Overview

Zoho Notebook uses notebooks and collections to help you organize your notecards in a structured way.

A notebook is the main container for a broad subject, purpose, or area of your life. A collection is created inside a notebook to group related notecards further. You can also create sub-collections when you need additional levels of organization.

For example, you can create a notebook named Work and add collections such as Projects, Meeting Notes, and Reference Materials inside it.

Understanding the Organization Structure

Zoho Notebook follows this organizational structure:

Notebook → Collection → Sub-collection → Notecard

For example:

• Work — Notebook

• Projects — Collection

• Project Alpha — Sub-collection

• Project Requirements — Text Card
• Tasks — Checklist Card
• Meeting Recording — Audio Card

Notecards can also be stored directly inside a notebook without being added to a collection.

Notebook vs. Collection

When to Create a Notebook

Create a separate notebook when you want to:

• Organize content under a broad topic
• Separate personal and professional information
• Maintain an independent workspace for a project or purpose
• Share an entire group of related notes
• Apply a distinct notebook cover or appearance

Some examples include:

• Personal
• Work
• Studies
• Travel
• Journal
• Research

When to Create a Collection

Create a collection when you want to:

• Group related notecards within the same notebook
• Organize a large notebook into smaller categories
• Arrange information by project, topic, priority, or phase
• Create a hierarchical structure using sub-collections
• Share only a specific section of a notebook

For example, a Studies notebook can contain collections such as Mathematics, Physics, and Biology.

Create a Notebook

1. Open Zoho Notebook app.
2. Click the Add Notebook (+) option in the notebook panel.
3. Enter a name for the notebook.
4. Select a cover, if required.
   
   

Delete a Notebook

1. Open the notebook app
2. Hoveer over the Notebook name
3. Click the more options(3 dots)
4. Select Trash.
5. Confirm the action.
   

Important: Deleting a notebook also moves the notecards, collections, and sub-collections inside it to Trash.

Create a Collection

1. Open the notebook in which you want to create the collection.
2. Click the Add (+) icon in the menu bar.
3. Select Collection.
4. Enter a name for the collection.
   
   

Delete a Collection

1. Open the collection’s options.
2. Select Trash.
3. Confirm the action.
   
   

Note: Zoho Notebook supports up to five levels of nested collections. Free-plan users can create one level of collections. Deeper nesting is available with paid plans.

Tips for Organizing Notebooks and Collections

Start with Broad Notebooks

Create notebooks for the main areas of your work or personal life, such as Work, Personal, and Studies.

Use Collections for Specific Categories

Within each notebook, create collections for specific projects, topics, or types of information.

Use Clear Names

Use descriptive names that make the contents immediately understandable. For example, use Client Meeting Notes instead of a general name such as Notes.

Avoid Creating Too Many Notebooks

If several topics belong to the same broader area, keep them in one notebook and use collections to organize them.

Refine Your Structure as It Grows

Begin with a simple structure. As the number of notecards increases, create collections and sub-collections to organize the content further.

Share at the Appropriate Level

Share an entire notebook when recipients need access to all its contents. Share a specific collection when they only need access to one section.

Frequently Asked Questions

A notebook is a top-level container used to organize notecards and collections. A collection is created inside a notebook to group related notecards further.

No, You can store notecards directly inside a notebook or organize them into collections.

No, Every collection must belong to a notebook or another collection within a notebook.

No, Notebooks cannot be nested. Use collections and sub-collections to create additional levels of organization.

Yes. You can create nested collections up to five levels. Free-plan users can create one collection level.

Yes. Use the Move or Move to option to relocate a notecard to another notebook or collection.

The notebook and all the notecards, collections, and sub-collections inside it are moved to Trash.

Yes. You can share an individual collection. The recipient will receive access to that collection and its contents based on the assigned permission.

Need Further Assistance?

If you have questions or need help creating or managing notebooks and collections, contact the Zoho Notebook support team at support@zohonotebook.com.

Related Articles

• Organizing Notes in Zoho Notebook
• Nested Collections in Zoho Notebook