Getting Things Done with Evernote: Nozbe Integration

Partners | 19 Mar 201019 Mar 10 | By Ron Toledo

49 comments

For people looking to be more productive, David Allen’s Getting Things Done has become the do-more-stuff bible. One of the crucial parts of the GTD system is a capture tool—a place to record every thought, idea and business card you come across.

According to Nozbe creator, Michael Sliwinski, Evernote is ideal for this. “For me, Evernote is the perfect ‘capture’ application. Whenever I’m on the go, and see something that sparks an idea, I can just take a picture or a note, and it’s immediately saved in Evernote.” That’s why Michael decided to use the Evernote API to develop an integration, he wanted to make his already excellent GTD tool even better.

The Integration

“A couple of months ago, as I was finishing my new apartment, I realized that I was putting everything in Evernote. I was essentially living in two apps, Evernote and Nozbe. I was using them both for GTD, and felt that there there should be a way to make them work together.” A little development, and here’s the result.

The key to the integration between Nozbe and Evernote is that Evernote has essentially replaced the Notes section of Nozbe. When you link your Evernote account to your Nozbe account, Nozbe automatically checks for notebooks or tags in Evernote that match projects or contexts you have in Nozbe.

Here’s Nozbe’s video of the integration:

How it Works

First, link your Evernote and Nozbe accounts from within Nozbe. Next, create a note in Evernote with a tag (or tags) that matches a Nozbe Project or Context name. By doing so, your notes will automatically show up in your Nozbe account within the appropriate Project or Context. Nozbe does the same thing for Evernote Notebook names.

In Michael’s case, he had a Project in Nozbe called “My Flat.” When he tagged his note in Evernote with “My Flat,” the note appeared in the Notes section of the Nozbe project. If you then edit a note in either application, changes automatically (and incredibly quickly) get synchronized.

The integration with Nozbe means that Evernote users can take advantage of Nozbe’s great task management, which is perfect for the GTD fans out there. Now, keeping your tasks and your notes in one place is easier than ever. Create notes in Evernote using your computer, phone, and email; and they will automatically show up in Nozbe—you can even add pictures, files, and anything else from Evernote right into your task list.

More Goodies: 15% OFF!

The folks at Nozbe have been kind enough to give Evernote users a 15% discount off of a Nozbe account! Just use the coupon code EVERNOTE when you sign up for Nozbe to get your discount.

The Evernote API

Join Nozbe and over a thousand other developers that are using the Evernote API to build powerful new applications. Check out the growing number of available integrations and get started on creating your own.

Jeremy

I have a premium account. I can log into it via the web, but I can no longer sync to it using windows desktop Evernote3.5 or sync via Awesome note for the Ipod touch…..can anyone help? Evernote does not have a e-mail to send questions to and the forum questions don’t cover this problem. I can’t use what I’m paying for….please help.
- Justin Klenk
  
  Hi Jeremy – I had the same problem (if you are in fact getting the “failed to synchronize” pop-up in the lower right corner), and also had trouble finding a solution that worked in the forums, UNTIL: I came across the advice to uncheck “Work Offline” in IE – what an aggravating POS, I really hate how I find that checked with no explanation. But once I unchecked it, EN started synchronizing fine again instantly. HOPE that helps… take care.
http://worldofnic.org Nic Doye

I’ve always wanted better GTD from Evernote but the integration with Nozbe (which I’d never heard of before) is pretty darned good.

I _could_ probably use just Nozbe and not Evernote(!) but as Evernote has better desktop integration and allows me to dump the rest of my life in it, I’m now a happy paid subscriber of both.

Nice one folks.
http://www.documentsnap.com Brooks @ DocumentSnap

Hey Jeremy, did you try submitting a support inquiry? http://www.evernote.com/about/contact/support/#inquiry
Adam

I agree with the others who have said that Evernote should be adding this functionality directly to Evernote. The closest it gets is having a to-do item that isn’t even usable from the mobile interfaces. It’s hard enough keeping a handle on your own “cloud” data nowadays without integrating and linking services from separate companies.

Come on, Evernote: don’t let these other companies do your work for you. Make Evernote better and put these companies out of business! Here are three things that would set you up for much success in the future:

1. Completely redesign your web interface. Look to others for examples, like Google Notebook (a shame it was dropped), UberNote (their interface is snappier and more featureful than yours), and Toodledo (Evernote ought to be able to do everything Toodledo does).

2. Stop all development on your 3.5 Windows client using .NET. .NET is a giant mess and is not leading your software into the future. Switch to Qt4 and your software will work on Windows, Mac, and Linux with little-to-no modification, will be strongly future-proofed, and will make your software more powerful.

3. Add some serious new features to your service on the basic level, like GTD-ish organizational abilities, tasks, subtasks, projects, goals, calendar tools, etc. Evernote seems stagnant, other than its API parterning, which is merely outsourcing progress.
- toolbear74
  
  -1
  
  I disagree completely. Evernote shouldn’t be in the business of embedding a GTD app inside Evernote. That isn’t the core competency of Evernote. And why GTD, why not “Productivity System X”?
  
  The Evernote API is a good first step. But, see @Sterling Zumbrunn and my comments above, the lower barrier to entry “internal URL” feature is sufficient for many GTD apps.
Simon Sherbourne

Like some others here, I’d love to be able to link to Evernotes from within Things.
http://www.nozbe.com Michael Sliwinski

Love the comments here. Thanks everyone for their feedback. Nozbe’s iPhone app is due to receive a major 2.0 update (in 2-3 weeks in the Appstore).

As to making Evernote more GTD friendly, etc.

I’m biased but I believe their approach is perfect. They are the best note-taking app in the world now and this is what I dig about them. I love their iPhone app, too. They’ve nailed the note-taking and I’m actually using Evernote as my primary information hub on my computer.

Note taking is their core. And they should stick to it.

The integration with my Nozbe just proves that the apps should focus on what they do best and find synergies and I think this synergy works pretty well for us… and most of us for our users.

And we’ll be improving it. We’ve just posted an update on our blog how we keep on improving the integration:

http://www.nozbe.com/gtd/blog/post-537d743/nozbe_and_evernote_rock_the_productivity_world-thank_you

This is web2.0 at its best – two web apps talking to each other via APIs, offering their users the best of both worlds. Isn’t that exciting?
Mike

This is great stuff — I do wish evernote could intergrate with a calendar in a simple way, though (Meaning, attach notes to google calendar, for example): just for that I’d pay…..well, I’d pay gold. That in and of itself would solve all my GTD wants (without changing the core of what evernote does/wants to do).

Not related, but that iPad app is GORGEOUS.
Paul

Direct links to notes is a MUST! something like box.net – perfect solutions.

And how about linking with ManyMoon.com? great free project/task app already working with Google Apps..
http://www.freesampleagent.com Eric Free Stuff

Where are the free samples of evernote?
Neomusashi

I would realy like to see an evernote integration into Things, that would be the solution for me. But it is not up to evernote to make this happen. Evernote should stay focused on their core features but with a open api. Let them focuse on increasing capture features and richeness. It is up to for example culture code to integrate Evernote access and provide gtd features.

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