Frequently Asked Questions
Workspace - this is where you get work done. A workspace is the foundational building block of Kahana, allowing you to simultaneously toggle between files and write notes with Kahana’s hallmark split-screen view.
Zen Mode - this is how you get in the zone. Simply click the button within your workspace to expand it full-screen and remove distractions.
Notepad - this is where your notes are. It is the right side of the split screen view in a workspace, where you can add and edit notes.
Text Editor - each note in a notepad has a text editor. From here, you can format your text in any manner that you see fit, and can copy/paste text directly into other mediums (e.g., Word) and maintain the same format.
Smart Links - this is a feature that enables you to unify your content by generating links between text you write within a workspace and files that you upload into the workspace.
Favorites - this is where you can filter files within a workspace. Select files you want to view at any given time and click the “Favorite” star to hide the rest.
Home - this is where you manage all of your stuff. From here, you can access and preview all uploaded files, generate new text files, manage workspaces, and access recently deleted files.
Recently Added - this is where files appear when you upload them into Kahana. From here, you can view files and add them into workspaces, either by dragging and dropping or via a right-click menu.
Sandbox - this is an automatically generated repository of all of the files that you upload into Kahana. From here, you can view files and add them into workspaces via a right-click menu.
Trash - this is a repository of files that you delete. From here, you can permanently delete or restore files.
Search Bar - this is where you can search for specific files. Type in the name of the file you are looking for and double click to view it.
Kahana Web Saver - a browser extension that lets you import Internet articles into Kahana and/or directly into workspaces. By using the Web Saver, you can minimize clutter from tabs and ensure you save important content for later.
You can upload files from your computer in the following ways:
- “+ New” button in your Home page to upload files/folder from your computer
- Drag/drop files from your computer directly into your Home page
- “Upload” button in a workspace to upload files directly into that workspace
- Drag/drop files from your computer directly into the list of files in your workspace
- Drag/drop files from your computer directly into a workspace
- Use the Kahana Web Saver browser extension to import web pages directly into Kahana
To use the Kahana Web Saver, begin by clicking on the extension in the top right corner of your browser when you want to upload a web page.
- Select "Snapshot Full HTML Page" if you want to import the entire page and be able to copy/paste text. Alternatively, select “Screenshot” if you only need a specific section of the article and do not want to copy/paste.
- Once the “Generating… Please Wait” message below the loading circle is replaced with "Enter a name to save to Kahana", type in the file name you want
- Click the plus icon OR hit enter and wait for a check mark to show up with the "Added to Sandbox" message.
- If you want to add the web page directly into an existing workspace, select the workspace you would like and make sure a check mark appears next to it.
Now, when you log back into or refresh Kahana, you will be able to see the web page you saved in the recently added section and in your Sandbox.
You can add files into your workspaces in the following ways:
- Add directly from within a workspace. You can upload a file from your computer via by the “Upload” button or drag/drop files directly into the list of files on the left side of your workspace
- Add from the Recently Added section, where you can either drag/drop files directly into a workspace(s) or right click to add to a workspace(s)
- Add from Sandbox, where you can right click to add a file or multiple files to a workspace(s)
- Add from the Web Saver, where you can select specific workspaces where you want to add web pages to
In order to create a smart link, follow these steps:
- Highlight the text you want to create a link with
- Select the Link icon in the toolbar OR right-click and select “Link”
- A screen titled “Create/Edit Smart Link” will appear on your screen. Under “Link list,” select which file you would like to create a link to, and then click save
When you are finished, the text will be underlined in blue. If you would like to view the file you created a link to, right-click the text and select “Open Link" OR press Command+G (Mac) or Control+G (PC).
- Copy & Pasting: Formatting is maintained when you copy/paste text from your notepad into other text editors (e.g., Microsoft Word).
- Selecting Multiple Files: Use SHIFT+click to select multiple files simultaneously and move them into a workspace from the Recently Added section or the Sandbox.
- Best Reading Experience: The single/split toggle button within a workspace is great for multitasking between reading and taking notes on considerably text-heavy documents. For example, you can flip to a single screen and use Zen Mode to more easily read a textbook, and when you’re ready to take notes, flip back to the split-screen view to write and/or copy/paste from the textbook.
- Working with Other Applications on Your Computer: Squish your window if you want to use Kahana alongside other applications (for example, if you want to toggle between files in a workspace but want to write in Microsoft Word. See “How to Use with Other Applications” for a detailed guide.
- De-cluttering Your Resources: Remove notes or resources that you no longer want from your workspace by right clicking on the note/resource and selecting "Remove". However, notes will be permanently removed (whereas resources remain in your Sandbox), so please make sure you have any contents that you may want saved in another note or elsewhere.
- Working Ambidextrously with Files & Notes: Move notes from the right side of your workspace to the left by right clicking the note and selecting "Create Resource From..." - this will result in the creation of a text file of your note on the left-hand side. This is a very useful feature for outlining; once you finish an outline, you can easily move it to the left-hand side to reference in order to start drafting your content.
With Kahana, you have the option to share your workspaces by generating and sending hyperlinks. These shareable workspace hyperlinks can be generated in multiple ways. Here's how:
- Option 1: Within a workspace, click on the "link icon" to the right of the workspace name in the top left corner of your window. After clicking, select the "Make workspace public" switch and then click on the copy/paste link that appears. The link will now be copied to your clipboard and you can share that link with anyone by pasting the text.
- Option 2: On the Home page, right-click on the workspace you want to share and select "Shareable." From there, hit the switch icon to "Make workspace public" and then click on the link that appears. The link will now be copied to your clipboard and you can share that link with anyone.
Absolutely! With Kahana, you have full control over your work. If you no longer wish to share your workspace or allow it to be viewable in a public forum, you can do one of the following:
- On the Home page, right-click on the workspace you want to share and select "Shareable". From there, hit the "Make workspace public" switch. There should now no longer be a link available - this means that you have successfully made your workspace private.
- Within the workspace, click on the link icon to the right of the workspace name in the top left. From there, hit the "Make workspace public" switch. There should now no longer be a link available - this means that you have successfully made your workspace private.