Plotiar documentation/Docs

Organization

Keep your projects tidy with folders, notes, and a structured content tree

A well-organized project is easier to write, easier to navigate, and easier to share with collaborators. Plotiar gives you folders, a collapsible content tree, color-coded notes, and a set of sidebar panels that put everything you need within reach -- without cluttering your writing space. This guide covers each organizational tool and how to get the most out of it.

Folders

Folders (also called directories) let you group related content inside a project. You can nest folders as deeply as you like to mirror the structure of your work -- chapters inside acts, research inside topics, or drafts inside milestones.

  1. 1

    Create a folder

    Click the "+" button in the sidebar and select "Folder" from the content type menu. Give it a name and it appears in your content tree immediately.

  2. 2

    Nest folders

    Drag a folder onto another folder to nest it inside. You can also right-click a folder and choose "New Folder" to create a subfolder directly.

  3. 3

    Move content into folders

    Drag any document, flowchart, ideaboard, or other content item onto a folder to move it inside. You can also use the right-click context menu and select "Move to" for a list of available destinations.

  4. 4

    Rename or delete a folder

    Right-click a folder to access options for renaming, duplicating, or deleting it. Deleting a folder also removes everything inside it, so use this carefully.

TIP
Plan your folder structure before you start writing. A common pattern for novels is a top-level folder per act, with subfolders for chapters. For research projects, try organizing by topic or source type.

Content Tree

The content tree is the collapsible sidebar on the left side of the project workspace. It displays every piece of content in your project as a draggable, nestable hierarchy -- much like a file explorer.

Expand & Collapse

Click the arrow next to any folder to expand or collapse it. Expand All and Collapse All buttons are available in the sidebar header, in the collapsed sidebar hover menu, and in the right-click context menu. This is especially helpful when navigating large projects with many nested levels.

Drag & Drop

Rearrange items by dragging them up or down in the tree. Drop an item onto a folder to move it inside. Drop it between items to reorder. The tree updates instantly and your changes are saved automatically.

Search Within Project

Use the search field at the top of the sidebar to filter the content tree by name. As you type, only matching items remain visible. Clear the search to see the full tree again.

Context Menus

Right-click any item in the tree to access a context menu with options to rename, duplicate, move, delete, or change the item's color. Context menus are the fastest way to manage content without leaving the sidebar.
  • •Collapse the entire sidebar by clicking the toggle arrow to maximize your editing space
  • •The content tree shows icons for each content type -- documents, flowcharts, idea boards, task boards, plot grids, and folders -- so you can identify items at a glance
  • •Double-click an item name in the tree to rename it inline
  • •The currently open item is highlighted in the tree so you always know where you are

Notes

Notes are lightweight, color-coded items you can attach to your project for quick reference, reminders, research snippets, or anything that does not belong in a full document. Think of them as sticky notes pinned to your project wall.

  1. 1

    Create a note

    Open the Notes panel in the right sidebar and click "New Note". Give it a name and start typing your content.

  2. 2

    Choose a color

    Each note can be assigned one of six preset colors. Use colors to categorize notes visually -- for example, yellow for ideas, blue for research, red for urgent items.

  3. 3

    Add tags

    Tag notes with keywords for easy filtering later. Tags work the same way as project tags -- type a tag name and press Enter to add it.

Color Coding

Six color presets let you build a visual system. Assign colors by category, priority, or any scheme that makes sense for your workflow. Filter the notes list by color to focus on a single category at a time.

Tags & Filtering

Filter notes by tag, color, date created, or a text search. Combine filters to narrow down large collections -- for example, show only blue notes tagged "character" created in the last week.
  • •Notes can link to related content within the project, making it easy to jump between a note and the document it references
  • •Sort notes by date created, date modified, or name
  • •Notes are scoped to the project and visible from any content view via the right panel, so you always have access to your full notes collection regardless of which document or flowchart you are working on
TIP
Use notes to capture fleeting ideas while you are deep in a writing session. They are faster to create than a full document and you can promote them to documents later if they grow.

Sorting & Filtering

Sort and filter the content tree to find what you need quickly, especially in large projects with many items.

Sort Options

Sort your content tree by manual order (the default drag-and-drop arrangement), name, date created, date updated, or content type. Folders always stay at the top of the hierarchy regardless of sort order.

Filter by Type

Filter the content tree to show only specific content types — for example, show only documents or only flowcharts. Combine with sorting to quickly locate the item you need.
  • •Sort and filter preferences are saved per project, so each project remembers your last setting
  • •Drag-and-drop reordering is automatically disabled when a non-manual sort is active
  • •Filters and sorts apply to the sidebar view only — they do not affect the actual project structure

Recycling Bin

When you delete a project, content item, or template, it is not immediately destroyed. Deleted items are moved to the Recycling Bin, where they are kept for 30 days before permanent deletion. This gives you a safety net to recover accidentally deleted work.

How It Works

Access the Recycling Bin from the main navigation. You will see all recently deleted items organized by type — projects, content, and templates. Each item shows when it was deleted and how many days remain before permanent removal (the 30-day retention window).
  • •Deleted items are retained for 30 days before automatic permanent deletion
  • •A countdown timer shows the remaining days for each item — green (more than 14 days left), yellow (7–14 days left), red (under 7 days)
  • •Restore any item with one click to return it to its original location
  • •Projects, content items, and templates each have their own section in the Recycling Bin
TIP
If you accidentally delete something, check the Recycling Bin immediately. As long as the 30-day window has not passed, your work is fully recoverable. See the dedicated Trash documentation for the full restore flow, search and filter options, and which content types are recoverable.

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