Home/Use cases/Draft in markdown with your source in sight
Writing · Notes on shelf

Draft in markdown, with your source in sight.

You are drafting a blog post, spec, or README and keep jumping between your reference tab and your notes. TopShelf's Notes mini app supports full markdown, so you can float a draft above whatever you are referencing on macOS and write with the source in view.

How to do it with TopShelf

  1. 1 Open TopShelf from your menu barClick the TopShelf icon in the macOS menu bar.
  2. 2 Enable the Notes mini appTurn on Notes under Settings, Mini Apps. It gets its own icon in the menu bar.
  3. 3 Turn on markdown mode inside a noteOpen a note, tap the M icon in the sidebar to toggle markdown. The format buttons insert syntax as you type. The window floats above whatever you are referencing.

Also works with

MarkdownMDXBlog draftsREADME docsMeeting notesSpec draftsRelease notesGitHub Issues drafts

Anywhere you write markdown. TopShelf keeps the note floating above your reference so you never lose your place while drafting.

Related use cases.

More ways people keep the thing they need on top with TopShelf.

Mini apps · Notes
Notes, always at hand.
Use TopShelf's built-in Notes mini app to keep a quick-capture note floating above every other window on macOS. No cloud, no account, all notes stay local.
Read use case
Pair · Claude on shelf
Cowork with Claude, always visible.
Keep Claude (claude.ai) floating above your editor with TopShelf. Ask, apply, iterate without ever switching windows.
Read use case