This project addresses the challenge of exporting and managing Apple Notes data, offering a robust solution for users needing to migrate, search, or integrate their notes with external tools. It targets power users, researchers, and developers seeking flexible data access beyond Apple's ecosystem, providing benefits like multi-format export, advanced search capabilities, and local editing workflows.

How It Works

Leveraging AppleScript, the tool interacts directly with the macOS Notes application to export notes into various formats including HTML, plain text, Markdown, PDF, and DOCX, preserving images and attachments. Its core approach emphasizes efficiency through incremental exports and advanced data management features. A key differentiator is the integration of AI-powered semantic search via Qdrant and Ollama, enabling context-aware retrieval beyond simple keyword matching. Furthermore, it supports bidirectional synchronization, allowing local Markdown edits to be pushed back to Apple Notes with built-in conflict detection.

Quick Start & Requirements

• Install: brew install git python, git clone https://github.com/storizzi/notes-exporter.git, cd notes-exporter, pip install -r requirements.txt.
• Prerequisites: macOS, Apple Notes app, Git, Python. Optional dependencies include Google Chrome (for PDF conversion), Pandoc (for Word conversion), and Docker with Ollama (for AI search).
• Links: Official GitHub repository (implied).

Highlighted Details

• Bidirectional Sync: Edit local Markdown files and sync changes back to Apple Notes, with .conflict.md sidecars for conflict resolution.
• AI-Powered Semantic Search: Utilizes Qdrant and Ollama embeddings for context-aware note retrieval.
• Incremental Export: Significantly speeds up re-exports by processing only modified notes.
• Data Reconciliation: Tools to compare Apple Notes, exported files, and Qdrant index for data integrity.
• Multiple Export Formats: Supports raw/processed HTML, plain text, Markdown, PDF, and DOCX.
• Machine-Readable Output: All commands offer JSON Lines output for programmatic use.

Maintenance & Community

The project acknowledges contributions from @sulkaharo for performance optimizations. No specific community channels (e.g., Discord, Slack) or roadmap links were detailed in the provided README excerpt.

Licensing & Compatibility

• License: MIT License.
• Compatibility: Strictly limited to macOS due to its reliance on AppleScript and the native Notes application.

Limitations & Caveats

The tool is exclusively functional on macOS and requires direct access to the Apple Notes application. Certain advanced features, such as PDF and Word conversions, necessitate additional software installations (Google Chrome, Pandoc), while AI search capabilities depend on a Docker and Ollama setup.