What is the purpose of the note tool?

This might be useful.

https://creativepro.com/show-indesign-notes-tool-some-love/

Hi @James3669094303ct:

Notes are an integral part of the InCopy/InDesign editorial workflow as per @Frans v.d. Geest and provide a way to include inline comments within InDesign that flow with the text as per @Laubender.

You could write notes to yourself (I tend to use the first pasteboard for that) but I see them used primarily to communicate with others co-working on a document. The key is to using them successfully is to work with View > Extras > Show Notes enabled  and let others in the workgroup know to be on the lookout for them.

~Barb

Hi @James3669094303ct ,

well, to insert notes to text that will not print.

The notes can be made visible fully written out in InDesign's Story Editor window and of course in the Notes panel. Here a sample from my German InDesign 2025:

Some script writing folks, including me, are even able to move or duplicate formatted text programmatically in and out of notes.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Expert )

To take up space on the toolbar for the 3% who find it useful.

Or, through a rather convoluted and limited process, add 'editorial notes' to a project. Despite the fundamenal usefulness of that function, it's so clunky I gave up after trying to use it a couple of times.

The tool bar needs revision and/or/better customizability. Even MS Office lets us rearrange the ribbon and strip out the marketing-wow default options.