Skip to main content
Drafts stores notes in its own database, not as files on disk, so it isn’t folder-watched. The natural fit for Drafts is the Apple Shortcut, which sends a note straight into Drafts via URL scheme. Local Sync is also available if you want a file-based archive alongside Drafts.
For a one-tap Send to Drafts flow, use the Cleft → Drafts shortcut. It uses Drafts’ URL scheme (drafts://x-callback-url/create?text=...) so notes appear directly in your Drafts inbox without any file imports. This is the primary integration path for Drafts users.

​
Alternative: Local Sync

If you prefer a file-based archive (for example, to keep .md files alongside an Obsidian vault or NotePlan folder that Drafts can occasionally pull from), Local Sync is free on Mac, iPhone, and iPad and auto-exports every note as a .md file. Cleft Plus lets you point exports at a Drafts-adjacent folder instead of Cleft’s Documents/Cleft Notes folder. Here’s what a synced note looks like: 
---
cleft_id: 12431
title: "Meeting with Jonny"
tags: ["work", "ideas"]
created: 2026-05-06T10:30:00Z
updated: 2026-05-06T11:15:00Z
source: cleft
transcript: "full transcript on one line, newlines collapsed to spaces"
---
AI-generated summary body goes here.

#work #ideas
In Drafts, this renders as:
  • Body containing the full file. Frontmatter shows up as visible text at the top (Drafts has no Properties concept), then the AI summary, then inline hashtags
  • Tag pane picks up #work and #ideas from the inline hashtags, clickable for filtering
  • Drafts library does not auto-import the file. You have to drag-drop it in or run an Action that reads the folder
This is one-way sync: Cleft → folder. Edits you make to the .md file are overwritten on the next Cleft sync of that note.

​
Drafts-specific tips

  • Tags: Inline #tag syntax at the end of the body is clickable in Drafts’ tag panel. Multi-word tags become #multi-word and slashed tags like #work/meetings are preserved.
  • Frontmatter as body content: Drafts has no Properties UI, so the YAML block appears at the top of the draft as visible text. If that bothers you, use the Apple Shortcut path instead; it sends just the body content.
  • Drag-drop import: Drafts doesn’t watch folders by default. To pull a .md file into Drafts, drag-drop it onto the Drafts window or use a custom Drafts Action that reads from your Local Sync folder.

​
Limitations

  • Not folder-watched. Drafts stores notes in its own database, so .md files written by Local Sync won’t appear in Drafts automatically. You’ll need to import them manually or via a Drafts Action.
  • No frontmatter rendering. YAML keys like title, tags, cleft_id show up as text, not structured fields.
  • No bidirectional sync. Edits you make in Drafts to an imported .md don’t propagate back. If you also have Local Sync writing to the same .md, your Drafts edits get overwritten.
For most Drafts workflows, the Apple Shortcut is the right choice.