Getting Started with OneNote Online: Your Guide to Web-Based Note-Taking

OneNote Online brings the power of Microsoft’s popular note-taking application to your web browser. Whether you’re on a PC, Mac, or mobile device, you can effortlessly create, access, edit, format, and share your OneNote notebooks stored on OneDrive. This guide will walk you through the essential tasks and commands to quickly get you up and running with OneNote Online.

If you’re looking for more in-depth information or can’t find what you need here, be sure to explore All support content for OneNote for the web. You can also utilize the search box in the upper right corner of the OneNote Online interface to find specific help topics.

Creating Your First Notebook in OneNote Online

Starting your digital note-taking journey with OneNote Online is straightforward. Here’s how to create your first notebook:

1. Access the Notebook List: From any page within OneNote Online, locate and click or tap the Notebook List button, typically found in the upper left corner of the screen. This action will reveal a pane displaying your existing notebooks.

2. Initiate Notebook Creation: At the bottom of the opened pane, you’ll see an Add Notebook option. Click or tap on this to begin creating a new notebook.

3. Name Your Notebook: A prompt will appear asking you to enter a name for your new notebook. Choose a descriptive and meaningful name that clearly reflects the content you plan to store within it. This will help you easily identify and organize your notes later.

4. Finalize Creation: Click or tap the Create Notebook button. OneNote will then switch to your newly created notebook. By default, it includes a new section and a fresh, blank page, ready for your notes.

5. Naming Your First Section: Once the new notebook is created, click or tap on the notebook name at the top left. This action opens the section dialog box. Sections are used to organize pages within your notebook.

6. Describe Your Section: In the Section Name dialog box, type a relevant and descriptive name for this first section. This name should represent the category of notes you intend to keep within this section. Click or tap OK to finalize.

With your initial section and page set up, you are now ready to start taking notes directly in your browser. Alternatively, you can click or tap Open in OneNote located on the top menu bar. This option allows you to seamlessly transition to the full-featured OneNote application installed on your computer or device for a richer note-taking experience. If you need to download the OneNote app, simply visit www.onenote.com/download in a new browser window.

Creating a Notebook Directly from OneDrive

For users who prefer to manage their files directly within OneDrive, OneNote Online offers the flexibility to create notebooks right from your OneDrive interface. Here’s how:

1. Access OneDrive: Begin by signing into OneDrive using your Microsoft Account (e.g., Hotmail, Live, Outlook.com) – the same account you intend to use with OneNote.

2. Navigate to Your Preferred Folder: Once logged into OneDrive, navigate to the specific folder where you wish to store your new OneNote notebook, such as the Documents folder or any other folder you prefer.

3. Create New OneNote Notebook: In the OneDrive menu bar at the top, click or tap + Add New and then select OneNote notebook from the dropdown options.

This action will create a new OneNote notebook in your chosen OneDrive folder, ready for you to organize your thoughts and information.

Enhancing Your Notes with Links and Pictures

OneNote Online makes it easy to enrich your notes with hyperlinks and images, making your notes more interactive and informative.

Adding Links to Your Notes

OneNote Online automatically recognizes and formats text as hyperlinks when you type web addresses. For instance, typing www.onenote.com will instantly convert it into a clickable link that opens the OneNote website.

For manual link insertion, follow these steps:

1. Select Text: Click or tap on the text you want to transform into a hyperlink.

2. Access Link Options: Right-click on the selected text. From the context menu, choose Insert Link.

3. Enter Link URL: In the Address field of the Insert Link dialog box, type or paste the destination URL for your link. Click or tap Insert to finalize.

4. Using Insert Menu: Alternatively, you can also insert links via the Insert menu located in the OneNote Online ribbon.

Tip: To modify or remove a link, right-click (PC) or Control-click (Mac) on the link, and select Edit Link. To remove the hyperlink formatting while keeping the text, choose Remove Link.

Inserting Images to Enrich Your Content

Visual elements can greatly enhance your notes. OneNote Online allows you to insert pictures from various sources:

1. Position Your Cursor: Place your cursor on the page where you want the image to appear.

2. Access Image Options: Click or tap on the Insert tab in the ribbon. You will see options to insert pictures from:

   • File: Upload an image file directly from your computer.
   • Online: Search for and insert images from Bing Images.
   • Camera: Use your device’s camera to take a picture and insert it directly into your notes.

Note: When using images from Bing, remember to be mindful of copyright regulations. Utilize the license filter in Bing Images to help you select appropriate images for your use.

Organizing Your Notebook for Efficiency

Effective organization is key to making the most of OneNote Online. You can easily add more pages and sections to structure your notes logically.

Adding Pages for Detailed Notes

To expand within a section, you can add as many pages as needed:

1. Add New Page: At the bottom of the page list, usually located on the side of your OneNote interface, click or tap Add Page.

2. Title Your Page: Type a relevant title in the heading area at the top of the newly created page and press Enter. This title will appear in the page list for easy navigation.

Note: You can rearrange pages within a section by simply clicking and dragging a page name to its new position in the list. On touch-enabled devices, press and hold a page name until move handles appear, then drag to reposition.

Adding Sections for Categorization

Sections help you categorize your notes within a notebook. To add more sections:

1. Add New Section: Locate the section list and click or tap Add Section, typically found at the bottom of the list.

2. Name Your Section: In the Section Name dialog box, enter a descriptive name for the new section that reflects its content category. Click or tap OK.

Note: Just like pages, you can reorder sections by clicking and dragging a section name to a new position in the section list. For touch devices, press and hold until move handles appear.

Sharing and Collaboration with OneNote Online

One of the significant advantages of OneNote Online is the ease of sharing and collaboration. Your notebooks are stored online, making it simple to share them with others for viewing or collaborative editing.

Sharing Your Notebook Online

Important: Individual pages cannot be shared independently; sharing is done at the notebook level.

1. Initiate Sharing: Click on File > Share > Share with People.

2. Choose Sharing Method: You have two primary options:

   • Direct Sharing: Add email addresses or names of people you want to share with. Include a brief welcome message if desired. Click or tap send. Before sending, ensure you select the appropriate permission level: Recipients can edit for collaboration or Recipients can only view for viewing only. You can adjust permissions by clicking the icon next to each person’s name.
   • Get a Shareable Link: Click or tap Get a link to generate a direct link to your notebook. You can then copy and paste this link into emails, messages, or web pages. Choose the permission level (View only or Edit) from the Choose an option list before creating the link. Click or tap Create link.

Note: To modify sharing permissions or stop sharing altogether, navigate back to Share, and click on the person’s name you are sharing with. Click Can edit to change permissions or select Stop sharing.

To delve deeper into sharing functionalities, explore sharing notebooks with others in OneNote for the web.

With these basic steps, you’re well-equipped to start using OneNote Online for all your note-taking needs. Its accessibility and user-friendly interface make it an excellent tool for both personal organization and collaborative projects.