9 Basic Tips and Tricks for Microsoft OneNote for Beginners

Start capturing text, images, and files quickly at home, work, or on the go

Updated on September 23, 2020

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Think of Microsoft OneNote as a digital version of a physical notebook. Use it to capture and organize digital notes. Add images, diagrams, audio, video, and related content. Use OneNote with other programs in the Office suite, on your desktop or mobile devices.

This information applies to OneNote for Windows 10 and OneNote 2016.

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Create a Notebook

Just like physical notebooks, OneNote notebooks are a collection of note pages. Start by creating a notebook, then build from there.

On any page, select Show Notebooks.
At the bottom of the pane, select Add Notebook or + Notebook.
Enter a name for the new notebook, then select Create Notebook.

OneNote switches to the new notebook. This notebook contains a new section and a new, blank page.

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Add or Move Notebook Pages

Add more pages or move those pages around within your notebook. Your organization is fluid, allowing you to arrange and rearrange each piece of your project.

To add a page, select Add Page at the bottom of the left pane.

To move a page from one section to another, drag the title of the page to the section you want.

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Type or Write Notes

Enter notes by typing or handwriting with a digital stylus. Alternatively, use your voice to embed a sound file or snap a photo of text and convert it to editable or digital text.

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Create Sections

Create topical sections for better customization and organization of OneNote's user interface. Sections help you arrange ideas by topic or a range of dates, for example.

To create a section, select +Add Section or +Section at the bottom of the sections list on the left side of the window.

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Tag and Prioritize Notes

Prioritize or organize notes with dozens of searchable tags. For example, including tags for To-Do action items or Shopping items could help you get items from different notes while at the store.

Select any line of text.
Select the To Do tag to add a check box to the line.
Select the arrow next to the To Do icon to choose another tag, such as Important, Question, or Remember for Later.

You can select or clear To Do check boxes.

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Add files to a notebook of several notes or attach files to a single note. You can capture some of these other file types, such as images and audio from within OneNote.

These additional files and resources can be useful for your own reference or to convey ideas more effectively to others when you share and collaborate in OneNote.

Go to the Insert tab to add files and objects.

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Delete or Recover Notes

Always be careful when deleting notes, but if you do accidentally remove one, you should be able to recover deleted notes.

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Use the OneNote Mobile App or Free Online App

Use OneNote on the go with mobile apps made for Android, iOS, and Windows Phone. You can also use Microsoft's free online version, although, this tool requires a free Microsoft Account.

Download for:

iOS

Android

Windows Phone

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