manageable on any plan. The workspace API tokens tab is available on every plan, so you can review and revoke tokens even when creating new ones is not included. Deleting a token revokes it right away, and the tab shows whether it is loading, has no tokens, or could not reach the server.