Workspaces
Managing separate work contexts and note collections
A workspace is a folder on your device that holds all your notes, templates, attachments, and settings. Create as many as you need — useful for keeping work and personal content separate.
When you first open Octarine, you'll be prompted to create a workspace before you can start using the app.
Creating a Workspace
Click the Workspace Switcher (your workspace name) in the top-left corner and select Create Workspace. You'll see three options:
Create New
Creates a brand new, empty folder at the location you choose. The workspace name you enter becomes the folder name — so if you name it "Work Notes" and pick your Documents folder, you'll end up with a Documents/Work Notes folder in Finder or Explorer. This is the simplest way to get started with a fresh set of notes.
Open Existing
Points Octarine at a folder you already have on your device. Nothing gets created or moved — Octarine simply starts treating that folder as a workspace. So if you select your existing Documents/Meeting Notes folder and name the workspace "Meetings", the folder stays as-is — "Meetings" is just the label you'll see inside Octarine. It doesn't rename the actual folder on disk.
Import from Git
Clones a Git repository and sets it up as a workspace. Octarine creates a new folder named after the repository — so if you clone git@github.com:you/my-notes.git into your Documents folder, you'll end up with a Documents/my-notes folder in Finder or Explorer. This is handy for pulling in notes you've already versioned or shared across devices.
For all three options, you can pick an identifying color and optionally clone settings (like API keys and editor preferences) from an existing workspace by selecting one from the Use settings from an existing workspace dropdown. Git-related settings aren't carried over when cloning.
Switching Workspaces
- Click the Workspace Switcher and select a workspace, or
- Use the Command Bar:
Cmd/Ctrl + K → Switch Workspace
Workspace Settings
Each workspace has its own settings, so you can configure them independently. Change the workspace name or color anytime — the name change doesn't affect the actual folder name on disk.
Deleting a Workspace
Go to Settings → Danger and type the workspace name to confirm. This removes Octarine's settings and configurations for that workspace but doesn't delete your notes or the folder from your device.