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Get up and running with Philo in just a few steps. This guide will take you from installation to creating your first AI-powered widget.

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Before you begin

Make sure you have an Anthropic API key ready. You can get one from console.anthropic.com.

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Installation

1

Download Philo

Download the latest release for your platform from the GitHub releases page:
  • macOS: Download the .dmg file
  • Windows: Download the .msi or .exe installer
  • Linux: Download the .AppImage or .deb package
Install the application following your platform’s standard installation process.
2

Add your API key

When you first launch Philo, you’ll see an onboarding screen:
  1. Click through the introduction screens
  2. Enter your Anthropic API key when prompted
  3. Click Continue to start journaling
You can also add or update your API key later by opening Settings (⌘,).
3

Choose your storage location

Philo stores your journal as markdown files on your local disk. You can choose where to store them:
  • Default: $APPDATA/philo/journal/ (or equivalent on your OS)
  • Custom vault: Choose any folder, including cloud-synced directories like Dropbox or iCloud
  • Obsidian vault: Point to an existing Obsidian vault to use both apps
If you select an Obsidian vault, Philo will automatically configure itself to be compatible with Obsidian’s file format.

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Create your first note

After setup, you’ll see today’s note with an empty editor.
1

Write some text

Click in the editor and start writing. The editor supports:
  • Bold (⌘B), italic (⌘I), and other text formatting
  • Headings, lists, and tables
  • Links and images (paste or drag-and-drop)
  • Code blocks with syntax highlighting
Your notes are automatically saved as you type.
2

Add tasks

Create tasks using checkbox syntax:
- [ ] Review project proposal
- [ ] Call dentist
- [ ] Meditate #daily
Unchecked tasks will automatically roll over to today when you reopen the app.
3

Generate your first widget

Now for the fun part — generate an AI-powered widget:
  1. Type a description of what you want, like: 
    calorie tracker for today
  2. Select the text
  3. Press ⌘↵ (Cmd+Enter)
Philo will generate an interactive widget and embed it in your note. You can interact with it immediately — add calories, track your total, and see the results update in real-time.

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Try more widgets

Here are some widget ideas to try:

Habit tracker

weekly habit tracker for exercise, reading, meditation

Mood logger

mood logger with emoji scale and notes

Countdown timer

countdown to my vacation on July 15th

Progress tracker

progress tracker for writing 50,000 words
Philo organizes notes in a timeline:
  • Tomorrow: Plan ahead
  • Today: Your current note (quick access with the floating button)
  • Past: Scroll through previous entries
Press ⌘F to search across all your notes.

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Save widgets to your library

If you generate a widget you want to reuse:
  1. Click the Save icon on the widget
  2. Give it a title and description
  3. Press ⌘J to open your library anytime and insert saved widgets

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Next steps

Core features

Explore the timeline, tasks, and AI widgets in depth

Keyboard shortcuts

Learn all the shortcuts to work faster

Data storage

Understand how your journal is stored and organized

Use cases

See how others use Philo for journaling, habits, and projects

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