✍️ Last updated: October 22, 2025

I wanted to broadly share and teach how I regularly use Heptabase this note-taking software. As it happens, I'm kind of an unconventional person—while everyone says "Heptabase = card-based note-taking software," I choose to approach it differently and explore unique applications. I hope you'll fall in love with this software like I did 💖(This is Xiaochang's very first article—anyone who reads it will find 50 dollars on the ground tomorrow XD)

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First, let me briefly share what Heptabase is.

Heptabase It's a note-taking digital tool that boosts productivity. It helps you break down all your knowledge and information into granular cards, visualize them, and facilitate deep thinking. Heptabase's entire UI/UX design is elegant, simple, clean, and intuitive. It integrates all the essential elements you'll need for note-taking while eliminating unnecessary features, allowing users to get up to speed quickly.

Heptabase is software developed by Taiwanese! The founder isAlan Chan (詹雨安), who was only in his twenties in 2023—truly admirable! In the future, Xiaochang will create comprehensive tutorial articles & videos on Heptabase's basic operations, and share them with you all then.

Why does everyone describe Heptabase as a card-based note-taking software?

Card-based note-taking has several key concepts:

• Granulate knowledge and record it
• One card records only one context
• Externalize your brain and build your Second Brain
• Write notes in your own words
• Save massive amounts of time on note-taking

Heptabase's smallest note unit is a 'card', which perfectly aligns with the core concept of the Zettelkasten method. That's why everyone equates Heptabase with the Zettelkasten method.

Currently there is no Chinese version

Unfortunately, Heptabase doesn't have a Chinese version yet 😥, and the interface is entirely in English!murmur: Everyone says: 'Invented by Taiwanese people but no Chinese version, why 😭'
⚠ But Xiaochang wants to assure all followers: I learned English since kindergarten but still failed, yet this software's design is extremely user-friendly for non-English speakers. You can use it almost intuitively, so don't give up! Let's keep reading～

The official website has comprehensive Chinese wiki tutorials

Heptabase Wiki The official wiki has a 'Switch to Chinese' button in the middle. Remember to click it when reading! You can also directly use Google TranslateThat's how I read through all the articles~ 😋

How long does it take to build a Second Brain with Heptabase?

Based on Xiaochang's testing, it only takes less than 1 month! I became a user on 2023/09/01, and within just one month, I consolidated all the data in my brain, knowledge and resources I'd collected in various places, and even many files from my computer into it Heptabase !

By the 2nd month, I was very proficient, having integrated my entire life system into it. By the 3rd month, I was already teaching others how to use this tool.

10 Recommended New Application Methods for Heptabase

These ten ways of using it are what I've shared with friends everywhere, and they've all been convinced by me¹of the usage, one of which is the 'Dream Board' feature, which was even featured on the official Wiki & Gut Talk Newsletter shared with users worldwide. So I must share all kinds of uses with my followers, holding nothing back²Totally open~!

However, due to article length, I'll provide detailed explanations and video tutorials for the methods you like in the future. If you want to hear Xiaochang share the teaching topics you're interested in sooner, you can go to Xiaochang's Instagram to make a wish!

#1 Second Brain Database

This whiteboard contains various information I've collected from different places, with the concept of 'hierarchical organization'. Imagine a room with many drawers—open a drawer to see the corresponding information. It's like having many folders in a file manager.

Current contents include:

The blurry photos are because I didn't want you to see my private stuff too clearly haha, sorry about that! The dark mode screenshots show I later switched to dark mode in Heptabase! The reason is to protect my eyes!

#2 Solo Business Database

I put tax tutorial videos directly in this Solopreneur Company Database whiteboard. When I need to file taxes, I don't need to Google the same tutorial again—I can operate directly in Heptabase and import all current invoice information by taking photos, then use the 'Section' feature for visual categorization.

Current contents include:

• Client Cases
• Tax Filing Section
• Current Period Data
• Archived Data

#3 Project Management

• Event Project Workflow
  I've listed out all the steps and workflows required for hosting an event—from 'early planning,' 'promotional and registration period,' 'pre-event preparation,' to 'post-event review.' Moreover, each card in this template is designed to be understandable to third parties.

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• Instagram Post Output Workflow
  I usually collect well-made post examples and put them on the '[Instagram] Inspiration Library' whiteboard. By using the 'Bidirectional Links' feature on the corresponding cards, I don't need to search for posting directions anymore—I can directly find suitable writing directions from the inspiration library to create posts.

This type of project-based template is definitely worth sharing in detail through an article later. If you'd like to learn, feel free to leave a comment below and make a request! If one day Heptabase opens a template duplication feature, I'd be happy to share it with everyone 😍.

#4 Relationship Map

When watching a TV series, you often need a comprehensive character relationship map or family tree to identify relationships between characters—who has what relationship with whom, where they've appeared together, and who knows each other. You can use Heptabase's 'Connect Links' feature to draw connection lines, and you can even add text descriptions on those lines to make the entire character relationship map clearer.

Later I migrated the relationship map to Notion and created a "Contact Database"!

The reason is that Notion's database features make filtering specific data much easier! It also works with automation to boost efficiency.

I'm rolling out Notion template services too—subscribe to myGut Talk Newsletterto stay updated on all the latest news!

#5 Venue Database

Because I work in the event industry, I frequently need to find venues. I've always wanted to create a comprehensive venue database, but Excel and Notion couldn't help me quickly find the venues I wanted.

Until I met Heptabase—this small dream finally came true! The logic is organized by venue capacity—venues I've scouted are blue cards, ones I've used are yellow. This helps me quickly find suitable venues during event planning and instantly access venue details.

Similarly, you can create vendor databases, competitive analysis databases, and any other databases you need in your industry.

#6 A Million Whys Section

This section is inspired by"Rapid Thinking"A concept from this book—answering one question daily on one A4 sheet of paper within one minute using 4-6 answers can enhance your logic, reflection, and deep thinking abilities. I applied this single-question concept to this whiteboard, and ultimately, it became a whiteboard for exploring multiple questions in depth.

For example, with the sub-whiteboard 'How to improve website SEO?', I put all SEO optimization data in there. Next time I encounter the same question, I'll know where the answer is located in my knowledge base and what it is—no need to start from zero with Google searches anymore, saving a lot of time.

This organization framework is based on the S.H.A.P.E. Knowledge Management Five-Step Framework—a crucial part that's the most common question during 1-on-1 consulting! Everyone asks: "How do I find my old notes in Knowledge Management?" This section answers exactly that!

Xiaochang is creating major Knowledge Management courses and coaching services to solve your biggest life challenge—follow myGut Talk Newsletterand stay tuned for this service!

#7 Around the World Dream Board

When this set of 'Dream Board' was just sprouting, I already posted the IDEA to Heptabase's Discord— Share use cases where it was quickly shared to users worldwide by the official Wiki & Newsletter! I was really thrilled! I was featured by the official push in less than a month of subscribing.here, which further solidified my love for and desire to share this note-taking software.

This dream board has several key points:

• All the data are places I haven't visited yet
• Add photos & URLs of countries, activities, and itineraries I want to visit
• Each itinerary is a card
• Change card colors according to the seven continents' colors
• Connect with lines and maps

Xiaochang highly recommends everyone start with a dream board as their first Heptabase whiteboard. Put all your round-the-world travel data here! Visualizing and reviewing your dreams will make you feel one step closer to them!!

#8 Independent Travel Planning

When I took a solo independent trip to Bangkok, Thailand in September, I really just opened Heptabase notes on my phone and followed the itinerary I had planned in Taiwan beforehand. Everything went smoothly and expenses were within budget.

The independent travel planning whiteboard contains:

#9 Self-Discovery Map

Throw all the information measured from various places here, such as CliftonStrengths, Human Design, zodiac signs, past self-introduction texts, self-introduction texts on dating apps, assignments from positioning courses, etc. You can also put past singing performance videos and works in this whiteboard to better understand yourself.

With this dedicated self-discovery map, you can better understand all aspects of yourself. This map is one of the preliminary tasks Xiaochang did for blog positioning, finding her personal characteristics, expertise, interests, positioning, etc., so she could continue sharing with more passion in the days to come.

I'm a generalist personality. When doing self-discovery & positioning, I discovered that I could develop over 100 different careers. No wonder I've never truly understood myself—I'm too complex! So if you're also a generalist, you must open this self-discovery whiteboard and collect information about yourself!

#10 Trash Bin

Inside are all those files, music, texts, presentations, and various data from my computer desktop that I'm reluctant to delete but don't know where to organize. You can also put eliminated notes and articles to read.

Heptabase is currently paid software

Are there any promo codes or discount codes?

• Monthly plan: $11.99 USD/month
• Annual plan: $8.99 USD/month

Monthly cost: $11.99 USD (approximately 390 NTD per month)
Annual cost: Total is $8.99 USD × 12 months = $107.88 USD (approximately 3,300 NTD per year)

Which plan is more suitable for me?

No discount codes unfortunately. However, all accounts can use it free for 7 days. If you're very interested in this note-taking software and want to try it out, you can click the button below to try Heptabase. This would also be like buying Xiaochang a latte, giving Xiaochang more motivation to create and write content. Thank you for reading.

Remember to register using the desktop version (mobile will get stuck and fail at the payment page), and please don't leave this webpage once you click the button, or Xiaochang won't get to drink her latte ...

On 2024/12/09, when I saw this update, my jaw dropped @@. After trying so many Podcast transcript collection software, I didn't expect Heptabase to come up with this feature!

◽ If you just want to try it out, please select the 'Monthly Plan'

Heptabase provides new users with a 7-day free trial period. After the trial period, the monthly subscription fee will be charged.

◽ If you decide to subscribe long-term, please select the 'Annual Plan' (Xiaochang recommends 🌭)

The reason I recommend it is simple: using a notes app for just 1 month is barely enough to feel its power. I jumped in in 2023/09 and bought a year subscription right away. After three months of using it, I became a passionate fan and partner promoter, and that's when I started what you all know as the 'KnowledgeGut' blog.

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🌭 Welcome to the Gut 🌭

The above is a usage method developed by an alien brain that's different from everyone else~ This is truly my first time writing an article. I reviewed it multiple times daily, checking layout, spacing, context, image beautification + Logo, full-width/half-width characters, spaces, link shortening verification, etc. Only then did this piece come together XD

1. Plant grass – from Xiaohongshu
   When you see a celebrity use or recommend a product and feel it's great, you're tempted and want to buy it. Conversely, 'pulling grass' means you once wanted to buy a product very much, but changed your mind after seeing negative online reviews and no longer consider buying it. ↩︎
2. No-Secrets Gut – coined by Xiaochang herself
   It means not keeping secrets, but I insist on using the character '腸' (gut) to make you jump over here to check the footnote. Haha. ↩︎

Xiaochang is meticulous about typography; if you spot typos or formatting issues, please reach out to Xiaochang's IG Contact! All articles come from Heptabase Xiaochang's Second Brain🧠 Content is purely human-written, never AI-generated.

If you have any questions about the article content, or if there are any parts you'd like me to elaborate on, feel free to leave a comment below and let me know～
Some links in the article are "Affiliate Marketing" links. If you click through and make a purchase, Xiaochang receives a tiny little bit of commission (it won't affect the price).




by Knowledge Management Mentor Xiaochang🌭