A digital commonplace book
The commonplace book, for the way we read now.
For five hundred years, readers copied the lines that stopped them into a notebook. Filament keeps the habit and takes over the copying: snap a page, keep the line, find it again. In Filament, your commonplace book is called your library.
from a book · just kept
Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.
What is a digital commonplace book?
A digital commonplace book is a commonplace book you keep on your phone and computer instead of in a notebook: one searchable place for the quotes, passages and thoughts you gather from your reading. Like the paper kind, it is sorted by theme, so you come back to it. Unlike the paper kind, nothing gets lost.
The full story of the commonplace book →The same thing, in Filament's words
commonplace book
your library
an entry
a fragment
a heading
a theme
the index
search
Your commonplace book is your library. Every line you keep is a fragment. Headings become themes, and the index is a search that understands what you meant.
The old habit, the new tools.
Copied passages out by hand
Snap a page and mark the lines; Filament types them out
Filed them under headings (Locke had an index for this)
Themes and tags, suggested for you; filter by book, author or type
Leafed back to find a half-remembered line
Jog my memory: describe it in your own words and Filament finds it
Reread the notebook on quiet evenings
Spark my synapses: one line comes back each day, with something to think about
Gathered passages for an essay or a speech
Collections, with your own notes in between; print or export
Wondered what the notebook said about them
Read my mind: a monthly letter about what your reading says about you
Why not Notes, Notion or Evernote?
They can all do a great deal, with enough setup. Filament does one thing: it keeps the lines you read.
| Feature | A paper notebook | Notes, Notion, Evernote | Filament |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catch a line from a printed book | By hand | Typing or a photo | Snap a page; the text is typed out |
| Sorted by theme | Your own index | Your own setup | Suggested for you |
| Find a line by what it meant | – | Exact words only | Yes |
| Lines come back to you | – | – | Daily spark, monthly letter |
| Made for quotes and sources | Yes | General notes | Yes |
Bring your old commonplace book along.
Lines already scattered across Notes, Kindle highlights, screenshots or documents? Pour them all in at once. Filament sorts them into fragments that wait in Unshelved until you keep them.
It's yours.
Export your whole library whenever you like: Word, PDF, Excel or one full backup. Private by default, with no feed and no followers.
“For years I wondered what to do with all the beautiful sentences I read. Now I keep them here.”
Anabel Hafstad, an obsessive underliner · Read my letter
Questions
Is a digital commonplace book the same as a quote app?
No. A quote app hands you other people's favourite lines. A commonplace book is made of yours.
Is Filament free?
Yes, while it's in its first season. Later there will be a free plan and a paid one, and export always stays free.
Can I bring my existing notes and Kindle highlights?
Yes. Drop them in, and Filament sorts them for you.
Does it work on my phone?
Yes, in your phone's browser, made for catching lines on the go.
Is my commonplace book private?
Yes. Only you can see it unless you share a line or a collection.
Start where you are: with the last line you underlined.
your free digital commonplace book.