# Add notes to evidence Canonical: https://fairleadhq.com/docs/recorder/notes/ Updated: 2026-10-10 Publication state: published Product version: Recorder source f6ed5b96 Agent summary: Explain an action, request, console entry, or screenshot where reviewers can find it. Notes are saved as written; export includes saved annotations and pins. ## Prerequisites - A local session open in the viewer ## Inputs - An action, request, console observation, or screenshot ## Outputs - Explicitly saved source-linked notes ## Limitations - Notes are saved as written; export includes saved annotations and pins ## Permissions - Access to the local session ## Privacy - Review captured content before sharing Explain an action, request, console entry, or screenshot where reviewers can find it. Attach a note to evidence when you need to explain an observation, expected result, or open question. Notes are available for local session review. ## Pin while investigating, explain when the finding is clear Use **Pin** to keep a promising fact without stopping to compose a report. For example, pin the intended value in a move request, the corresponding returned state, and the screenshot of the wrong result. The three marks let you compare what was sent, what came back, and what was visible. 1. Open an action, request or log detail, or select an image in **Screenshots & Attachments**. 2. Pin the whole item with **Pin**, or right-click a specific field and choose **Pin** from its field actions. The mark saves immediately without opening an editor. 3. Continue following related evidence. A pin means “revisit this,” not “this is the cause.” Keep a useful earlier correct state as well as the failure. 4. Open **Notes**, select a pin and choose **View evidence** to check its source and surrounding context. Then **Add comment** on the pin, or use **Add note** at the source when the explanation is already clear. 5. Write what the evidence shows, why it matters, and any remaining uncertainty. Select **Important** for a deciding finding, then **Save comment**. For the [worked sample investigation](https://fairleadhq.com/docs/recorder/bug-reporting/#find-the-deciding-evidence), an outgoing `in_progress` value establishes intended input; the following response establishes the retained blocked representation; the screenshot establishes the visible badge. Repeating “badge is wrong” on all three would lose those distinctions. Notes are plain text and saved explicitly. Closing or cancelling an editor does not save its draft. Do not include passwords, tokens, or personal data; notes are saved as written. **Important** marks a finding but does not reorder notes or set tracker priority. ## Choose the source that supports the claim Use a whole-action note for a reproduction precondition or manual observation. Use an exact-field note when a value or state is the evidence. Network supports headers, query parameters, JSON values and containers, raw body selections, cookies, initiator, timing and captured EventStream details. Action details support named target, captured-value, control-change and element/form-state fields. A field's context menu opens its note/pin actions; it does not open an editor until you choose the note action. Application console and browser logs support message/stack and available detail-field notes. Older entries without stable identifiers explain why note creation is unavailable. Screenshots support notes directly on the image. Standalone Timeline lifecycle/performance rows, Environment and WebSocket messages do not have the same note editor; preserve useful facts from them in a related action note or Description, naming the source and time. Check the preview before saving. It preserves bounded source context, so a note on a JSON key or short excerpt may not include the value or sibling that your conclusion needs. In the sample, the Important response note marks the key `blocked`; the explanation needs its paired value and the same card's status too. Use **View evidence** to verify those details and include the HAR when a developer needs the full record. ## Review and change notes Open **Notes** for the session's saved annotations. Select a marked item, then **Edit comment** and **Save comment** to revise its text. **Delete comment** removes the comment while keeping the marked event; **Remove note** or **Remove pin** removes the marked item after confirmation. Existing notes can also be reopened from their evidence markers. Select **View evidence** on the note card to return to its source. If **Evidence unavailable** appears, the target cannot be resolved; the note can still be edited or deleted. If a save fails, the editor stays open with an error. Keep your text and resolve the problem before leaving. Concurrent edits from multiple viewers use the last saved change. ## Preserve notes for handoff Download the session to save annotations in `notes.md`. It groups notes by source and includes available field paths, context excerpts, and **Important** markers. The file is omitted when no annotations exist. The [real sample](https://fairleadhq.com/docs/recorder/schema/#sample-reproduction-bundle) contains four notes, including a screenshot observation. Use **Pin** on supported evidence to mark it without writing a comment. Empty pins are exported as “Marked without a comment.” In the local viewer's **Description**, **Add → Notes** inserts a copy of saved comments and bare pins into your narrative. Bare pins appear as “Pinned without a comment.” Later note edits do not update text already inserted; insert or edit it again as needed. Check that your notes saved, then inspect `notes.md` before resetting. See [session and notes exports](https://fairleadhq.com/docs/recorder/bundle-contents/#session-summary-and-notes). Notes saved in the viewer do not automatically become TMS result fields. Use [test outcomes](https://fairleadhq.com/docs/recorder/test-outcomes/) to record the assessment and evidence references.