Discussion - Sort By Tags

[DTLow 5,744]

We are seeing issue/request posts for "Sort  by Tags"   
Since notes can be assigned multiple tags, the point is actually "Sort by first tag"   
which is controlled by prefixing specific tags with a special character

Why is this sort important for your workflow - what's the use case?
Are there alternatives since this option is not supported in the Version 10 product?

[MvdH 487]

Thank you for starting this topic.

As for your first question: For my workflow it is CRUCIAL. Evernote legacy sorts the tags WITHIN the tags colomn an sort-of-alphabet, at least consistent. After that Evernote legacy sorts the rows in the view on the Tags column. Effectively it doesn't sort on FIRST tag by that, but also on SECOND tag, when first is the same, and so on. See here for my details: https://discussion.evernote.com/forums/topic/129388-using-the-new-evernote-10-for-gtdtsw-workflow/   an example of my needing the sorting by tags IN a single tags field and sorting rows by those tags fields:

The above view is a result of one of my 100 saved searches,which give me instant view of relevant items sorted by time/GTD priority. Above is a result of the following saved search:

As for your second question: I have not found alternatives in Evernote 10, except using Legacy. 😞

[DTLow 5,744]

1 hour ago, MvdH said:

Effectively it doesn't sort on FIRST tag by that, but also on SECOND tag, when first is the same, and so on.

Good point

[DTLow 5,744]

On 11/24/2020 at 9:58 PM, MvdH said:

items sorted by time/GTD priority

I also use Evernote for task management, stored as individual project and task notes

It's not completely clear what your !.n tags are, but I gather it's date related   
Personally, I sort on due date; stored in the Reminder feature 

The Reminder feature also supports non-dated items
I use this for active Next Actions

I still have a problem with priorities
Currently I red flag items tagged Important/Urgent (Eisenhower matrix)

As I mentioned in your other post,  I don't limit myself to Evernote's presentation of data   
The note-list paradigm is just too constricting

For presentation, I take my data to spreadsheets    
My GTD spreadsheet displays the data in a gantt timeline view; sorted by date

[daudaxx 8]

On 11/27/2020 at 6:56 PM, DTLow said:

It's not completely clear what your !.n tags are, but I gather it's date related   
Personally, I sort on due date; stored in the Reminder feature 

 

Hi DTLow: doesn't this force you to give, and above all, update continuously, a due date to every note?

Thank you,
Daniele (looking for a workaround to the main feature IMHO of Evernote: sorting by tags)
GTD and TSW user

 

[DTLow 5,744]

1 hour ago, daudaxx said:

doesn't this force you to give, and above all, update continuously, a due date to every note?

No, most of my Next-Action tasks have no due date; (undated Reminder)
For example, a Current Task List can be generated by saved search      
    reminderOrder:* -reminderTime:day+1 -reminderDoneTime:*       
    (all reminders     exclude future dated  exclude completed)

[daudaxx 8]

16 minutes ago, DTLow said:

No, most of my Next-Action tasks have no due date; flagged as an undated Reminder
For example, a Current Task List can be generated by saved search      
    reminderOrder:* -reminderTime:day+1 -reminderDoneTime:*       
    (all reminders     exclude future dated  exclude completed)

So, they are not sorted, right?

[DTLow 5,744]

43 minutes ago, daudaxx said:

So, they are not sorted, right?

I actually sort by due date (ReminderTime)    
Undated tasks sort at the top of the list

[MvdH 487]

On 11/27/2020 at 6:56 PM, DTLow said:

..It's not completely clear what your !.n tags are, but I gather it's date related   
Personally, I sort on due date; stored in the Reminder feature 

...

For presentation, I take my data to spreadsheets    
My GTD spreadsheet displays the data in a gantt timeline view; sorted by date

For me classic EverNote is PERFECT. Costs me no overhead, change/find tags like a ninja, etc.. The !.n tags are indeed time related. 

Day is meant to be done today. Week is reviewed once a day, and I promote items to today or some other time if needed. Month due in 30 days and reviewed once a week, year is due in 366 days and reviewed once every month. Touch means "on agenda next time I talk to this person, team, project, etc." Busy means in progress elsewhere. Waiting is reviewed once a week and waiting for action by someone else. Parked is not active, to be chosen later for example. Options in a project, or unused resources, idea's, etc..  Reference is read-only information/sources related to that project/team/item/person. Archive is fully done and normally not to be seen. My 100 filters exclude all Archived items.

I used to use due dates and such, but my work as a COO/CEO is so dynamic/rich in chage, with over 100 running projects within ~10 teams and/or ~26 people, that I now only work sorted on priority/bucket, nog actual dates. I like you presentation/Gantt idea, but for me the data changes too much, on an hourly base.

[bard63 12]

I use Evernote to run my GTD processes, and have done so for the past 10 years. Without the ability to sort by tags, it is pretty much useless to me. I tag based on priority, without due/reminder dates, and sort these stacks daily/weekly/monthly. I use a search to present my daily p1 thru p3 list, and sort by tag so I can easily see the p1's then p2's then p3's in order.

I have a ton of stuff in Evernote, and love the tool, but if I can't find a way to sort by tags, I will have to find something else that can do both the helpful tagged storage and the GTD support.

[Fenal 0]

Hi there,

Evernote is easy then other one. Because Evernote provide you color tags not just simple tags and using this color tag you can identify each and every topic, link and related to your topic.

So my point of view you should use evernote tags by giving them colors.

Thank You.

[johnadamsx23 11]

Sort by tag is critical. There's an entire GTD-related website that teaches (for free) how to set up Evernote to work with GTD. Surely the Evernote team knows this and is in touch with its customers at this level. This is an old question and you've still not restored it so I assume you're telling all the GTD people to use another product. 

[Soundchaser 3]

I would like to support the argument that "sort by tag" is crucial. Either sort by first tag, then sort by second tag etc, or simply sort by first tag while individual tags are sorted alphabetically within the note.
I am continuously surprised by the number of features missing in the new version, and how buggy this version is.

[Lazyboy42 0]

I just contacted support and reverted to legacy,

  https://help.evernote.com/hc/en-us/articles/360052560314

I also didn't like how screen captures pasted in the new file, wonky.

[bard63 12]

Thanks Lazyboy42 - a decent interim solution, but still has me concerned and looking for a replacement GTD implementation as the install said the legacy app would be supported "for now". Surely Evernote can see that taking simple functionality away as they evolve the product is going to undermine their support. What else will they be deprecating over time?

[justtheengineer04 1]

As others have said, this feature is needed in our GTD systems we have been using for years. Sort by tags allows me to instantly re-prioritize tasks and update status.  The current sort by last edited is annoying.   I run my entire department on my company in Evernote, 5 users with Business accounts.  I love Evernote and it's ability to delegate tasks with notes (background info) but will have to find a different solution if this feature can't be restored.  For now I'll be following others and downgrading to legacy.  Please fix this!

[bard63 12]

Unfortunately I have run out of patience. I have bought "Things 3", and started to move all my GTD into that. Not happy, as Evernote was a great product for me, but I cant wait forever. 

[troutio 17]

Another GTD / sort by tag person here. The new update cripples my productivity system. Been a user since 2009, premium for a few years. This is a non-negotiable for me. Please advise. 

[JGBurdine 5]

I thought it was just me but many are frustrated with the new version that won't allow us to sort by tags. It also has a few other hiccups for how I use it. I've been a Premium member since 2011 and use Evernote everyday to help me GTD. I will attempt to go back to an earlier version or another program. The problem is I have almost 5,000 notes.

[PLV 19]

Another GTD user here (in fact, following the TheSecretWeapon.org approach). Premium user for several years, always relied on this features for my workflows.

Having it removed is a dead end for me. Will wait a couple of months (until my renewal date) for this to be fixed, after that, I'm out

In the meanwhile I'm going back for the legacy version and wait for this nightmare to end.

[AndreHF1985 8]

Please Evernote! Let us sort our notes by tags. All my GTD organization doesn't work anymore.

 

Why change something that was working for years?

[fenway34 7]

I also think this is crucial, without being able to sort by tag it's a real impediment to workflow.

To answer about your use case, when I add new notes i'll often not tag it,  I used to be able to sort by tags and anything wo tags I could tag "untagged" and then go through and process those notes in batches. Now that seems to be impossible. Super lame. 

 

Can you please let is know if this is in the pipeline or if we are SOL. 

Thanks

[Warny01 4]

This is crazy.  That was my most used feature.  Now I have to filter and its 3 or 4 clicks and I can only see one tag at a time.  TERRIBLE.  How hard is it so keep a useful function.  Disappointed.

 

;-/

Paul

[Mike P 2,974]

9 hours ago, fenway34 said:

I used to be able to sort by tags and anything wo tags I could tag "untagged" and then go through and process those notes in batches. Now that seems to be impossible.

I would also like the return of the ability to sort by anything that I can add to the side list or top list view which obviously includes tags. Common sense dictates that if you have a table you should be able to sort by any of the fields.

In your use case you can simply search for:

-tag:*

which will bring up all notes without a tag.

[fenway34 7]

Oh cool, Thanks Mike, that definitely helps me! (but I'd still like to sort by all the headers)

[Mike P 2,974]

2 hours ago, fenway34 said:

Oh cool, Thanks Mike, that definitely helps me! (but I'd still like to sort by all the headers)

Glad you liked it. It is a useful housekeeping trick. I find it easier in V10 to accidentally create notes in other notebooks and not in my default notebook. My weekly "tag and move" process then gets missed. My default notebook is called @inbox so

-tag:* -notebook:@inbox

finds all the notes with no tag not in my default notebook. There should be none.

[troutio 17]

Any movement on this? Would be really helpful to have Evernote let us know if this will be fixed, or if we're going to have to go elsewhere.

[Mike P 2,974]

31 minutes ago, troutio said:

Any movement on this? Would be really helpful to have Evernote let us know if this will be fixed, or if we're going to have to go elsewhere.

I try to convince myself that now that you can sort in top and side list view by clicking the column header it emphasises how illogical it is that this only works on certain fields! (May be a 10.9.2 beta thing - I don't know when it was introduced)

[Liamat 12]

Really need the tags column to be sortable so GTD method can be followed.  The new evernote desktop client is unusable for me.  This is a regression bug.  Please bring back the legacy behavior.

[OceanRoyale 2]

Also a fellow TSW user for years.  With the new version not being able to sort, I really struggled with what to do next.  I'm installing Legacy now per the recommendation above, but would really like to have this in the newer version.  How is this not a thing anymore??

[bard63 12]

1 hour ago, OceanRoyale said:

Also a fellow TSW user for years.  With the new version not being able to sort, I really struggled with what to do next.  I'm installing Legacy now per the recommendation above, but would really like to have this in the newer version.  How is this not a thing anymore??

I have moved to "Things3" for my GTD routines, and will not renew as a Premium subscriber when my subscription is up. "Things" is different and takes a bit of adjustment, but it is powerful and yet simple to operate, and works great for my GTD needs.

Vote with your feet, people.....

[PinkElephant 8,801]

There is a nice paper from the David Allen web site (worth the 10$ charge) that explains how to setup Things 3 for GTD.

Personally I use both, Things 3 for my GTD, EN as my second memory. I always felt that EN really does not excel as GTD tool (there is another paper from the GTD fellows explaining how to set this up, with EN 6.25 ...), because everything  that is processed is buried under all the other stuff. Keeping it apart makes following up (like the weekly) an easier task.

Things 3 does not come cheap, but it is a one time payment, no subscription model. AFAIK available for iOS and MacOS only.

[AmyZ 3]

I am adding my cry of desperation to requests for a return of sort by tag. I have reverted to the legacy version in order to sort by tags in notes lists, and also organize tags themselves. I use Evernote as a massive repository for research that feeds various professional projects (consulting, writing) and have many uploaded documents, often simply uploaded and tagged in the moment for some later use. I do not remember all oWhoops. I am on a mac, not windows ... I will add this comment to that list.f my tags, but occasionally go in and organize/ cull.

Sorting a searched list by tags lets me quickly see the nuances and different connections between ideas, and find things serendipitously. A kind of dynamic mind map, or a search engine built specifically around my research needs. This is because I can search one term--which may be a tag, but might also be a topic buried in texts--and then sort by tags within the search results. The resulting groups of tags --easy to see because they are in alphabetical order, are a word-lover's version of a visualization tool--they show me the subsidiary ideas buried in the topic.

 

 

[Warny01 4]

It does truly suck.  One work around that I did find is if you pick a note that has a specific tag, you can click on it and filter by that tag, which is less clicks than the filter button, but it truly sucks that you cannot sort by tag.  How hard could that be?

 

[Mike P 2,974]

11 hours ago, Warny01 said:

which is less clicks than the filter button

Clicking the tag in the sidebar is also quicker than the filter button

[troutio 17]

Seems like a huge number of users have asked for this (this isn't the only thread on the topic), but no joy. 

I've quit my Premium account, will be using legacy while it's still supported, but expect I'll be moving over to Things or ToDoist instead. Gutted - TSW has been my system for about 9 years.

Please listen to your users, Evernote! 

[Net-config 7]

I'd like to chime in here also and share that sorting by Tag is a KEY feature for me also in organizing topics across multiple categories and by extension priorities.

 

I use:

".1-xyz", ".2-abc" - through ".6-klm" to designate levels of complexity in terms of what needs to be worked on first (using the "dot" to put them as the root of the Tag list

".a-Pub", ".b-Draft", ".c-Open" to track writing status for items, and these come right after the "dot number" items automagically.

"normal" tag words to designate major categories that items belong to for the rest, which are automatically sorted alphabetically in the Legacy version.

 

As a result, I can click on a Tag in the Tag Pane, and immediately see a list that I can SORT by tags where the priorities and publication statuses are clear right away.

All this works FAST and intuitively and makes you feel that you have MORE power for organizing topics than EVER before..... (pun intended).

I was in complete shock when the "switch" happened last year and am STILL very unsure if I can continue relying on Evernote as a PLATFORM.

I certainly see that the data stream between the legacy version and the new versions all works fine.

However, IMO the best solution to all these issues AND restore confidence in your clientele is to resurrect the Legacy line and build on that platform as a second "Pro User" offering.

Then ALL these issues go away, and apparently NOTHING is required on the data(base) side - that already works well as is.

To me, what is being done (and I don't pay much attention) to the editor and "features" stands in NO COMPARISON to the issue of "fundamental data organization" and SPEED.

I think the web version is a NICE option to capture some stuff quickly without needing to have software installed, as on a work computer for example. 

But the REAL work gets done in the way that the Legacy version enabled it, meaning the "information organization" activities, where Evernote is a CRITICAL index of knowledge to things we are involved with or are working on creating, etc.

So yes, sorting by TAGs, even if that requires some simple trick with dots and slashes to make it the most useful is ABSOLUTELY an essential function for this type of usage.

Ironically, Evernote is also the ONLY solution in my opinion where this can (again) work REAL WELL. Alternatives I keep looking don't really get me all the way there, with Joplin being the closest one.

It would be so "easy" for Evernote to get us ALL back on track and put this detour behind us with a Pro User desktop version, for which I'm sure people will GLADLY pay a little more. I know I would.

That said, my renewal is later this year, so I have 5 or so more months to figure this out, and believe me, I am looking at options every week and downloading various things to try and considering ways to change my processes.

You could save us all a LOT OF ANXIETY if we simply can get on with a re-birth of the Legacy functions that gives use the capabilities and speed in a desktop package that GOT YOU HERE in the FIRST place.

 

Evernote is NOT a note taking app - it is a "flexible information management platform" for all sorts of diverse uses. Keep it that way, please.

Note also that I have 2 accounts. If none of this gets back on track to where the trust factor and capabilities are restored, I expect that ClickUp will replace one of them, as I am already migrating there and it works well for my work stuff, while the other personal one that I use for other projects will migrate to Joplin, which I am using successfully now since late last year. I just would FAR PREFER not to have to go through this hassle and just send you my money and rely on your services.

My 2c.

 

 

 

[jcvictory 6]

Dear Evernote ...

Why can't the new versions of Evernote sort by tags like Legacy does? 

Here is my routine after each update: I load up the new version, click the "Tags" button in a notebook, if nothing happens, I close down the new version and return to using Legacy. 

Please ... I don't know anything about programing, but could you just simply take the current sort by tags mechanic in Legacy and move that over to the new version? 

There are thousands of GTD fans and Premium Evernote users like me that will thank you for this.

[SDT2000USA 6]

I sent this support ticket today.  Maybe if we all make some noise it will get someone's attention...

You've removed the ability to sort by tag in the latest releases of EN.  This ability was a key reason for thousands of customers implementing a Getting-Things-Done (GTD) scheme to use EN to begin with.  Looking on your forums, there are many folks upset over this issue and I see no support or response from you.  I've been a premium user for about 8 years but I'm getting ready to say goodbye due to you NOT LISTENING TO YOUR CUSTOMERS.  Please let me know either:
- When you will restore the functionality that you removed, or
- That you have decided to never restore the functionality.
If it's the latter, then I will look for an alternative to EN before my subscription renews.  I could not be more angry with you over this, not only because of the technical lack of the function itself, but because it conveys an attitude that says you know better than me how I want to work with my information.  It's arrogant.  I could not care less about what new bloat ***** you want to plop on the home screen and tell me it's a new feature, but do not take core functionality away.  I believe I probably speak for thousands of users on this.  Are you smart enough to do something about it?

[MvdH 487]

On 5/19/2021 at 6:34 PM, SDT2000USA said:

I sent this support ticket today.  Maybe if we all make some noise it will get someone's attention...

Done! ✔

[daudaxx 8]

On 5/19/2021 at 6:34 PM, SDT2000USA said:

I sent this support ticket today.  Maybe if we all make some noise it will get someone's attention...

You've removed the ability to sort by tag in the latest releases of EN.  This ability was a key reason for thousands of customers implementing a Getting-Things-Done (GTD) scheme to use EN to begin with.  Looking on your forums, there are many folks upset over this issue and I see no support or response from you.  I've been a premium user for about 8 years but I'm getting ready to say goodbye due to you NOT LISTENING TO YOUR CUSTOMERS.  Please let me know either:
- When you will restore the functionality that you removed, or
- That you have decided to never restore the functionality.
If it's the latter, then I will look for an alternative to EN before my subscription renews.  I could not be more angry with you over this, not only because of the technical lack of the function itself, but because it conveys an attitude that says you know better than me how I want to work with my information.  It's arrogant.  I could not care less about what new bloat ***** you want to plop on the home screen and tell me it's a new feature, but do not take core functionality away.  I believe I probably speak for thousands of users on this.  Are you smart enough to do something about it?

Done! ✔️

[Liamat 12]

Chiming in.  Fellow TSW user here.  Been a premium Evernote user for 8 something years.  Since they broke sort by tags now I am stuck on legacy.  Not looking forward to migrating but honestly I am extremely annoyed/frustrated by the developers/product designers that dropped this feature.  I could just stick with Evernote and work with what it has now, but I am just so frustrated by the indifference from their team.

Evernote, do you care at all?  Or are you actually working on bringing it back?

[daudaxx 8]

Found it! After months of research I found that Clickup is the solution for me, sort by tag is available, not in the same precise way, but... better!

I'm now migrating everything from Evernote and planning to cancel subscription before next invoice in February.

I suppose sort by tag in Evernote will never come back due to the fact they migrated to online servers, and the calculation effort needed to sort by tags is an additional cost they should face.

PS: I was using Evernote with TSW methodology

[MvdH 487]

On 12/30/2021 at 8:12 PM, daudaxx said:

Found it! After months of research I found that Clickup is the solution for me, sort by tag is available, not in the same precise way, but... better!

I'm now migrating everything from Evernote and planning to cancel subscription before next invoice in February.

I suppose sort by tag in Evernote will never come back due to the fact they migrated to online servers, and the calculation effort needed to sort by tags is an additional cost they should face.

PS: I was using Evernote with TSW methodology

GTD/TSW on legacy here too... Thank you for noting Clickup is the way to go for you.

[Hoctor 2]

On 12/30/2021 at 7:12 PM, daudaxx said:

Found it! After months of research I found that Clickup is the solution for me, sort by tag is available, not in the same precise way, but... better!

I'm now migrating everything from Evernote and planning to cancel subscription before next invoice in February.

I suppose sort by tag in Evernote will never come back due to the fact they migrated to online servers, and the calculation effort needed to sort by tags is an additional cost they should face.

PS: I was using Evernote with TSW methodology

My work system was also TSW and completely dependent on Sort-by-Tag, and I have been using Legacy and waiting/hoping for Evernote to bring back sort-by-tag. I tried a couple of other systems, and based on this post, I tried Clickup. I can see that Clickup could be a solution, but I also realized I'm not going to find or make time to start from scratch on a whole new system. So I bit the bullet, stopped using Legacy, started using Evernote 10, and changed my work system to suit, for the better as it happens. I used to have one note per task. Now I have one note per project, every project contains related tasks, and I work off the Evernote tasklist day-to-day, with a weekly review on a Friday. 

So look, they ground me down by ignoring my sort-by-tag requests, and maybe that's Evernote's strategy here. And yes, Evernote costs me more now. But it has also simplified my work system for the better, and made it easier for me to delegate tasks to my co-workers. 

[Blessed CPA 0]

Hello Evernote,

Please don't forget your customers.  You created this product I believe to entice people into buying it for their use (not your and your intended use).  It is not wise to remove features from your products.  Especially useful features (e.g. Sync and sorting tags) people are used to using and think it will not have repercussions.  We didn't subscribe to this product to use it the way you intend, but the way we (the customer) intends.  Therefore, I recommend Evernote reconsiders reinstating the features we are used to using or you may begin seeing subscription reduction and loss of market share in the near future. 

[PinkElephant 8,801]

The forum is user2user.

If you want to send a comment to EN, use the feedback function of the clients instead.

[eric99 1,081]

On 4/26/2022 at 6:57 AM, Blessed CPA said:

Especially useful features (e.g. Sync )

on windows:

     reload: CTRL + R      

    forced reload: CTRL+Shift+R

[PinkElephant 8,801]

About sync: My wife and me share some notebooks. Each of us is on an own Personal account. Today I moved a note into one of these notebooks.

It took less than a minute from my action when she received the note in the new location in her iOS client. Neither of us did anything active to force a sync. I moved the note - it appeared on her iPad just like that, faster than I could pick up a cup of coffee from the kitchen.

Now - can anybody please tell me WTF EN should further improve on syncing before the senseless whining about syncing problems will stop ? Just because there is no button to press on does not mean it does not sync - just the opposite.