(Archived) REQUEST: Ability to add text to a clipped web page

[RobLewis 26]

When I clip a web page to a new note, I usually want to add a comment at the top of the note. But this seems to be difficult or impossible. Could Evernote insert a blank line at the top of clipped pages so the user could type something there?

[joshfree 8]

Just want to freshen up this thread with another request for a simple way to do this. A button would be great! Or if there's a technique to see the HTML code and sneak your cursor in ahead of all of it...whatever. It sure would be helpful.

[JMichaelTX 4,117]

Welcome to the forums, Marie. I can't exactly visualize what you're talking about.

I think Marie is complaining about the same issue you did below:

2) You can add content from within normal Evernote just as you edit any note.

This isn't entirely true. When a clipped page doesn't have text at the very top, once you clip it, it's impossible to add unformatted text at the top. That means that with those pages, the web clipper is your only opportunity to add text in a way that's visually separate from the rest of the page. Check out this example in which I put the cursor at the top-most available place and then added text:

http://www.evernote....3298bfe19e9d8b0

[peterfmartin 221]

So I tried to merge a text note with a web clip note, and it appeared to create a two-layered screen, with the text I typed scrolling *underneath* the web clip, making it very difficult to quickly scan through a Note. How do I get them to be in two static areas?

Thanks.

Welcome to the forums, Marie. I can't exactly visualize what you're talking about. There's no way to split a note into two separate areas. Can you share the screenshot with us either with Dropbox's Public folder or by putting it into an Evernote note and sharing the public note URL?

[mariec23 0]

I tried to type above a web clip, but it wouldn't let me enter a few "returns" above the clip, it just added returns INSIDE the clip, throwing off the formatting completely, and giving me no room to type.

So I tried to merge a text note with a web clip note, and it appeared to create a two-layered screen, with the text I typed scrolling *underneath* the web clip, making it very difficult to quickly scan through a Note. How do I get them to be in two static areas?

(I have a screenshot, but I couldn't figure out how to attach it to my question here.)

Thanks.

[peterfmartin 221]

Thanks.

[jbignert 473]

I stand corrected - Mac client has issues with this... filed a bug for it.

[peterfmartin 221]

No, jbignert, on the Mac client I am completely unable to get my cursor there, so that's not my point. Did you edit that on Mac, or on another client? Remember that we're in the Mac forum.

I see that on the web client this is possible. Please consider this change to the Mac client to be my feature request/bug report.

[jbignert 473]

So I can add text on top of the note - yes it is a little finicky to get the cursor right... but doable.

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s13/sh/e241ad47-d814-4ad6-bf79-de10ae04fa47/45088afc5817d1b00b323504d6c4f256

But your point is noted that this could be improved. Consider it added to the list of improvements...

[peterfmartin 221]

2) You can add content from within normal Evernote just as you edit any note.

This isn't entirely true. When a clipped page doesn't have text at the very top, once you clip it, it's impossible to add unformatted text at the top. That means that with those pages, the web clipper is your only opportunity to add text in a way that's visually separate from the rest of the page. Check out this example in which I put the cursor at the top-most available place and then added text:

http://www.evernote....3298bfe19e9d8b0

[JMichaelTX 4,117]

Adding content to a clip is possible in 2 ways:

1) In pop-up window during clipping in the 'Add comment' field. Anything put in here should populate the top of your note with a horizontal rule before the clipped content starts.

Thanks for providing this feature. I use it a lot, and it works well. I really like the HR.

2) You can add content from within normal Evernote just as you edit any note.

Sometimes it is impossible to insert a line at the very top of a clipped Note.

Is there something you could add to the ENML to make sure we can always insert a line at top?

Maybe a blank line or something.

This should be done in a way that the top line that is inserted would use the default Note formatting, without any of the styles or structure of the clipped note.

Thanks.

[jbignert 473]

Adding content to a clip is possible in 2 ways:

1) In pop-up window during clipping in the 'Add comment' field. Anything put in here should populate the top of your note with a horizontal rule before the clipped content starts.

2) You can add content from within normal Evernote just as you edit any note.

Not sure if you are referring to something other than this?

[Metrodon 2,184]

(Taps microphone) Is this thing on?

Really, Evernote folks, tell us something. If you don't respond soon, I'm going to start ranting again about why EN should have star ratings and a separate comment field for notes. And you don't want that, do you?

Tbh, that wasn't all that successful was it?

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

1. EN does not post ETAs

2. This is a user's forum. If you want to discuss directly with EN, you should submit a support ticket.

3. If you submit a support ticket, you'll probably get a "thank you for the suggestion" because see #1.

[RobLewis 26]

(Taps microphone) Is this thing on?

Really, Evernote folks, tell us something. If you don't respond soon, I'm going to start ranting again about why EN should have star ratings and a separate comment field for notes. And you don't want that, do you?

[conejo23 6]

ok, I was looking for a way to do this. What I'm seeing is if I use the extension in Safari to clip a page or selection, the extension gives me the opportunity to add a comment and it behaves exactly as we're asking it to on this thread. But if I forget to add the comment, I see no way to add one once it's in evernote.

there's gotta be a way to do this, isn't there?

[lucianofuentes 1]

Hello again,

Not sure if I'd call it a "bug".. but it makes a difference if the note is synced before you run the script. If I try to run the script on a note I've just clipped with the taskbar clipper then you're summoning all kinds of weird voodoo. I've had notes get mangled, and even downright disappear entirely.

Don't get me wrong though. I'm very grateful, and appreciate the time you took to make this great script.

[Veritrope 3]

@lucianofuentes -- I won't judge... I'm on holiday as well and I knocked out that script as a way of unwinding after a day at the beach!

If anyone has any suggestions, bug reports, etc., please feel free to leave them as a comment on the script's page!

[lucianofuentes 1]

Thank you so much Veritrope!

I'm on holidays at the moment but if this works as I expect then it will eliminate one of the few frustrations I have with Evernote.

I better get back to pretending I'm "just reading" before the girl sees me lurking on forums.

cheers mate!

[Veritrope 3]

Hi Everyone,

I just wrote an AppleScript that will make this much easier for you all...

Hope you enjoy it!

[jmccorison 0]

I found this thread as a result of searching for just such a solution. Thanks to the info from others I was able to get my comments entered above the clipped page... but it wasn't easy.

So EN, +1 on a button, or some such tool, to add a few blank lines and a horizontal bar at the top of a note.

-Jim

[RobLewis 26]

As the OP on this thread, I'm glad to see that others feel the need for this, too. So far I like best the idea for a button that would simply insert a few blank lines and maybe a horizontal rule at the top of the clipping.

Conspicuous by its absence is any comment by the good folks at Evernote. Guys?

[lucianofuentes 1]

This is still something that bugs me and I wish there were a solution.

Unless the page contains simple text, doing what you say doesn't lead to the clean results shown in your example.

I clip a lot using the bookmarklet on the iPad. I can't make selections so I just clip the entire page. When I try to insert a clean text block at the top of the note it is really a struggle - sometimes impossible. Especially if there are background elements/boxes that simply can't be pushed down the page. It's not very hard to replicate.

If anyone has any tips/suggestions I'd be very grateful.

[SaraS 5]

Odd. I do this sort of thing all the time. I usually position the cursor at the top of the note after making the web clip and then click the button to insert a horizontal rule. Then I put the cursor in front of the rule and hit enter a few times to get some space and type my note. Usually this clears up any weird formatting quirks. Plus i like having the line there to visually separate my comments from the clipped content.

Here's a screenshot from a nytimes article.

I usually select chunks of the web page when using the clipper rather than taking the whole page...don't know if that makes a difference.

[lucianofuentes 1]

This is something I brought up on the Windows forum a while back. I mostly use the Mac client now, but would still LOVE to be able to prepend a note to the top of an existing note. I rarely need anything more than a few lines of plain text.

A button that gives me 2-3 lines of white-space with a horizontal rule underneath would be great. At the moment, it's hit and miss, with all kinds of cajoling required for the client to just use the default text formatting.

http://forum.evernote.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=14688

[Lew 0]

You're right, it was a a pdf. I tried clipping the NY Times and I see what you mean.

It doesn't work that way with all clipped pages though. See the clip below of my Yahoo home page. It came out kinda' funky (this is why I don't use the clipper), but I was able to add text above the clip on this one. I guess it's just hit or miss.

Until they perfect the graphic rendition produced by the clipper, I'll stay with printing to Evernote.

Lew

[Lougoose 0]

Lew -

It looked to me like the note you gave an example with is actually a PDF note. If you go clip the webpage nytimes.com, for example, your method doesn't work. I've tried it many times, and although it used to work, or at least in a similar fashion, the new advanced display and rendering features make it difficult.

[Lew 0]

It's actually pretty easy...

Open the note in a separate window, then place your mouse cursor between the left edge of the note and the edge of the window and click.

Press your return key a couple of times to add blank lines just above the clipped web page.

Lew

[Lougoose 0]

Actually, it is funny you mention this. It seems to be a side-effect of the more advanced note functions (they can now display styled websites, instead of trimming everything down to the basic text).

I have some difficulty with it too. As a temporary workaround, you can create a new note, then merge the two. Don't get me wrong - that doesn't fix the issue - but it seems to work enough to add a quick note to the top of a clipped page.