Cornell note taking template for Markdown
The Cornell method splits a page into cues, notes and a summary so you can review what you wrote. This template does it in plain Markdown, with the review scheduled as real tasks.
The Cornell notes template
Copy it into a new note for each lecture or chapter, or download the file.
The download is in English.
# Cornell notes: topic
- Date: {{date:YYYY-MM-DD}}
- Source (class, book, talk):
## Cues
Questions and keywords. Write these after the lecture or reading, not during it.
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## Notes
Write the main points here during the lecture or while reading. Short phrases, one idea per line.
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## Summary
Two or three sentences in your own words, written within a day.
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## Review
- [ ] Cover the Notes section and answer each cue out loud
- [ ] Review again after 3 days 📅 2026-11-09
- [ ] Review again after 1 week 📅 2026-11-13
- [ ] Turn the cues into flashcards or questions for next timeHow the Cornell method works
A Cornell page has three parts. During the lecture or while reading, you write the main points in the notes section. Afterwards you add cues, which are questions or keywords that the notes answer, and a short summary in your own words.
The cues are the point. Covering the notes and answering each cue from memory is the review. This template adds review tasks at 3 days and 1 week, so the review is on your list instead of in your good intentions.
A filled-in example
Here is one lecture note after the session, in the template's own layout. The notes were written during the talk. The cues and summary came afterwards. The two dated review tasks sit 3 days and 1 week after the lecture.
# Cornell notes: Spaced repetition
- Date: 2026-11-02
- Source (class, book, talk): Psych 101, lecture 9
## Cues
- Who measured forgetting first, and how?
- Why does the curve flatten out?
- Cramming or spacing: which holds up after two weeks?
## Notes
- Ebbinghaus, 1885: memorised nonsense syllables, tested himself over days
- Most loss in the first hour, then it slows (forgetting curve)
- Each review flattens the curve further
- Spaced practice beats massed practice on tests days later
- Cramming is fine for tomorrow's quiz, bad for the final
## Summary
> Memory fades fast, then slowly. Reviewing just before you would forget resets the curve, so a few short, spaced reviews beat one long session.
## Review
- [ ] Cover the Notes section and answer each cue out loud
- [ ] Review again after 3 days 📅 2026-11-05
- [ ] Review again after 1 week 📅 2026-11-09
- [ ] Turn the cues into flashcards or questions for next timeNotes are short phrases, one idea per line. Each cue is a question the notes answer, so it can be tested later. The summary was written without looking at the notes.
How to review with the cues
The cues are questions you wrote for your future self. Reviewing means answering them.
- Cover the Notes section, read the first cue and answer it out loud or on paper.
- Uncover the notes and check. Mark every cue you missed.
- Repeat after 3 days and again after 1 week, using the two dated tasks in the Review section. Tick each one off when you are done.
- Cues you keep missing go on flashcards. That is the last task in the template.
Pulling an answer out of memory takes more effort than rereading it, and that effort is what makes it stick.
Use it in TaskForge
- Save the file as cornell-notes.md in a folder TaskForge has open, then copy it to a new note for each lecture or chapter.
- Write in the Notes section while you listen or read. Headings, lists and links all work, because notes are Markdown files.
- Add the cues after the session and the summary within a day.
- Give each review task a due date in the app. They show up on the calendar and in your task lists, and Premium reminders can nudge you.
Use it in Obsidian
- Put the file in your templates folder.
- Insert it into a new note with the core Templates plugin. It replaces {{date:YYYY-MM-DD}} with today's date.
- Add due dates to the review tasks and the Tasks plugin lists them in its queries.
Tips for better Cornell notes
- Leave the Cues section empty until after the session. Writing it later forces you to recall.
- Keep notes short: phrases, not sentences, one idea per line.
- Write the summary before you look back at the notes.
- Review out loud. Cover the notes and answer each cue.
Questions about the Cornell template
What is the Cornell note taking method?
A way of laying out a page in three parts: notes taken during the session, cues written afterwards, and a summary. It was developed at Cornell University for lecture notes and works for reading and meetings too.
Can I use the Cornell template on a phone or tablet?
Yes. Any Markdown app opens the file. In TaskForge it works the same on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android and Windows.
Does it work without TaskForge or Obsidian?
Yes. It is a plain Markdown file. Apps that do not read tasks still show the review items as checkboxes.
Should Cornell notes be handwritten or typed?
Either works. The method is the layout and the recall, not the pen. Typed notes are faster and searchable, and in a Markdown file you can link to other notes. Handwriting slows you down, which pushes you toward short phrases. Use whichever one you will actually review.
Can I use Cornell notes for books and articles?
Yes. Put the book or article in the Source line, write the main points as you read, and add the cues after each chapter. The review tasks work the same way.
Your notes and their review tasks in one place
TaskForge keeps Markdown notes and tasks together on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android and Windows. Free to download.
