# Outline

The outline panel shows the headings in the active note. It is a table of contents for long Markdown files and a structure audit for drafts.

## How the outline is built

The outline comes from Markdown headings:

```md
# Page title
## Section
### Subsection
```

If a section does not appear in the outline, check that it uses heading syntax rather than bold text.

## Use the outline while writing

The outline helps you answer structural questions:

- Does the note have one clear top-level subject?
- Are headings in a logical order?
- Are sections too large?
- Is a detail buried where search or future readers will miss it?

## Use the outline while reading

For reference pages, meeting notes, and project documents, the outline lets you jump directly to the section you need. This is especially useful when a note becomes a living document rather than a short thought.

## Good heading style

Prefer headings that name the idea:

```md
## Why the migration needs a dry run
```

Avoid headings that only name a generic bucket:

```md
## Misc
```

## Continue learning

- [Writing Notes](<Writing Notes.md>)
- [Markdown](<Markdown.md>)
- [Right Sidebar](<Right Sidebar.md>)