Linkano User Manual

1. What is Linkano?

Linkano is a menu bar app that helps you save contextual links between things you work with on your Mac:

• Files and folders in Finder
• PDFs in Preview (with optional page numbers)
• Web pages in your browser
• Mail messages
• Apple Notes notes
• Pages, Numbers, and Keynote documents
• Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote items
• Calendar events (Calendar.app or Fantastical)
• Contacts
• Obsidian notes
• DEVONthink items
• CodeRunner documents

Each saved item gets a stable internal ID. You can link items to each other, search your library, open targets again, and copy links you paste into notes, task managers, or other apps.

Linkano is local-first: your library is stored in SQLite on your Mac. iCloud sync is optional and only syncs metadata (not full file contents).

2. Core concepts

Saved item (link)

A row in your library with:

• Title and type (file, web, mail, …)
• Locator — URL, path, message:// ID, app-specific reference, etc.
• Optional notes and tags
• For files: identity hints (bookmark, size, content fingerprint) so Linkano can find the file after a rename or move

PDF page links

PDFs saved from Preview (or entered manually) can include a page in the locator:

file:///Users/you/Documents/report.pdf#page=12

The fragment #page=N makes that saved item page-specific. Linkano treats a PDF without a page and a PDF with #page=12 as different items.

When you copy Markdown for a PDF with a page, the title includes the page (e.g. Report, p. 12). Opening the item tries to jump to that page in Preview.

Relation

A bidirectional connection between two saved items. Removing a relation does not delete either item.

Suggested relations (in the graph) are hints only — dashed edges based on shared tags, same folder, same domain, or similar app context. They are not stored until you confirm.

Backlinks

When you view linked items for a saved entry, you see everything connected to it. The context graph shows the same network visually.

Linkano URL

Every saved item has a stable link of the form:

linkano://open/<uuid>

Paste that URL anywhere macOS can open a custom URL scheme. Linkano resolves the UUID through your library and opens the current target. The UUID is authoritative.

3. Getting started

Menu bar

Linkano lives in the menu bar (chain icon). Click it for:

When the active app already matches something in your library, the menu bar icon can show a green highlight.

First-run permissions

macOS may ask for:

Grant only what you need. Change permissions later in System Settings → Privacy & Security.

Hide Dock icon

Settings → General → Hide Dock icon (default: on) keeps Linkano in the menu bar only. The app still runs in the background for global shortcuts and context detection.

4. The Linkano panel

Open with ⌃⌘L (configurable in Settings → Keyboard) or menu bar → Open Linkano.

The panel is keyboard-first and trackpad-aware.

Search mode (default)

• Type to search titles, URLs, types, notes, and tags.
• ↑ / ↓ or two-finger scroll — move selection.
• Click a row — select it.
• Double-click — open / capture / confirm (same as Return).
• Right-click — context menu.
• Return — open the selected item (or capture/link flow).
• ⌘N — add manually.
• ⌘K — start linking from selection.
• ⌘B — backlinks.
• ⌘C — copy (default format from Settings).
• ⌘↩ — action menu.
• ⌘⌫ or ⌘Delete — delete link (with confirmation).
• ⌘⇧⌫ — remove relation (in linked/backlink views).
• Esc — close or cancel.

Capturing the active context

1. Work in a supported app (Finder selection, Safari tab, Preview page, etc.).
2. Open Linkano (⌃⌘L).
3. Select the capture row and press Return.

Preview PDF: Linkano detects the open PDF and current page when possible. After the global hotkey, Linkano keeps a short memory of the Preview window so capture still works when Linkano becomes frontmost.

If several apps could apply, Linkano lists multiple capture candidates — pick the right one.

Linking two items

1. Select a saved item.
2. Press ⌘K (or action menu → Link to Another Item).
3. Search or pick the destination.
4. Press Return to create the relation.

Manual add (⌘N)

Enter title, locator (for PDF pages use file://...pdf#page=N), notes, and tags.

File match prompt

If you search while a file is active in Finder and Linkano finds a strong match, you may see a prompt to treat the Finder item as that saved link — useful after renames.

5. Context graph

Open with ⌃⌘G or menu bar → Open Graph.

Saved items are nodes, confirmed relations are solid edges, and suggested links appear as dashed edges until you accept them.

Scope modes

Filters

Narrow by link type, source app, or tag. Multiple filters combine (AND). Use Clear Filters to reset.

Legend

Toolbar (selection)

• Link — start linking from node
• Remove relation — unlink neighbors
• Open — open underlying item
• Delete — remove saved link (with confirmation)

Reload syncs iCloud if enabled and rebuilds layout.

Graph keyboard

6. Opening items

When you open a saved item, Linkano uses the best current locator:

• Web — default browser
• Files / folders — Finder or default app; may reconcile after move
• PDF — Preview with page jump when #page=N is set
• Mail — Mail.app with message:// when possible
• Notes, iWork, Office, Calendar, contacts — app-specific handlers
• Obsidian / DEVONthink / CodeRunner — dedicated open paths

If a file moved and matching is uncertain, Linkano may ask you to pick candidates, or use Settings → Advanced → File Repair.

Opening linkano:// links

With Linkano installed, linkano://open/<uuid> links open the app and resolve the item from cold start or when already running.

7. Copy formats

Settings → General → Default copy format sets what ⌘C does in the panel.

⌘↩ → Copy uses the default; Copy as picks another format once.

8. Settings

Open Preferences… from the menu bar (⌘, when the menu is focused).

General

• Launch at login
• Hide Dock icon
• Default copy format
• Link found sound
• Show Dismissed Instruction Banners Again

Keyboard

Record global shortcuts for panel (⌃⌘L) and graph (⌃⌘G). Linkano checks for conflicts.

Sync

• iCloud sync — off by default; metadata syncs via your private iCloud database.
• Manual Sync now and status messages.
• File contents are not uploaded. Bookmarks and volume IDs stay on each Mac.

Files

Search folders — directories you approve for file resolution and repair. Linkano never scans the whole disk silently.

Updates

Check for Updates uses Sparkle when an appcast entry exists.

About

Version, Start Here workflow, privacy notice, terms, and Contact Support mail links.

Advanced

Export Library… / Import Library… (JSON merge or replace).

File Repair — scan known roots, review confidence and evidence, confirm relinks.

Erase All Linkano Data — destructive; export first.

9. Library backup (export / import)

Export

1. Settings → Advanced → Export Library…
2. Choose a .json file location.

Includes links, relations, tags, notes, and portable fingerprints — not machine-local bookmarks.

Import

1. Settings → Advanced → Import Library…
2. Choose a previously exported .json file.
3. Review counts in the dialog.
4. Choose Merge or Replace Local Library (destructive).

10. Tips and limitations

Works well when you…

• Use the same Mac for most work and grant the integrations you need.
• Export backups before risky operations.
• Use linkano:// links in notes instead of raw paths.
• Add search folders before expecting file repair to find moved files.
• Capture PDFs from Preview when you care about the current page.

Known limitations

• Integrations depend on third-party apps and macOS permissions.
• Preview page detection is best effort — not every PDF UI exposes the page.
• iCloud sync requires CloudKit setup and testing on multiple Macs.
• Linkano is not a sync replacement for Obsidian vaults, Git, or full-disk backup.

Support

Use Contact Support in Settings → About in the app.

Quick reference — panel shortcuts

Global graph shortcut: ⌃⌘G (default). Customize both in Settings → Keyboard.