Block Pages guide
How to build a personal wiki: notes, pages and simple databases
A personal wiki is a set of linked pages where you keep what you know and what you are working on. Start with a few top-level pages (Home, Projects, Areas, Notes and Archive), put each new note under one of them, and link related pages to each other. Use templates for things you write often and small databases for lists such as books, recipes or contacts. Keep it simple: a wiki you actually use beats a perfect system.
Start with a simple structure
Most personal wikis fail from over-planning, not under-planning. Five top-level pages are enough to start. This layout borrows from Tiago Forte's PARA method:
| Page | What goes there |
|---|---|
| Home | Links to what you use daily: this week's plan, current projects, quick notes |
| Projects | Things with an end: "Kitchen makeover", "Job hunt", "Dissertation" |
| Areas | Ongoing parts of life: health, money, home, work |
| Notes | Ideas, how-tos, things you learned, reading notes |
| Archive | Finished projects and anything you no longer need day to day |
When a project ends, move its page into Archive. Nothing is deleted, and the active pages stay short.
Write pages that are easy to find again
- One topic per page. "Boiler" and "Car insurance" are better as separate pages than one "Home admin" page that grows forever.
- Clear titles. Name pages the way you'd search for them: "Passport renewal", not "Misc 3".
- Link generously. Mention related pages inside the text. Links turn a pile of notes into a wiki.
- Headings and checklists. Short sections and to-do lists are easier to scan than long paragraphs.
- Write for future you. Note where things are, why you decided something, and who to call.
Worked example: a home wiki page
Page "Boiler", under Areas › Home. Contents: model and serial number, installer's phone number, last service date, a to-do for the next service, the warranty PDF details and a link to the "Home insurance" page.
Use small databases for lists
Some things are lists of similar items: books, recipes, contacts, job applications, trips. A database is a table where each row is also a page, with properties such as status, date or tags. You can sort and filter it, and view the same items as a table, a board, a calendar or a gallery.
| Database | Useful properties |
|---|---|
| Reading list | Author, status, rating |
| Recipes | Cuisine, time, tried it? |
| Job applications | Company, stage, date applied |
| Travel planner | Dates, bookings, budget |
| Simple CRM | Company, last contact, next step |
Keep it tidy with a weekly review
Ten minutes a week keeps a wiki useful:
- File loose notes under the right page.
- Move finished projects to Archive.
- Update your Home page links for the week ahead.
- Delete or merge pages you never open.
Export a copy now and then. Plain Markdown files will still open in 20 years, whatever app you use.
Building it in Block Pages
Block Pages is a block-based notes and wiki app in your browser, with no account. It opens with a few sample pages to explore.
- New page in the sidebar, or + beside Pages. Pages can nest inside each other.
- Type / for blocks: headings, lists, to-dos, quotes, code and more. /database adds a database.
- Type @ to mention and link another page.
- Templates include a habit tracker, reading list, meeting notes, travel planner, CRM, weekly planner, recipe book and journal.
- Search every page with ⌘K (Ctrl K on Windows).
- Share a read-only publish link, or export a page as Markdown, HTML or PDF. Settings has Back up and Export everything.
Pages, blocks, templates and table views are free. Block Pages Pro, a one-time $3.99, adds board, calendar and gallery views for databases, and page history.
Common mistakes
- Designing the perfect system first. Start with five pages and let it grow.
- Deep folder trees. Two or three levels is plenty; links do the rest.
- Vague titles. Name pages the way you'll search for them.
- Never archiving. Finished projects clutter the active list.
- A database for everything. Use one only when you have many similar items.
- No backups. Export now and then, especially for important notes.
Questions
What is a personal wiki?
A set of linked pages where you keep notes, plans and reference information for yourself, organised so you can find things again quickly.
What is the PARA method?
A way of organising notes into Projects, Areas, Resources and Archive, popularised by Tiago Forte. It sorts information by how actionable it is.
What is a second brain?
A popular name for a personal note system that holds ideas and information so you do not have to remember everything. A personal wiki is one way to build one.
Is Block Pages like Notion?
It works in a similar way, with blocks, slash commands, nested pages and databases, but it runs in your browser with no account and keeps everything on your device.
Can I export my notes?
Yes. Export a page as Markdown, HTML or PDF, or use Export everything in Settings for one Markdown file, plus Back up for a full copy.
Is Block Pages free?
Yes. Pages, blocks, templates, table views, publish links and exports are free. Block Pages Pro adds board, calendar and gallery views and page history for a one-time $3.99.