Multi-Note Workflow Bundles Guide

November 13, 2025 · View on GitHub

Create multiple related notes at once with automatic links between them.

⚠️ Important: Templates vs Bundles

Confused about variables and prompting? You're not alone! Here's the key difference:

Feature	AI Templates (Phase 1)	Bundles (Phase 2)
Command	`Create Template with AI`	`Create Notes from Bundle`
Creates	Single note template	Multiple connected notes
Variables defined?	✅ Yes (in JSON)	✅ Yes (in JSON)
Variable prompting?	❌ NO - You never get prompted!	✅ YES - You get prompted for each!
Variables replaced?	❌ NO - They stay as `{placeholders}`	✅ YES - Automatically replaced

The Common Confusion

What happens:

You run Create Template with AI
AI generates a template with variables like {application_name}, {tutorial_goal}
You use the template to create a note
The note contains literal {application_name} text - no prompting happened!

Why: AI Templates (Phase 1) create variables but don't have UI to collect them. That's what bundles are for!

How to Get Variable Prompting

If you want to be prompted for variables, you need to convert your template to a bundle:

Run: Noted: Create Bundle from Templates
Select your AI-generated template
Give the bundle a name
Edit the bundle and copy the variables array from your template
Now run Noted: Create Notes from Bundle - you'll get prompted! ✨

Quick rule:

Want a single note? Use templates (manual fill-in)
Want variable prompting? Use bundles (automatic prompting)

What About `{Placeholders}` in Template Content?

If your template has many {placeholders} like {First_Action_Title} or {setting_name}, these are intentionally left as reminders - you're meant to fill them in manually as you write.

Only variables explicitly listed in the bundle's "variables" array get prompted. Everything else stays as a placeholder guide.

Bundles let you create entire workflows of connected notes in one step. Instead of manually creating multiple notes and linking them together, bundles automate the process - perfect for recurring workflows like video tutorials, project planning, or research papers.

Quick Start

1. Use a Built-in Bundle

The fastest way to get started:

Open Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P or Ctrl+Shift+P)
Run: Noted: Create Notes from Bundle
Select a bundle:
- Video Tutorial Workflow - Script + guide + resources
- Project Planning Workflow - Overview + tasks + meetings + resources
Answer the prompts to fill in variables (e.g., project name, topic, dates)
Press Enter - all notes are created and linked automatically!

Example: Video Tutorial Workflow

You'll be asked:

Tutorial topic: "VS Code Extensions"
Duration (minutes): 15
Audience level: beginner / intermediate / advanced

This creates 3 notes:

Tutorials/
├── Scripts/
│   └── VS-Code-Extensions-script.txt
├── Guides/
│   └── VS-Code-Extensions-guide.txt  [[links to script]]
└── Resources/
    └── VS-Code-Extensions-resources.txt  [[links to both]]

Each note automatically includes wiki-links to related notes in a "Related Notes" section!

2. Try It Right Now

Step-by-step example:

Press Cmd+Shift+P (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux)
Type: bundle and select "Noted: Create Notes from Bundle"
Choose: "Project Planning Workflow"
Enter when prompted:
- Project name: "New Website"
- Start date: 2025-01-15
- Priority: high
Watch as 4 notes are created:
- Projects/New-Website/New-Website-overview.txt
- Projects/New-Website/New-Website-tasks.txt ← links to overview
- Projects/New-Website/New-Website-meetings.txt ← links to overview and tasks
- Projects/New-Website/New-Website-resources.txt ← links to overview

The first note opens automatically so you can start working!

What Are Bundles?

Think of bundles as templates for creating multiple notes at once:

Single template = One note
Bundle = Multiple related notes with automatic connections

When to Use Bundles

✅ Perfect for:

Recurring workflows (video tutorials, blog posts, research)
Project kickoffs (overview + tasks + meetings)
Related note sets (book notes: summary + quotes + review)
Multi-part documentation (guide + examples + references)

❌ Not needed for:

Single standalone notes (use regular templates)
One-off notes without connections

Understanding Variables

Bundles use variables to customize notes. When you create a bundle, you'll be asked for values:

Variable Types

String - Text input
- Example: project_name → "My New App"
- Used for: Names, titles, descriptions
Number - Numeric input
- Example: duration → 15
- Used for: Durations, quantities, IDs
Date - Date picker (YYYY-MM-DD)
- Example: start_date → 2025-01-15
- Used for: Deadlines, milestones, schedules
Enum - Multiple choice
- Example: priority → low / medium / high / critical
- Used for: Categories, statuses, levels
Boolean - Yes/No choice
- Example: include_tests → Yes / No
- Used for: Feature flags, optional sections

How Variables Work

Variables use {variable_name} syntax and work in:

Note names: {topic}-guide.txt → VS-Code-Extensions-guide.txt
Folder paths: Projects/{project_name}/ → Projects/My-App/
Note content: # {topic} Tutorial → # VS Code Extensions Tutorial
Links: [[{topic}-script]] → [[VS-Code-Extensions-script]]

Creating Your Own Bundles

Method 1: From Existing Templates (Easiest)

If you already have custom templates:

Run: Noted: Create Bundle from Templates
Select 2+ templates to include
Enter bundle name: "blog-post-workflow"
Enter description: "Draft + images + publish checklist"
Bundle is saved! You can now edit it to add variables and links

Method 2: From Scratch (Most Flexible)

Create a file: .noted-templates/bundles/my-workflow.bundle.json
Use this structure:

{
  "id": "my-workflow",
  "name": "My Custom Workflow",
  "description": "What this bundle creates",
  "version": "1.0.0",

  "variables": [
    {
      "name": "title",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "prompt": "What's the title?",
      "description": "Main title for all notes"
    }
  ],

  "notes": [
    {
      "name": "{title}-main",
      "template": "quick",
      "folder": "MyNotes",
      "description": "Main note"
    },
    {
      "name": "{title}-tasks",
      "template": "quick",
      "folder": "MyNotes",
      "description": "Task list",
      "links": ["{title}-main"]
    }
  ],

  "post_create": {
    "open_notes": ["{title}-main"],
    "message": "Workflow '{title}' created!"
  }
}

Save the file
Run: Noted: Create Notes from Bundle to use it

Managing Bundles

Edit a Bundle

Run: Noted: Edit Bundle
Select the bundle to edit
Modify the JSON file:
- Add/remove variables
- Change note names or folders
- Update links between notes
- Adjust templates used
Save and close

Delete a Bundle

Run: Noted: Delete Bundle
Select the bundle
Confirm deletion

Advanced Bundle Features

Automatic Linking

Bundles create wiki-style links automatically:

{
  "notes": [
    {
      "name": "main-note",
      "template": "quick",
      "folder": "Notes"
    },
    {
      "name": "related-note",
      "template": "quick",
      "folder": "Notes",
      "links": ["main-note"]  ← Creates [[main-note]] link
    }
  ]
}

The "Related Notes" section is added automatically:

## Related Notes

- [[main-note]]

Post-Creation Actions

Control what happens after bundle creation:

{
  "post_create": {
    "open_notes": ["main-note", "tasks"],  ← Opens these notes
    "message": "Project '{name}' is ready!" ← Custom success message
  }
}

Variable Defaults

Provide sensible defaults:

{
  "variables": [
    {
      "name": "priority",
      "type": "enum",
      "values": ["low", "medium", "high"],
      "default": "medium"  ← Pre-selected
    }
  ]
}

Required vs Optional Variables

{
  "variables": [
    {
      "name": "title",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true  ← Must provide value
    },
    {
      "name": "author",
      "type": "string",
      "required": false,  ← Can skip
      "default": "Anonymous"
    }
  ]
}

Example Bundles

Research Paper Workflow

{
  "id": "research-paper",
  "name": "Research Paper Workflow",
  "description": "Outline + notes + bibliography + drafts",
  "version": "1.0.0",

  "variables": [
    {
      "name": "paper_title",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "prompt": "Paper title"
    },
    {
      "name": "deadline",
      "type": "date",
      "required": true,
      "prompt": "Submission deadline (YYYY-MM-DD)"
    }
  ],

  "notes": [
    {
      "name": "{paper_title}-outline",
      "template": "research",
      "folder": "Research/{paper_title}",
      "description": "Paper structure and key points"
    },
    {
      "name": "{paper_title}-literature",
      "template": "quick",
      "folder": "Research/{paper_title}",
      "description": "Literature review and sources",
      "links": ["{paper_title}-outline"]
    },
    {
      "name": "{paper_title}-bibliography",
      "template": "quick",
      "folder": "Research/{paper_title}",
      "description": "Citations and references",
      "links": ["{paper_title}-literature"]
    },
    {
      "name": "{paper_title}-draft",
      "template": "quick",
      "folder": "Research/{paper_title}",
      "description": "Writing draft",
      "links": ["{paper_title}-outline", "{paper_title}-literature"]
    }
  ],

  "post_create": {
    "open_notes": ["{paper_title}-outline"],
    "message": "Research workflow ready! Deadline: {deadline}"
  }
}

Meeting Series Workflow

{
  "id": "meeting-series",
  "name": "Meeting Series",
  "description": "Recurring meeting with agenda + notes + action items",
  "version": "1.0.0",

  "variables": [
    {
      "name": "meeting_name",
      "type": "string",
      "required": true,
      "prompt": "Meeting name (e.g., 'Weekly Standup')"
    },
    {
      "name": "frequency",
      "type": "enum",
      "values": ["daily", "weekly", "biweekly", "monthly"],
      "default": "weekly",
      "prompt": "Meeting frequency"
    }
  ],

  "notes": [
    {
      "name": "{meeting_name}-template",
      "template": "meeting",
      "folder": "Meetings/{meeting_name}",
      "description": "Reusable meeting template"
    },
    {
      "name": "{meeting_name}-action-items",
      "template": "quick",
      "folder": "Meetings/{meeting_name}",
      "description": "Ongoing action items tracker",
      "links": ["{meeting_name}-template"]
    },
    {
      "name": "{meeting_name}-decisions",
      "template": "quick",
      "folder": "Meetings/{meeting_name}",
      "description": "Key decisions log",
      "links": ["{meeting_name}-template"]
    }
  ],

  "post_create": {
    "open_notes": ["{meeting_name}-template"],
    "message": "{frequency} meeting '{meeting_name}' set up!"
  }
}

Tips & Best Practices

Bundle Design

✅ Do:

Keep bundles focused (3-5 notes max)
Use descriptive variable names
Provide helpful prompt text
Set sensible defaults
Link related notes together

❌ Avoid:

Too many variables (keeps it simple)
Complex folder structures (flat is better)
Circular links (A→B, B→A)

Naming Conventions

Use clear, consistent patterns:

{topic}-main / {topic}-tasks / {topic}-notes
{project}-overview / {project}-meetings / {project}-resources
{title}-draft / {title}-review / {title}-final

Templates vs Bundles

Use templates when you need ONE customized note
Use bundles when you need MULTIPLE connected notes

Folder Organization

Bundles can create folder hierarchies:

Projects/{project_name}/ - One folder per project
Tutorials/{category}/{topic}/ - Organized by category
Research/{year}/{paper_title}/ - Organized by year

Configuration

Settings

noted.templates.enableBundles - Enable/disable bundle features (default: true)

Disable Bundles

If you don't use bundles:

Open Settings (Cmd+, or Ctrl+,)
Search: noted.templates.enableBundles
Uncheck to disable

Troubleshooting

Bundle Not Appearing

Problem: Created a bundle but don't see it in the picker

Solution:

Check file location: .noted-templates/bundles/your-bundle.bundle.json
Verify JSON is valid (use a JSON validator)
Ensure "id" field matches filename (without .bundle.json)
Reload VS Code window

Not Getting Prompted for Variables

Problem: When I run "Create Notes from Bundle", no variable prompts appear

Solution: Your bundle's "variables" array is empty!

What happened:

Your bundle has an empty "variables": [] array
Without variables defined, there's nothing to prompt for

How to fix:

Run: Noted: Edit Bundle → select your bundle
Add variables to the "variables" array:

"variables": [
  {
    "name": "application_name",
    "type": "string",
    "required": true,
    "prompt": "What is the application name?"
  }
]

Save and close
Try again: Create Notes from Bundle - now you'll get prompted! ✨

Note: If you created your bundle from AI-generated templates using Create Bundle from Templates, the variables should be automatically extracted. If they're missing, the templates themselves may not have had variables defined.