Quickstart

Create your first workspace, document, and start exploring AFFiNE’s powerful features in minutes

Get Started in 5 Minutes

This guide will walk you through creating your first workspace, document, and exploring AFFiNE’s core features.

Before you begin: Make sure you’ve installed AFFiNE on your preferred platform (web, desktop, or self-hosted).

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Step 1: Create Your Account (Optional)

AFFiNE works both with and without an account. Choose what works best for you:

With Account (Recommended)

Creating an account enables cloud sync across all your devices.

1. Launch AFFiNE

   Open AFFiNE (web at app.affine.pro or your desktop app)

2. Sign Up

   Click Sign In or Get Started and choose your sign-up method:

   • Email (magic link - no password required)
   • Google account
   • GitHub account
3. Verify Your Email

   Check your email inbox for the verification link and click it to activate your account

4. You're Ready!

   Your account is set up with cloud sync enabled automatically

Benefits:

• ☁️ Automatic cloud backup
• 🔄 Real-time sync across devices
• 👥 Collaboration with team members
• 📱 Access from web, desktop, and mobile

Without Account (Local-Only)

Use AFFiNE completely locally without creating an account.

1. Launch AFFiNE

   Open the AFFiNE desktop app

2. Skip Sign In

   Click Continue without account or close the sign-in prompt

3. Start Creating

   Begin using AFFiNE with all features available locally

Benefits:

• 🔒 Complete privacy - no data leaves your device
• ⚡ Works offline by default
• 🚀 No sign-up friction

You can always create an account later and sync your local data to the cloud.

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Step 2: Create Your First Workspace

Workspaces in AFFiNE are containers for all your documents, notes, and whiteboards. Think of them as separate projects or areas of your work.

1. Open Workspace Selector

   Click the workspace name in the top-left corner (default: “My Workspace”)

2. Create New Workspace

   Click + New Workspace at the bottom of the dropdown

   
3. Name Your Workspace

   Enter a name for your workspace, such as:

   • “Personal Notes”
   • “Project Alpha”
   • “Team Wiki”
   • “Meeting Notes”
4. Choose Storage Type

   Cloud Workspace

   • Syncs to AFFiNE cloud
   • Available on all devices
   • Enables collaboration
   • Requires account

   Local Workspace

   • Stored only on this device
   • Works offline
   • Maximum privacy
   • Can be converted to cloud later

Pro Tip: Create separate workspaces for different areas of your life (work, personal, side projects) to keep things organized.

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Step 3: Create Your First Document

Now let’s create your first page in AFFiNE.

1. Start a New Page

   Click the + New Page button in the sidebar, or use the keyboard shortcut:

   • macOS: Cmd + N
   • Windows/Linux: Ctrl + N
2. Choose Your Template

   AFFiNE offers several templates to get started:

   Blank Page

   Start from scratch with a clean slate

   Edgeless (Whiteboard)

   Infinite canvas for visual thinking

   Meeting Notes

   Pre-formatted for meeting agendas

   Project Plan

   Template with tasks and milestones

   For now, select Blank Page to explore freely.

3. Add a Title

   Click “Untitled” at the top and give your page a meaningful title, like:

   • “My First AFFiNE Page”
   • “Project Ideas”
   • “Daily Notes”
4. Start Writing

   Click in the editor area and start typing. Try typing:

   # Welcome to AFFiNE
   
   This is my first document. Let's explore what AFFiNE can do!
   

   Notice how # automatically formats as a heading? That’s Markdown working seamlessly.

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Step 4: Explore Core Features

Let’s explore AFFiNE’s most powerful features:

Rich Text Editing

1. Text Formatting

   Select any text to see the formatting toolbar:

   • Bold (Cmd/Ctrl + B)
   • Italic (Cmd/Ctrl + I)
   • Code (Cmd/Ctrl + E)
   • Strikethrough
   • Highlight colors
2. Markdown Support

   AFFiNE supports Markdown syntax. Try typing:

   ## Heading 2
   ### Heading 3
   
   - Bullet list item
   - Another item
   
   1. Numbered list
   2. Second item
   
   [ ] Unchecked task
   [x] Completed task
   
   > This is a quote block
   
3. Slash Commands

   Type / anywhere to open the block menu:

   • /heading - Add headings
   • /todo - Create task lists
   • /code - Insert code blocks
   • /image - Upload images
   • /database - Create a database
   • /divider - Add a divider line

   

Blocks and Embeds

1. Add Different Block Types

   Type / and explore these block types:

   Content Blocks:

   • Text, headings, quotes
   • Bulleted and numbered lists
   • Task lists with checkboxes
   • Code blocks with syntax highlighting

   Media Blocks:

   • Images (drag & drop supported)
   • Videos (embedded or uploaded)
   • Audio files
   • File attachments

   Advanced Blocks:

   • Database (table, kanban, gallery)
   • Callout boxes
   • Math equations (LaTeX)
   • Mermaid diagrams
   • Web bookmarks
2. Embed Web Content

   Paste any URL and AFFiNE will create a rich preview:

   • YouTube videos
   • GitHub repos
   • Figma files
   • Twitter/X posts
   • Web pages

Switch to Whiteboard Mode

1. Toggle Edgeless Mode

   Click the Edgeless button in the top-right corner or press Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + E

   
2. Add Shapes and Elements

   In Edgeless mode, you can:

   • Draw freehand with the pen tool
   • Add shapes (rectangles, circles, arrows)
   • Create sticky notes
   • Connect elements with connectors
   • Group and organize visually
3. Place Your Page Content

   Your page content appears as a “note” block that you can:

   • Move anywhere on the canvas
   • Resize
   • Combine with other visual elements
   • Connect to other notes

Pro Tip: You can seamlessly switch between Page mode (traditional document) and Edgeless mode (infinite canvas) for the same content!

Create a Database

1. Insert Database Block

   Type /database or /table and press Enter

2. Choose View Type

   Select your preferred view:

   • Table - Spreadsheet-style rows and columns
   • Kanban - Card-based board view
   • Gallery - Visual grid with images
3. Add Content

   Let’s create a simple task tracker:

   1. Rename columns: “Task”, “Status”, “Priority”, “Due Date”
   2. Add a few tasks as rows
   3. Click the view selector to switch between Table and Kanban

   
4. Customize Properties

   Click on any column header to:

   • Change property type (text, number, date, select, multi-select, etc.)
   • Add new columns
   • Sort and filter data
   • Hide/show columns

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Step 5: Organize Your Workspace

Sidebar Navigation

The left sidebar is your command center:

• Quick Search (Cmd/Ctrl + K) - Find any page instantly
• Favorites - Star pages for quick access
• Recent - Your recently edited pages
• All Pages - Browse all pages in the workspace
• Collections - Organize pages into custom collections
• Tags - Filter pages by tags
• Trash - Recover deleted pages

Create Collections

1. Open Collections

   Click Collections in the sidebar

2. Create New Collection

   Click + New Collection and name it (e.g., “Project Alpha”, “Meeting Notes”)

3. Add Pages to Collection

   Right-click any page and select Add to Collection or drag pages into the collection

Use Tags

1. Add Tags to a Page

   1. Open any page
   2. Click the … menu in the top-right
   3. Select Add Tags
   4. Type tag names like #meeting, #important, #draft
2. Filter by Tags

   Click Tags in the sidebar to view and filter pages by tag

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Step 6: Collaborate with Others

Collaboration requires: Cloud workspace and AFFiNE account

Share a Workspace

1. Open Workspace Settings

   Click the workspace name in the top-left, then click ⚙️ Settings

2. Navigate to Members

   Select the Members tab

3. Invite Collaborators

   1. Click + Invite
   2. Enter email addresses
   3. Set permissions:
      • Owner - Full control
      • Admin - Manage members and settings
      • Editor - Create and edit pages
      • Viewer - Read-only access
   4. Click Send Invites

Real-Time Collaboration

When collaborating:

• See other users’ cursors and selections in real-time
• View who’s currently online in the top-right corner
• Changes sync instantly across all devices
• Conflict-free editing with CRDT technology

Share Individual Pages

1. Open Page Menu

   Click the … menu in the top-right of any page

2. Get Share Link

   Click Share and choose:

   • Private - Only workspace members can access
   • Public - Anyone with the link can view
   • Public Edit - Anyone with the link can edit
3. Copy and Share

   Copy the generated link and share it with others

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Step 7: Try AFFiNE AI (Optional)

AFFiNE AI requires configuration with an AI provider (OpenAI, Google, etc.) or self-hosted model.

Enable AI Features

1. Open Settings

   Click your avatar in the top-right, then Settings

2. Configure AI Provider

   1. Go to AI settings
   2. Choose your provider (OpenAI, Google Gemini, Azure OpenAI, or Custom)
   3. Enter your API key
   4. Click Save
3. Use AI Features

   Now you can:

   • Select text and click AI in the toolbar to:
     • Continue writing
     • Improve writing
     • Summarize
     • Translate
     • Change tone
   • Type /ai to:
     • Generate content from prompts
     • Create outlines
     • Draft documents
   • Ask questions about your pages

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Keyboard Shortcuts

Boost your productivity with these essential shortcuts:

Navigation

Shortcut	Action
Cmd/Ctrl + K	Quick search
Cmd/Ctrl + N	New page
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + N	New workspace
Cmd/Ctrl + [	Go back
Cmd/Ctrl + ]	Go forward

Editing

Shortcut	Action
Cmd/Ctrl + B	Bold
Cmd/Ctrl + I	Italic
Cmd/Ctrl + U	Underline
Cmd/Ctrl + E	Inline code
Cmd/Ctrl + K	Insert link
Cmd/Ctrl + Z	Undo
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + Z	Redo

Blocks

Shortcut	Action
/	Open block menu
Cmd/Ctrl + /	Show all shortcuts
Cmd/Ctrl + D	Duplicate block
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + E	Toggle edgeless mode

Press Cmd/Ctrl + / anytime to see the full list of keyboard shortcuts!

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What’s Next?

Congratulations! You’ve learned the basics of AFFiNE. Here’s where to go next:

Editor Features

Deep dive into the block-based editor

Whiteboard Mode

Master the infinite canvas and visual tools

Database & Tables

Create powerful databases with multiple views

Collaboration

Learn about real-time collaboration features

AI Assistant

Explore AI-powered writing and productivity

Local-First Architecture

Understand how your data stays private and secure

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Tips & Tricks

Customize Your Workspace Appearance

1. Click your avatar → Settings
2. Go to Appearance
3. Choose between Light, Dark, or Auto theme
4. Adjust font size and editor width

Import from Other Apps

AFFiNE supports importing from:

• Markdown files - Drag & drop .md files
• Notion - Use Notion’s export feature, then import the .zip
• HTML - Import web pages or HTML exports

To import: Click … in sidebar → Import

Export Your Work

Export individual pages or entire workspaces:

1. Open page menu …
2. Select Export
3. Choose format:
   • Markdown - Plain text with formatting
   • HTML - Webpage format
   • PDF - Printable document
   • PNG - Image snapshot

Set Up Daily Notes

Create a daily notes habit:

1. Create a collection called “Daily Notes”
2. Use Cmd/Ctrl + N to create a new page each day
3. Name it with today’s date (e.g., “2026-03-09”)
4. Add it to your Daily Notes collection

Or use the /today command to insert today’s date automatically!

Offline Usage

AFFiNE works completely offline:

• All edits are saved locally first
• Changes sync automatically when back online
• Desktop app is fully functional without internet
• Web app requires initial load, then works offline

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Get Help

Need assistance? We’re here to help!

Documentation

Browse the full documentation

Discord Community

Ask questions and get help from the community

GitHub Issues

Report bugs or request features

GitHub Discussions

Discuss ideas and share feedback

Pro Tip: Search existing GitHub issues and discussions before creating new ones - your question might already be answered!

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Common Questions

Is my data secure?

Yes! AFFiNE is local-first:

• All data is stored on your device first
• Cloud sync is encrypted in transit and at rest
• You can use AFFiNE completely offline
• Self-hosting gives you complete control
• Open-source code means full transparency

Can I use AFFiNE offline?

Absolutely! AFFiNE is designed to work offline:

• Desktop app works fully offline
• Web app caches for offline use
• All edits are saved locally
• Changes sync when you’re back online

How do I sync between devices?

To sync across devices:

1. Create a cloud workspace (requires account)
2. Sign in with the same account on all devices
3. Your workspaces sync automatically

Local workspaces can be converted to cloud workspaces in settings.

What's the difference between Page and Edgeless?

• Page mode: Traditional document view, great for text-heavy content
• Edgeless mode: Infinite canvas, perfect for visual thinking and diagrams

They’re two views of the same content - switch anytime with Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + E

Can I migrate from Notion?

Yes! To migrate from Notion:

1. Export your Notion workspace (Settings → Export → All content → Markdown & CSV)
2. In AFFiNE, click … in sidebar → Import
3. Select the exported .zip file
4. AFFiNE will import all pages with formatting preserved

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