Topic vs Folder vs Collection
One-Sentence Distinction
- Topic = Working on - Tasks in progress
- Folder = Archived - Storage for completed content
- Collection = Searching - Automatically aggregated by rules
Detailed Comparison
| Topic | Folder | Collection | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core Function | Workspace | Category Archive | Smart Filter |
| Content Source | Actively Added | Manually Organized | Auto-Matched |
| Content Change | Continuously Evolving | Remains Fixed | Dynamically Updated |
| AI Dialogue | ✅ Deep Dialogue | ❌ View Only | ❌ View Only |
| Typical Scenario | Writing papers, doing projects | Course material archive | "Last 7 days notes" |
Usage Recommendations
When to use Topics?
- Writing a quarterly review and need AI to help organize key points
- Just gathered competitor research and want to discuss it with AI
- Preparing a presentation and need to connect ideas across multiple notes
When to use Folders?
- Course is over — archive all materials under "2026 Spring Course"
- Project delivered — store all related documents for future reference
- Organize reading notes by book title for easy lookup
When to use Collections?
- Want to see "all notes created in the last 7 days"
- Need to find meeting notes scattered across different folders
- Filter everything tagged with "product strategy"