Quick Start
This guide walks you through the first five minutes with Lokus: signing in, creating a workspace, writing a note, and navigating the interface.
Sign in or continue as guest
Section titled “Sign in or continue as guest”When you launch Lokus for the first time, the Login screen appears. You must sign in or continue as a guest before you can access the app.
Sign-in methods
Section titled “Sign-in methods”Lokus supports three sign-in methods:
| Method | How |
|---|---|
| Email and password | Enter your email and password, then click Sign In. New users can click Sign up to create an account (password must be at least 6 characters). A confirmation email is sent before the account is active. |
| Google OAuth | Click Continue with Google and complete the Google sign-in flow. |
| Apple OAuth | Click Continue with Apple and complete the Apple sign-in flow. |
If you forget your password, click Forgot password? on the sign-in screen to receive a reset link by email.
Guest mode
Section titled “Guest mode”If you prefer not to create an account, click Continue as Guest at the bottom of the login screen.
Guest mode lets you use Lokus without an account. Key details:
- Local-only. Your notes are stored on your device and are not synced to the cloud.
- Persists between sessions. Guest mode state is saved in localStorage, so you stay in guest mode until you explicitly sign in.
- No cloud sync. Features that require an account (cloud backup, cross-device sync) are disabled.
- “Guest” indicator. The app displays a “Guest” label so you always know you are in guest mode.
- Sign in later. You can sign in at any time using the “Sign in to sync” option to upgrade from guest mode to a full account.
Create a workspace
Section titled “Create a workspace”A workspace is a folder on your computer where Lokus stores your notes as plain markdown files. You can use any folder — a new empty one, an existing folder of .md files, or even an Obsidian vault.
- After signing in (or continuing as guest), the Launcher screen appears.
- Click Create New Workspace to start fresh, or Open Existing Workspace to point Lokus at a folder you already have.
- Pick or create a folder in the file dialog. Lokus will use this folder as your workspace root.
That’s it. Lokus opens the workspace and you’re ready to write.
The interface
Section titled “The interface”The Lokus workspace has three main areas:
| Area | Location | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| File tree | Left sidebar | Browse, create, and organize files and folders. |
| Editor | Center | Write and edit your notes. |
| Right sidebar | Right side | Document outline, backlinks, graph sidebar, and plugin panels. |
Toggle the left sidebar with Cmd+B (macOS) / Ctrl+B (Windows/Linux). Toggle the right sidebar with Cmd+Shift+B / Ctrl+Shift+B.
Create your first note
Section titled “Create your first note”Press Cmd+N (macOS) or Ctrl+N (Windows/Linux). A new file appears in the file tree. Type a name and press Enter.
You can also right-click in the file tree and select New File.
Start typing in the editor. Lokus saves automatically — there is no manual save step needed, though Cmd+S / Ctrl+S works too.
Create a folder
Section titled “Create a folder”Press Cmd+Shift+N (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+N (Windows/Linux) to create a new folder. You can also right-click in the file tree and select New Folder.
Drag and drop files between folders to reorganize.
Write markdown
Section titled “Write markdown”Lokus is a rich text editor with live markdown rendering. Type markdown and it renders inline as you write.
Common formatting:
| Syntax | Result | Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
**bold** | bold | Cmd+B / Ctrl+B |
*italic* | italic | Cmd+I / Ctrl+I |
~~strike~~ | Cmd+Shift+X / Ctrl+Shift+X | |
`code` | code | Cmd+E / Ctrl+E |
==highlight== | highlighted text | Cmd+Shift+H / Ctrl+Shift+H |
Headings
Section titled “Headings”Type # followed by a space for headings. ## for H2, ### for H3, and so on.
Lists and tasks
Section titled “Lists and tasks”- Type
-or*followed by a space for bullet lists. - Type
1.followed by a space for numbered lists. - Type
- [ ]for a task checkbox. Click the checkbox to toggle it.
Code blocks
Section titled “Code blocks”Type three backticks (```) followed by a language name and press Enter. Lokus highlights syntax for 100+ languages.
Inline math: wrap in single dollar signs $E = mc^2$.
Block math: wrap in double dollar signs $$ on their own lines. Rendered with KaTeX.
Link notes with wiki links
Section titled “Link notes with wiki links”Connect notes using [[wiki links]]. Type [[ and Lokus shows an autocomplete list of all notes in your workspace.
[[Note Name]]links to a note by its filename.[[Note Name|Display Text]]links to a note but shows custom text.[[Note Name#Heading]]links to a specific heading within a note.
Press Cmd+L / Ctrl+L to open the wiki link picker directly.
Use slash commands
Section titled “Use slash commands”Type / at the start of a line or after a space to open the slash command menu. This gives you quick access to insert blocks like:
- Headings, callouts, and dividers
- Code blocks and math blocks
- Tables
- Images
- Task lists
Open the command palette
Section titled “Open the command palette”Press Cmd+K (macOS) or Ctrl+K (Windows/Linux) to open the command palette. From here you can:
- Search and open any file in the workspace
- Run commands (toggle views, open preferences, etc.)
- Jump to actions fast without memorizing every shortcut
Search your notes
Section titled “Search your notes”Find in current note: Cmd+F / Ctrl+F opens an in-file search bar.
Search across all notes: Cmd+Shift+F / Ctrl+Shift+F opens global full-text search in the left panel. Results update as you type and show matching lines in context.
Open daily notes
Section titled “Open daily notes”Press Cmd+Shift+D / Ctrl+Shift+D to open or create today’s daily note. Lokus creates a markdown file named with the current date.
Configure the date format and daily notes folder in Preferences > Daily Notes.
Open the graph view
Section titled “Open the graph view”Press Cmd+Shift+G / Ctrl+Shift+G to open the knowledge graph. It shows your notes as nodes and wiki links as edges. Lokus supports both 2D and 3D graph rendering.
Click any node in the graph to open that note.
Open a canvas
Section titled “Open a canvas”Press Cmd+Shift+C / Ctrl+Shift+C to create a new canvas — an infinite whiteboard for spatial thinking. You can place notes, draw, and arrange ideas visually.
Open preferences
Section titled “Open preferences”Press Cmd+, (macOS) or Ctrl+, (Windows/Linux) to open Preferences. Key sections:
- Appearance — theme, font, accent color
- Editor — tab size, line numbers, spell check
- Shortcuts — view and customize all keyboard shortcuts
- Import — import notes from other apps
Keyboard shortcuts reference
Section titled “Keyboard shortcuts reference”| Action | macOS | Windows / Linux |
|---|---|---|
| New file | Cmd+N | Ctrl+N |
| New folder | Cmd+Shift+N | Ctrl+Shift+N |
| Save | Cmd+S | Ctrl+S |
| Find in note | Cmd+F | Ctrl+F |
| Global search | Cmd+Shift+F | Ctrl+Shift+F |
| Command palette | Cmd+K | Ctrl+K |
| Insert wiki link | Cmd+L | Ctrl+L |
| Toggle left sidebar | Cmd+B | Ctrl+B |
| Toggle right sidebar | Cmd+Shift+B | Ctrl+Shift+B |
| Daily note | Cmd+Shift+D | Ctrl+Shift+D |
| Graph view | Cmd+Shift+G | Ctrl+Shift+G |
| Preferences | Cmd+, | Ctrl+, |
| Show all shortcuts | F1 | F1 |
Press F1 at any time to see the full shortcut list inside Lokus.
Next steps
Section titled “Next steps”- Import notes from Obsidian, Logseq, or Roam Research.
- Explore wiki links and backlinks in depth.
- Set up daily notes for journaling.
- Browse the template system to speed up note creation.