NotesmakrHelp Guide

Punch Hole Actions

Customize the 6 interactive punch holes on note cards for quick access to your favorite study tools and features

Punch hole actions let you choose what happens when you long press one of the six punch holes on the left side of your note cards. Assign the study tools you use most for quick access.

Punch Hole Actions page with the Punch holes switch, a preview card and the six configurable holes

What Are Punch Holes?

Punch holes are small circles down the left edge of each note card in your Notes tab, styled like a hole-punched page. They are shortcuts to a note's study tools, so you don't have to open the note first.

How they work

  • Six holes can be configured, from top to bottom
  • Long press a hole to use it
  • Colour-coded: a hole with an action is tinted by that action; a hole set to None is an empty dot

Where you'll see them

  • On note cards in your Notes tab, when punch holes are switched on

Opening Punch Hole Actions

Open the Settings tab

Tap Settings, the fifth tab: it sits in the bottom bar on a phone and in the sidebar on iPad.

Go to Configuration

In the Configuration section, tap "Punch Hole Actions". You can also long press a hole set to None on a note card to jump here.

Assign actions

Choose an action for each hole, or leave it on None.

You need to be signed in to change your punch holes.

Available Actions

Each hole can be set to one of these five. The actions take you to a screen for that note; they don't generate anything.

  • Quiz — "View quiz questions": opens that note's quizzes
  • Flashcards — "View flashcards": opens that note's flashcards
  • Reading — "Go to reading tab": opens the note's Reading tab
  • Mind Map — "View mind map": opens the note's mind map
  • None — "No action"

Configuring Each Hole

Find the Configure Actions card

It lists Punch Hole 1 to Punch Hole 6, from the top hole down. Each row shows "Current action:" and a pill with the action's name.

Tap a row

A sheet opens titled with the hole's number, listing the available actions. The current one is marked.

Pick an action

Tap the action you want. It saves at once, and the row briefly shows "Updating".

Repeat as needed

Set as many holes as you like, and leave the rest on None.

The page also has a live Preview card using your real set-up, with the hint "Long press on colored punch holes to trigger actions".

Default Configuration

Out of the box:

  1. Punch Hole 1: Quiz
  2. Punch Hole 2: Flashcards
  3. Punch Hole 3: None
  4. Punch Hole 4: None
  5. Punch Hole 5: None
  6. Punch Hole 6: None

Example Configurations

Study-focused

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

Best for: test preparation and review.

Visual learner

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

Best for: people who rely on diagrams and drawings.

Reading-focused

  1. Reading
  2. Notes
  3. None
  4. None
  5. None
  6. None

Best for: reading and annotating more than testing yourself.

Using Punch Holes

Find the note card

Find a note card in your Notes tab.

Press and hold a hole

Long press a punch hole on the left of the card. A small popover shows the action it will run.

Release to go, or slide away to cancel

Release over the popover to open that screen. Slide away from it before you let go to cancel.

Tapping once doesn't trigger a hole; you need to press and hold.

Showing or Hiding Punch Holes

There are two switches for this.

On the Punch Hole Actions page: the Punch holes switch at the top applies as soon as you flip it. A message confirms "Punch holes enabled" or "Punch holes disabled". While it's off, the page shows "Enable punch holes using the toggle above to configure actions" in place of the actions list.

On the Note Card Design page: the Punch Hole Actions row has an On/Off switch too. That one is saved when you tap Save on that page.

Learn more about Note Card Design →

Restoring the Default Configuration

This page has no reset button. To go back to the defaults, set Punch Hole 1 to Quiz, Punch Hole 2 to Flashcards, and Punch Holes 3 to 6 to None.

Where It's Saved

Each choice is saved to your account the moment you pick it, so there's no Save button on this page.

Troubleshooting

Punch holes don't appear on note cards

Open Settings, then Punch Hole Actions, and check that the Punch holes switch is on. Also check the Punch Hole Actions row in Note Card Design.

Tapping a punch hole does nothing

Punch holes respond to a long press, not a tap. Press and hold, then release over the popover.

A hole opens the settings page

That hole is set to None. Assign it an action on this page.

My change didn't save

You'll see an "Update Failed" message if a save didn't go through. Check your internet connection and try again. If you see "Sign in to change your punch holes", sign in first.

Best Practices

Start with the defaults

Use Quiz and Flashcards for a week or two to see which shortcuts you want.

Prioritize by frequency

Assign your most-used actions to the top holes.

Use None for holes you don't need

It keeps the card tidy and avoids accidental long presses.

Match your study style

  • Test preparers: Quiz and Flashcards at the top
  • Annotators: Notes at the top
  • Readers: Reading at the top
  • Visual learners: Mind Map at the top

Next Steps