Migrate from OneNote with a conversion-first workflow.

Important: This is not a one-click move. Capacities does not import OneNote notebooks directly. You export from OneNote (usually as Word or PDF), turn those files into Markdown (and media), then import in the Capacities desktop app. Raw PDF, Word (.docx), or OneNote Package (.onepkg) files do not import into Bulk Import as-is.

For general import docs, see:

• Import content to Capacities
• Bulk Import Reference

Quick migration flow

1. Decide how notebooks and sections should map to Capacities object types or tags.
2. Export from OneNote in batches (section by section works best).
3. Convert each batch to Markdown + media (or copy a small set by hand).
4. Review mapping in Bulk Import, then import on desktop.
5. Check that batch, then continue with the next one.

Warnings

• OneNote does not offer a reliable native bulk export to migration-ready Markdown
• Full export works best in the Windows desktop OneNote app (File > Export)
• Bulk Import runs in the Capacities desktop app, not only in the browser
• Do not continue if mapping looks wrong

Understand the paradigm shift

OneNote is notebook-first: binders, section tabs, and free-form pages. Capacities is object-type-first: you decide what each note is (a Meeting, Person, Project, and so on), then connect notes with links and tags.

Your migration will be cleaner if you first decide what each notebook or section should become as an object type (or as Pages with tags).

If you want a deeper explanation of this shift, read Understanding the paradigm shift.

How OneNote organizes your content

OneNote feels like a stack of digital binders. The hierarchy is strict, but each page inside it is a free-form canvas.

From top to bottom:

Inside a page, content is not a single top-to-bottom document by default. You can click anywhere and type, add images, ink, tables, audio, PDF printouts, and file attachments. A page can grow very long.

OneNote also has note tags. These are small markers you apply to a line, paragraph, image, or ink stroke (for example a checkbox, Important, or Question). Tags are not page labels. They are inline markers inside page content. You can search tagged items across notebooks.

On Windows, you can also flag lines as Outlook tasks. That creates a link to Outlook, not a normal OneNote tag.

Links between pages are possible in some setups (for example wiki-style links), but many people rely on the notebook, section, and page tree instead.

Translate to Capacities

Capacities does not have notebooks, section tabs, or subpages. It has object types, properties, tags, and links.

The Capacities editor works differently

OneNote pages are a free-form canvas: you click anywhere, drop content in any order, and keep adding to the same page over time.

Capacities uses a block-based editor with a linear flow. Content moves top to bottom in blocks. You have fewer layout options than OneNote: no arbitrary positioning and no ink canvas. Very long, mixed pages are harder to read in that linear flow.

In Capacities, structure comes from linking between notes, for example linking project notes to people, or book notes to authors. When a OneNote page mixes meeting notes, tasks, reference, and clippings on one canvas, split it into separate objects and link them instead of importing it as one giant note.

If free-form layout and page customization are central to how you work in OneNote, Capacities is probably not for you.

Use this table as a starting point:

Decide what each page "is"

Before export, open a section and ask what the pages represent.

Clear noun pages map cleanly:

• A page called Julie Smith in a People section → Person
• A page called Q2 Marketing Plan → Project
• A page called Weekly sync - 12 Aug → Meeting

Mixed sections need splitting:

• A Work section with meetings, ideas, and clipped articles → split into Meeting, Page, and Weblink (or Page with tags) before import

Subpages are a common trap. A parent page Client kickoff with subpages Agenda, Notes, and Actions can become:

1. One Meeting object with headings inside, or
2. Three separate objects linked together

Option 1 suits a single meeting you read in one sitting. Option 2 is better when each part is reused on its own, or when the combined note would be too long for Capacities' linear editor.

What does not map cleanly

These OneNote features usually need manual cleanup or recreation in Capacities:

• Outlook task flags
• Handwriting search and ink-first workflows (Capacities has no handwriting canvas; take screenshots and add them as images if you need the drawings)
• Page layout positioning (content order may change during conversion)
• Shared notebook permissions (Capacities sharing is limited by design)
• Custom note tag summaries (recreate with tags, queries, or task objects)

Map structure before export

Create key object types first (People, Projects, Meetings, and so on), then add core properties.

Look at your notebooks and group pages into clear type buckets first (for example People, Projects, Meetings).

Then create matching object types in Capacities before import.

For mixed notebooks that are not type-like (Inbox, Planning, and similar), either:

1. Restructure them into type buckets, or
2. Import as Pages (good for free-form notes, but without properties).

Export from OneNote in batches

OneNote export options depend on which app you use.

On OneNote for Windows (the desktop Microsoft 365 / Office OneNote app with a File menu), go to File > Export. You can export the current page, section, or notebook.

Formats depend on scope:

• Page or section: Word (.docx), PDF, and other formats are often available. Prefer Word when you plan to convert to Markdown
• Whole notebook: Often limited to OneNote Package (.onepkg), PDF, or similar archive formats. Those are useful backups, but harder to turn into clean per-page Markdown

On Mac, web, and mobile, export is more limited. You can often print or export the current page to PDF, but there is usually no full-notebook export comparable to the Windows desktop app.

For larger migrations:

• Export in batches by section where possible (one section → one conversion batch)
• Keep batch folder names clear (for example Meetings-2024-batch-01)
• Prefer Word (.docx) over PDF when you can, because Word converts to Markdown more cleanly
• Expect layout shifts: free-form OneNote placement rarely survives conversion as a perfect visual copy

Remember: PDF, Word, and OneNote Package files are export formats, not Capacities import formats.

Convert to Markdown + media

Capacities Bulk Import expects Markdown files (and media next to them). OneNote exports need a conversion step first.

If you only have a few pages: Copy and paste into Capacities, or save each page as its own .md file by hand. This avoids converters, but it does not scale.

If you have many pages: Convert Word exports (or other intermediate files) to one .md file per page, with images kept nearby. Prefer a converter you trust, and run a small test batch first. Capacities does not provide or endorse a specific OneNote converter.

Before importing:

• Put files for one object type in one folder when you can
• Keep media files with the notes from the same batch
• Use clear, unique filenames
• Apply your section-to-type decisions consistently

Review mapping, then import

In the Capacities desktop app, go to Settings > Import Content, open the OneNote guide in Migration guides, then click Start importing and upload your converted folders.

Before importing:

• Confirm recognized object types are correct
• Optionally add an import marker
• Stop and fix notebook, folder, or type setup if preview looks wrong

Then click Analyze, review, and click Import. Keep Capacities open until import completes.

Verify each batch

Check:

• Titles and object types
• Key properties (dates, tags, and similar details)
• Internal links (where present)
• Attachments and media