This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure here for more information.
How to Merge Files in GoodNotes: A Step-by-Step Guide
Regain Control & Organise the Chaos
Do you ever find yourself bouncing back and forth between chaotic note-taking and a desperate need for organization? Trust me, I know the feeling.
But luckily, GoodNotes has got us covered with its super flexible merging capabilities! We can easily combine notebooks, QuickNotes, or even pdf pages into one cohesive GoodNotes file in just a few seconds within the app. No more scattered files and disorganized notes!
Well until the next flurry of inspiration, but at least we can always come back and tidy up after ourselves right? In this article, I’ll guide you through the simple steps to merging files in GoodNotes and help you regain your sanity.
Let’s get started! The first step to merging files in GoodNotes is to open the app on your device and assess the damage. I know it’s embarrassing but I won’t tell anyone I promise.
Scenario one.
You started out neat and organized and have an organized planner or notebook with dividers for your topics but when inspiration hit you created a quicknote and now you have a handful of loose notes. You will need to merge pages into your organized planner notebook
The first step is to open the GoodNotes app on your device and assess the situation. Now, there are two ways to merge your notes into other notebooks - through the Thumbnail View, and through dragging and dropping with Apple's Split View feature. Let's dive into both options!
Thumbnail View Method
If you're using the Thumbnail View, start by opening the notebook containing the pages you want to move. Then, press "Select" and choose all the pages you wish to move. Once you've selected them, hit "Move" and select the destination notebook. GoodNotes 5 will insert these pages into the end of the recipient notebook, making it easy to reorganize them using the Thumbnail View.
Drag & Drop Method
Alternatively, you can use the Drag and Drop function in Split View. Simply open two instances of GoodNotes 5 using Apple's Split View function - one with the notebook containing the pages you want to move and the other with the destination notebook. Long-press on any page that you want to move, then tap on any other pages you want to move with another finger (or use the "Select" function explained above). Once you've selected the pages, drag and drop them into the new notebook on the other side of the screen. And voila! You're all set to keep your notes organized and tidy.
Scenario Two.
You have entire notebooks to merge together to make the ultimate collection of notes. That's awesome! I’ve certainly been there and I have some quick and easy steps for you to follow to make it happen.
First things first, head over to the Documents menu in GoodNotes and find the notebook that you want to merge into another notebook. Once you've located it, look for the small downwards arrow located to the right of the notebook title. Click on it, and then select "Move" from the options that pop up.
From there, you'll be prompted to select the destination folder for your notebook. Choose which notebook you want to merge the notebook into, and then sit back and relax as GoodNotes 5 does the rest of the work for you.
It's important to keep in mind that this process will merge the entire notebook into the destination notebook, including the cover page. This is an easy fix, either open the notebook and delete the cover before you merge it or once it’s merged use the thumbnail icon to select the unwanted cover and delete it from there.
Once you have merged your notebooks you may want to organize it further by creating outlines to help find sections of information.