Renaming folders and roots
Renaming a subfolder and renaming a root work differently, because a root’s name is tied directly to its directory on disk.
Subfolders rename in the app
Rename any subfolder from its right-click menu. Notate renames the note or folder and the matching directory on disk together, and links that point at it are kept intact.
Roots are renamed by their directory
A root does not offer an in-app rename, because a root’s name is its on-disk directory name. Renaming it in the app would mean either renaming the directory itself or keeping a second name that disagrees with the folder on disk, and Notate avoids that mismatch on purpose.
How to rename a root
- Local (no sync): rename the root’s directory in Finder, Explorer, or the Files app. Notate picks up the new name the next time it reads the folder.
- With sync on: do not rename the directory from outside the app. Notate tracks each root by its exact location, so renaming the folder externally leaves it pointing at the old path and the root shows as unavailable until you reconnect it. Instead, remove the root and add the renamed folder back, or keep the name as is. See Reconnect an unavailable folder and Roots across your devices.
Your notes are never at risk either way. A rename only ever affects the folder name and where Notate looks, never the contents.