Start with one source
Pick a single book or article. Paste the highlights that stood out. Add a short note next to each one. That first pass teaches you what kind of tags will matter later.
Turn scattered highlights into a working commonplace book
Paste your highlights and notes. Add a source and a few tags. The extractor groups them by theme and builds a searchable index you can print, export, and return to later.
Workspace
Add one entry at a time or paste a batch of highlights. Each entry keeps its source, your notes, and the tags you choose.
Add an entry
Quick presets
Live commonplace book
Your entries will appear here as you add them. Try the presets or paste a few highlights to get started.
Saved library
Saved commonplace books are stored in your browser. Download the JSON file to back up your work or move it to another device.
No saved books yet. Create one above and click Save to library.
How to build a useful commonplace book
Keep tags small and steady
Aim for a core set of 8 to 12 tags. Use broad themes like learning, work, or relationships. Add specific tags only when a theme keeps coming up. Too many tags make the index harder to scan.
Write one sentence of context
A highlight without context fades fast. Add a short note about why the passage mattered. A sentence like "Useful for the chapter on habits" helps months later.
Review, do not just collect
The value comes from rereading. Open the book once a month. Print a page. Compare two sources on the same tag. That is when ideas start to connect.
Common mistakes
- Saving everything. A commonplace book works best when you keep the useful 10 percent, not the full highlight reel.
- Skipping the source. Without author and title, a quote loses its weight. Always record where it came from.
- Using tags that are too vague. "Interesting" or "good" does not help later. "Decision making" or "group behavior" does.
- Never exporting. Browser storage can be cleared. Download a copy after each session if the material matters.
A quick scenario
Say you are reading three books on creativity. You paste fifteen highlights into the extractor. You tag them with creativity, process, and examples. After a week you filter by process and find the same idea appearing in two books. That overlap becomes the backbone of your own writing or a class presentation.
Assumptions and limits
This workspace runs in your browser. It does not call any server and it does not track anything. Large collections may slow down on older devices. The share link encodes entries in the URL, so very long books may hit browser URL limits. For serious long-term work, export regularly and keep a backup.
FAQ
- Can I use this for course readings?
- Yes. Tag entries by week, topic, or type (lecture, reading, case study). At exam time, filter by the topic you need.
- Does it work on a phone?
- Yes. The layout stacks on small screens. Typing long entries is easier on a tablet or laptop, but adding a few highlights works fine on a phone.
- Can two people work on the same book?
- Not live. One person exports the file and shares it. The other imports it and continues. For now, this is single-user only.