Punch Hole Actions

Punch hole actions let you customize what happens when you tap the 6 interactive punch holes on the left side of your note cards. Assign each punch hole to your most-used study tools for one-tap access.

What Are Punch Holes?

Punch holes are 6 interactive circular buttons on the left side of each note card in your notes list. They provide quick access to study tools and features without opening the note.

Visual Design

• 6 punch holes arranged vertically on the left edge
• Skeuomorphic design mimicking physical hole-punched paper
• Interactive — tap any punch hole to trigger its assigned action
• Configurable — assign different actions to each hole

Where You'll See Them

• Note cards in your notes list
• Visible when punch hole display is enabled (Settings → Note Card Design)

Why Customize Them

Assign your most-used features to punch holes:

• One-tap access to study tools (Quiz, Flashcards, Mind Map)
• Skip navigation — no need to open the note first
• Personalized workflow — configure based on your study habits
• Visual shortcuts — see all options at a glance

Accessing Punch Hole Actions Settings

To configure punch hole actions:

Available Actions

You can assign any of these 6 actions to each punch hole:

Quiz

• Generate and open a quiz from the note
• One-tap access to quiz creation
• Uses your default quiz settings (configured in Study Settings)

Flashcards

• Generate and open flashcards from the note
• One-tap access to flashcard study
• Uses your default flashcard settings (configured in Study Settings)

Reading

• Open the note in Reading view
• Jump straight to the reading tab
• View simplified content with annotations

Personal Notes

• Open Personal Notes view for the note
• See all your typed, handwritten, and voice annotations
• Quick access to add new annotations

Mind Map

• Generate and open a mind map from the note
• One-tap visual concept mapping
• AI-generated structure based on note content

None

• Disable the punch hole
• No action assigned
• The punch hole is visually present but non-interactive

Configuring Punch Hole Actions

Each of the 6 punch holes can be assigned independently:

Recommended Configurations

Balanced Configuration (Default)

1. Hole 1: Quiz
2. Hole 2: Flashcards
3. Hole 3: Reading
4. Hole 4: Personal Notes
5. Hole 5: Mind Map
6. Hole 6: None

Best for: Most users who use a mix of study tools

Study-Focused Configuration

1. Hole 1: Flashcards
2. Hole 2: Quiz
3. Hole 3: Personal Notes
4. Hole 4: Reading
5. Hole 5: None
6. Hole 6: None

Best for: Active test preparation and review sessions

Visual Learner Configuration

1. Hole 1: Mind Map
2. Hole 2: Personal Notes (handwritten/visual)
3. Hole 3: Reading
4. Hole 4: Flashcards
5. Hole 5: Quiz
6. Hole 6: None

Best for: Visual thinkers who rely on diagrams and drawings

Reading-Focused Configuration

1. Hole 1: Reading
2. Hole 2: Personal Notes
3. Hole 3: None
4. Hole 4: None
5. Hole 5: None
6. Hole 6: None

Best for: Users who primarily read and annotate without generating study tools

How Many Punch Holes Should You Use?

Fixed Number: You have exactly 6 punch holes available

Minimum Recommended: At least 2-3 active punch holes to make the feature useful

Using All 6: You can assign all 6 if you use all available actions frequently

Setting to "None": Unused punch holes should be set to "None" rather than left with arbitrary assignments

Why 6 Positions?

• Optimal balance between utility and visual clutter
• Easy to reach with thumb on mobile devices
• Matches the skeuomorphic design of physical hole-punched paper (standard 6-hole configuration)

Using Punch Holes

Once configured, punch holes are easy to use:

Visual Feedback

• Active punch holes have subtle visual indicators
• Inactive punch holes (set to "None") appear dimmed or non-interactive

Showing or Hiding Punch Holes

You can toggle punch hole visibility from Note Card Design settings:

When to Hide Punch Holes:

• You prefer a cleaner, more modern card appearance
• You don't use the punch hole shortcuts frequently
• You navigate through menus and tabs instead

When to Show Punch Holes:

• You rely on quick shortcuts for study tools
• You like the skeuomorphic design aesthetic
• You want one-tap access to features

Learn more about Note Card Design →

Restoring Default Configuration

To reset punch hole actions to their original assignments:

Default Configuration:

1. Hole 1: Quiz
2. Hole 2: Flashcards
3. Hole 3: Reading
4. Hole 4: Personal Notes
5. Hole 5: Mind Map
6. Hole 6: None

Syncing Across Devices

Punch hole action configurations sync automatically:

Local Storage: Saved to your device for quick access

Cloud Sync: Synced to your user profile in the cloud

Cross-Device: Changes propagate to all logged-in devices within seconds to minutes

Auto-Save: No manual "Save" button—changes apply immediately

Troubleshooting Punch Hole Actions

Punch Holes Don't Appear on Note Cards

Check:

• Go to Settings → Configuration → Note Card Design
• Verify "Show punch holes" toggle is enabled
• Punch holes won't display if this setting is disabled

Tapping a Punch Hole Does Nothing

Check:

• The punch hole may be set to "None" (inactive)
• Go to Settings → Configuration → Punch Hole Actions
• Verify that punch hole has an action assigned (not "None")

Action Takes Too Long to Trigger

AI Generation Time:

• Quiz, Flashcards, and Mind Map actions require AI generation
• May take 5-30 seconds depending on note length and complexity
• A loading indicator should appear while generating

Configuration Not Syncing

Try:

• Check internet connection
• Log out and log back in
• Restart the app
• Configuration should sync within a few minutes

Best Practices

Start with Defaults

Use the default punch hole configuration for 1-2 weeks to understand which actions you use most frequently before customizing.

Prioritize by Frequency

Assign your most-used actions to Hole 1 and Hole 2 (top positions):

• Easiest to reach with your thumb on mobile
• Most convenient for quick access

Use "None" for Unused Positions

If you don't use all 6 actions, set unused punch holes to "None" rather than assigning arbitrary actions:

• Prevents accidental taps
• Creates cleaner visual appearance
• Focuses attention on actions you actually use

Match Your Study Style

Configure punch holes based on your learning preferences:

• Visual learners: Mind Map in Hole 1
• Test preparers: Quiz and Flashcards in top positions
• Annotators: Personal Notes in Hole 1
• Readers: Reading in Hole 1

Review Periodically

Check your punch hole configuration every few months:

• Are you using all assigned actions?
• Have your study habits changed?
• Should you reorder based on new priorities?

Consider Study Phase

Your optimal configuration may change based on study phase:

• Learning phase (early semester): Reading, Personal Notes, Mind Map
• Review phase (mid-semester): Flashcards, Personal Notes, Reading
• Exam prep (finals): Quiz, Flashcards, Reading

Next Steps

Now that you've customized your punch hole actions, explore:

• Note Card Customization — Personalize note appearance
• Study Settings — Configure study tool defaults
• Annotations — Use your quick action shortcuts

Or continue optimizing your workflow:

• [Keyboard Shortcuts] (if available) — Learn shortcuts for power users