The notes I actually write under saved links

A bookmark without a note is a riddle. I say that a lot because I have paid for it. I once sent a client “the logo” and it was the 2019 version with a drop shadow we had already killed. The file was in a folder. The folder had no sentence on it. That was on me.

LinkBoard lets you put a note on a link. I treat that box like a sticky on a manila folder, not like a diary. One or two lines. If it needs a heading, the real write-up lives somewhere else and the note should say so.

A pattern that holds up

I try to answer three things, even if they fit in one breath:

• What is this for?
• What should you ignore?
• When should a human look again?

“Great article” answers none of those. I have written that. I have also deleted those links later because I had no idea why they were there.

Notes from actual folders (names changed)

These are close to what I have sitting in directories right now:

• “Hero layout only. The product shots are stock and we are not buying that pack.”
• “Approved SVG and PNG. The JPG in Slack is old. Do not export from that.”
• “Use for Q2 pricing comparisons. Ignore the enterprise column. We are not in that tier.”
• “Primary source for the methods section. Cite as Garcia 2024, table 2.”
• “Background. Useful for the history of the tool. Do not cite in the client deck.”
• “Vendor we picked. Owner: finance. Ask before adding a second processor.”
• “Example of what not to do. I saved this so we stop having the same argument about carousels.”
• “Needs an account. Free tier is enough for the workshop. Paid seats are not in scope.”
• “Page moved in April. If this 404s, the new URL is in the next link.”
• “We chose option B on 12 Mar. Option A is archive. Do not reopen unless they pay for a round.”
• “Read this before the Thursday call. Three pages. Skip the case study at the end.”
• “Internal. Do not put this directory on public. Contains a staging login.”

What I refuse to write

I do not write “important” or “read later.” Those are moods. They expire by Friday. I also do not paste a whole paragraph from the article. If I need the quote, I put the quote and a page number. If I am too tired to write a note, I leave the link out until Monday. That sounds precious. It is cheaper than a directory of orphans.

Tags are optional. I keep a small set: brief, brand, cite, example, outdated. Status tags help more than clever topics. outdated is how I keep a source without pretending it is current.

If you share a folder, the note is for the other person, not for your memory. Write like they were not in the room. More on that in decision notes and the naming guide.

If you want the click-by-click setup, use the getting started guide. Questions go to admin@linkboard.io.