How to install WP Notepad and use each feature.
Installation
- In the WordPress admin, go to Plugins → Add New.
- Search for “WP Notepad”, install and activate it.
- Or upload the distribution zip via “Upload Plugin” and activate.
Requirements: WordPress 6.0+ / PHP 7.1+.
Usage
1. Classic widget
Go to Appearance → Widgets and add the Notepad widget to a widget area. Settings:
- Title / Description
- Number of tabs (1 = no tabs)
- Auto-delete after (days) (0 = never)
2. Block
Insert the “WP Notepad” block in the post/page editor. You can enter a title and description, and adjust the following under “Notepad settings” in the sidebar:
- Placeholder text / minimum height (px) / maximum characters
- Show character count (on/off)
- Number of tabs / auto-delete days
Color, font size, line height, spacing and alignment (wide/full) can be set with the standard block editor controls.
3. Shortcode
Add [wpnotepad] to content or theme templates. Attributes:
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
id | Storage key (recommended when using more than one; auto-generated if omitted) |
placeholder | Placeholder text |
min_height | Minimum height (px) |
max_length | Maximum characters (0 = unlimited) |
show_count | Show character counter (true/false) |
tabs | Number of tabs (1 = no tabs) |
ttl | Auto-delete after this many days (0 = never) |
label | Accessible label (aria-label) for the textarea |
Example:
[wpnotepad id="my-note" placeholder="Jot something down" tabs="3" ttl="30"]Notepad features
- Auto-save & restore: notes save to the browser as you type and are restored on return.
- Character counter: shows the character count below the textarea.
- Auto-grow: the textarea expands to fit its content.
- Copy / Download / Import: copy to clipboard, save as
.txt, or load from a file. - Clear: empties the note after a confirmation and removes the stored data.
- Tabs: keep multiple notes in one notepad and switch between them.
- Note expiry (TTL): notes older than the configured number of days are removed on next load.
Cross-device sync (opt-in)
Disabled by default. When an administrator enables “cross-device sync” under Settings → WP Notepad, logged-in users’ notes are stored in their account (user meta) and synced across devices via the REST API.
- Only logged-in users are synced; guests always stay browser-only.
- On conflict, the note with the newer timestamp wins (last-write-wins).
- While disabled, notes are never stored on the server.