Capture in the web app
You do not need the extension or the desktop app to save things. The web app has its own quick capture, and you can open it from any page. Capture first and sort later: the AI files each entry once it is saved.
Open quick capture
Any of these opens the Quick capture window:
- Click the orange capture button in the page header. It says New entry on All items, New task on Tasks, New project on Projects and Add knowledge on Knowledge.
- Press N on any page, as long as you are not typing in a box.
- Drop a file, a link or some text anywhere on the window (see below).
On the Tasks board, each column also has a + button that opens quick capture.
What you can put in
| Field or button | What it does |
|---|---|
| Notes box | Type a note. You can drop files into it or paste an image |
| Paste a link (optional) | A web address to save with the note |
| Bold, italic, bullet list, numbered list | Formatting for your note. Ctrl+B and Ctrl+I work too |
| Attach a file | Pick a file from your computer |
| Record audio | Record a voice note with your microphone. Click again to stop |
| Save | Save now, without waiting |
Files you add show above the buttons, each with a Remove button.
How it saves
Quick capture saves itself 3 seconds after you stop typing. The hint next to Save counts down, then says Saving. When a file is uploading it shows the percentage.
It does not save while you are recording. Stop the recording first.
When it has saved, a message says Entry saved and the AI starts work on the entry.
Close it
Press Esc or click the close button in its header.
What happens to the entry
Every entry from quick capture starts unfiled. The AI decides whether it is a project, a task or knowledge, adds topics and people, and finds similar entries. The footer of the window says so: “AI files it as a project, task or knowledge, adds topics and finds similar entries.”
This is true even if you opened it with New task or New project. If the AI files it differently from what you meant, change Entity in the detail panel. See How the AI files your entries.
While the AI works, the new row shows an orange band at the start of its title saying what it is doing, such as Writing a title or Classifying. The entry does not say Unclassified until the AI has finished.
Drop anything on the window
Drag a file, a link or some selected text from another app or browser tab, and drop it anywhere on the Ultrathink window. Quick capture opens with it ready to save.
- Files are attached.
- A link goes into the link field.
- Plain text goes into the note.
Dropping into a text box, such as a comment, puts it in that box instead.
Drop anywhere always works. It has no setting to turn it off.
Hold New to record a voice note
- Press and hold the orange capture button.
- After a moment it starts recording and shows how long you have been speaking. The first time, your browser asks for the microphone.
- Let go to save the voice note.
Some details:
- Move off the button or press Esc to cancel. The recording is thrown away.
- A very short press does not record. Keep holding.
- The voice note becomes an audio entry. The AI transcribes it and writes a summary.
Holding to record works where the button opens quick capture. Switch it off in Settings > Appearance > Interface with Hold the capture button to record.
Hide the capture button
If you would rather not see the orange button, switch off Show the capture button in Settings > Appearance > Interface. The + buttons on the board go too. N and dropping things on the window still open quick capture.
Quick capture on a phone
On an iPhone, the web app opens a capture screen with Note, Draw, Media, Paste and Voice Recording. It also saves itself after 3 seconds. See On your phone.
Other ways to capture
| Where you are | Use |
|---|---|
| Reading a web page | The browser extension |
| In any app on your computer | The desktop app |
| In ChatGPT, Claude or Perplexity | Capturing AI conversations |
| Your own code | The API |
Tips
- Do not stop to tidy up. Throw it in and let the AI sort it later.
- A line of context in the note, such as who it is for, helps the AI file it well.
- For a quick voice note, hold the capture button rather than opening quick capture first.
- Pasting an image into the notes box attaches it, just like dropping a file.