Influxx Markdown Editor Modes and Wiki Links
The Influxx markdown editor is the writing surface for project plans, architecture docs, and wiki-linked notes inside the desktop cockpit. It is not a separate notes product and not a cloud notebook: every body you edit is real markdown on disk (worktree path or floating workspace). This guide covers the three editor modes—Source, Rich Editor, and Preview—GFM and diagram capabilities, Obsidian-style wiki links with heading targets, and the keyboard shortcuts that keep you in flow next to code and agent tabs.
One file on disk. Three ways to look at it. Wiki links weave a local doc graph—humans navigate; agents still read the plain markdown you saved.
Where the editor lives in the cockpit
Influxx is one multi-tab cockpit: one left sidebar, one middle tab strip. Markdown opens as center tabs beside terminals, agents, and Source Control—never as a second full-screen notes shell. You can open sidebar project notes under .influxx/notes/, any worktree .md path, or floating markdown outside a repo. The editor chrome and modes are the same; only the storage root changes.
Related Influxx Help topics cover Sidebar Notes, Run-as-agent context packs, templates and PDF export, review notes on diffs, and Floating Workspace. This article stays on the editor itself: how you create and switch modes, what Rich and Preview can render, how [[wiki links]] complete and resolve, and when Source mode is forced for safety.
Opening markdown for editing
Create or open files from the surfaces that match your intent, then edit in the shared markdown tab.
- Sidebar Notes: Left rail → Notes. Creates or opens .influxx/notes/*.md as a non-preview center tab. Best for plans you will Run to an agent.
- New Markdown from tabs: Tab bar + → New Markdown, or ⌘⇧M / Ctrl+Shift+M. Opens the template picker (Blank Markdown or disk templates). Best for long-form docs and wiki-linked pages.
- Open Markdown…: Tab bar + → Open Markdown…, or ⌘⇧O / Ctrl+Shift+O. Opens an existing .md path in the worktree or elsewhere you choose.
- Floating notes: Floating Workspace panel → New Markdown Note or Open Markdown Note. Same editor modes; files live under app userData floating-workspace, not under .influxx/notes/.
Create from the sidebar vs from tabs
Sidebar + writes a real .md immediately with a fixed starter body (“Untitled note” plus a short prompt). Sidebar create does not open the template picker. When you want templates, wiki-heavy architecture pages, or an arbitrary path, use New Markdown from the tab strip instead. Untitled files are real on-disk files; a blank, untouched untitled may be removed when you close the tab so empty stubs do not pile up.
Editor modes: Source · Rich Editor · Preview
Switch modes from the markdown tab header. Save with ⌘S / Ctrl+S; autosave also applies based on your editor settings. Prefer Rich Editor for day-to-day writing, Preview when reviewing layout or preparing PDF export, and Source when you need exact markdown control.
- Source: Raw markdown editing (Monaco) for full control of fences, front matter, and hand-tuned markup. Use when a document is very large or unsupported and the product forces Source for safety.
- Rich Editor: Structured TipTap editing that round-trips back to the same markdown on disk—the file agents and git see. Best default for plans and docs.
- Preview: Read-only render with table of contents, Mermaid diagrams, local images, and anchors. Ideal for review and for Export as PDF, which needs a rendered Rich or Preview DOM.
PDF export is covered in depth in the templates and export guide. The editor rule that matters here: pure Source fallback cannot export a layout it has not rendered. If Export as PDF is unavailable, switch to Rich Editor or Preview first, then try again from More actions on the editor header.
Rich and Preview capabilities
The editor is built for real project documentation—not a toy notepad. Mode switch and features stay local to the file you opened. Capabilities in Rich and Preview include GitHub-flavored markdown basics plus diagrams, math, and local media.
- GFM basics: Headings, lists, task lists, blockquotes, code fences, links, and tables.
- Diagrams and math: Mermaid diagrams plus inline and block math.
- Images: Local images resolved through the app so previews work without uploading assets to a notes cloud.
- Structure: Collapsible details and toggle headings for long plans.
- Slash menu: Insert headings, blocks, tables, Mermaid, math, media, and emoji without leaving the keyboard flow.
- Editor ergonomics: Paste image, list continuation, and front matter show/hide.
- Wiki links: Obsidian-style [[wiki links]] with completions, including [[note#Heading]] for in-document targets.
Keyboard shortcuts for the markdown tab
Markdown preview toggle: ⌘⇧V / Ctrl+Shift+V. Find in editor: ⌘F / Ctrl+F. Save: ⌘S / Ctrl+S. New markdown: ⌘⇧M / Ctrl+Shift+M. Open markdown: ⌘⇧O / Ctrl+Shift+O. Remap shortcuts anytime in Settings → Shortcuts. There is no dedicated global shortcut solely for “New Sidebar Note” today—use the sidebar + control or New Markdown shortcuts.
Wiki links: the in-repo documentation graph
In the rich markdown editor, type [[ to complete document links. Resolve headings with [[doc#Heading]]. This is the in-repo documentation graph for human navigation inside your worktree—not the same system as agent @-mentions in experimental product overlays. Wiki links help you build a local knowledge web across notes and markdown tabs without depending on an online wiki host.
Practical pattern: keep a short index note under .influxx/notes/ that wiki-links to design notes, ADRs, and runbooks elsewhere in the tree. When you Run a high-level plan to an agent, the body can still spell out acceptance criteria in plain text so the agent does not have to chase every link. Use wiki links for human orientation and long-form architecture reading; keep Run notes self-contained for agents.
- Completion: Type [[ in Rich Editor to search and insert document links.
- Heading targets: Use [[note#Heading]] to jump to a section inside a linked doc.
- Scope: In-repo / worktree documentation graph—not cloud wiki sync and not agent @-mention overlays.
- Agent Run: Prefer explicit goals and checkboxes in the note body; treat wiki links as human navigation, not a substitute for a clear brief.
Safety: when Source mode is forced
Very large or unsupported documents force Source mode for safety so you never lose control of the raw file. That guardrail protects the on-disk contract: the markdown agents and git see remains editable even when rich rendering is not appropriate. Switch back to Rich or Preview when the document is within supported bounds and you need TOC, Mermaid, or PDF export.
Writing plans that stay editor-friendly
Strong notes for humans and agents use clear headings, task lists for acceptance criteria, and short sections rather than one endless dump. Split large initiatives into linked notes with wiki links for humans and short, self-contained Run notes for agents. Save often (or rely on autosave). Rename files on disk or in the explorer when you want a clearer sidebar title—display titles derive from filenames (dashes and underscores become spaces).
Sidebar Notes list create, open, and Run only. There is no separate Notes-only menu for rename, delete, pin, or search. Treat note files like normal project files so UI, git, and CLI agents stay aligned on one path. Canonical sidebar paths look like <worktree>/.influxx/notes/<slug>-<id>.md; templates live under .influxx/templates/; floating markdown stays in userData.
Choosing modes by task
Match the mode to the job so you do not fight the editor.
- Draft a plan or RFC: Rich Editor with slash menu, task lists, and wiki links.
- Tune fences or front matter: Source for exact markup.
- Review Mermaid or share layout: Preview; then Export as PDF from More actions if needed.
- Huge or unsupported file: Accept Source mode; edit carefully; avoid expecting PDF until Rich or Preview can render.
- Out-of-repo scratch: Same modes in Floating Workspace; promote into .influxx/notes/ when the idea becomes a project plan.
Source for control. Rich for writing. Preview for truth of layout. Wiki links for the human map—never a second source of truth beside the file on disk.
Summary
Influxx markdown tabs give you Source, Rich Editor, and Preview over real local files. Rich and Preview support GFM, Mermaid, math, local images, slash inserts, and Obsidian-style [[wiki links]] including [[note#Heading]]. Shortcuts cover new, open, preview toggle, find, and save. Large or unsupported documents force Source for safety; PDF needs a rendered Rich or Preview DOM. Use wiki links to navigate the in-repo doc graph, and keep agent Run notes explicit in plain markdown so the brief the CLI receives is the brief you wrote.
For templates under .influxx/templates/, PDF export steps, review notes on diffs, markdown review notes, and workspace comments, see the companion Influxx Help articles on note templates and export, and on review notes and workspace comments. For the broader Notes storage and Run-as-agent loop, see Influxx Notes: Local Markdown, Sidebars, and Agent Context.
