Roam Research Docs · Help & user documentation

FAQ

[Account](Account)

Can I change my profile picture?

• Unfortunately no you can't yet change your profile picture.
  • If you sign in with Google, it displays your Google photo and name.
    • Sign out of your account and hit Sign in with Google from the sign-in page-
    • 
    • If you choose the same Gmail account there, your name and profile picture or avatar should be updated according to your Google account.

Can I change my account email?

• Yes! Here's how to change your login email:
  • Please note that if your new email has already been used to create another Roam account, the feature won't work for now - if that's the case, please contact us at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) and we'll help you with that.
  • From the three-dot menu on the top-right of your Roam, click on "Settings" and navigate to "Account"
  • Make sure that your sign-in method is "Email"
  • 
  • If it says "Google", please click on the blue button that says "Send new password email" and follow the instructions
  • 
  • Under the "Email" field, type your current login password and click on "Confirm"
  • 
  • You will then be able to write your new preferred email as your new sign-in method.
  • 

How do I sign up?

• Here's how to sign up to Roam:
• Go to https://roamresearch.com/ and click on the blue button that says "Sign Up"
• 
• After doing that, click on the button that says "Create your roam account"
• 
• Then, create an account with your email and a password (or choose "Sign up with Google"), then finally click on "Sign Up".
• 
• We have a three different membership levels. Monthly ($15), Yearly ($165) and our 5 year Believer plan ($500).
• We offer a free 31 day trial on monthly and yearly membership levels, which means that you can trial Roam for a month without any charge.
• However these memberships do require you to enter your credit card details in order to start your free trial. We don't charge you at all during the 31 day trial, and you are welcome to cancel without charge (instructions at bottom of page).
• Select the plan you would like and then press start free trial.
• 
• You will then be taken to our billing provider in Stripe, where you will be asked to enter credit card details.
• 
• Once you have entered your credit card details and pressed start trial, you are now underway, ready to start using Roam Research!
• If you are unsure at all, you are welcome to cancel anytime (here's a guide on [how to cancel your free trial](Cancelling your membership during your free trial)).

How do I change my password?

• The procedure for changing your password is the same as the one for resetting it.
• You can click on the "Forgot your Password?" link from the signup page, and that'll allow you to change it.
  • 

[Billing](Billing)

How much does Roam cost?

• When you sign up for Roam, you can choose between a monthly subscription ($15/month), a yearly subscription ($165/year), and the Believer plan ($500/5 years).
• The monthly and yearly subscriptions will start once your free 31 trial ends, and the Believer Plan will start immediately.

How do I change my membership level during my free trial?

• It's possible to change your membership between monthly and yearly during your free trial.
• Log in to www.roamresearch.com using your account email and password. The first page after signup is the graph overview page.
• To change your plan, press the 'Click here' link at the top of page, highlighted below:
• 
• This will launch Stripe which is our billing portal.  From there, you can click 'Update plan'.
• 
• The next page will show you Plans Available, allowing you to choose between monthly and yearly.  Update your preference, will bring up a continue button.
• 
• And the final stage to complete the process is to confirm.
• 
• Your month trial
• If you switch over plans, you will still receive the remaining part of your free trial, but your trial won't reset to 31 days.
• Any questions please let us know.
• That's it, you can now keep on Roaming for the months and years ahead!

How can I upgrade to a Believer plan?

• You have to cancel your original plan from the dashboard (from the "click here" link)
• 
• Then, follow the directions on the dashboard to upgrade
• 
• Here's a video walkthrough for upgrading to believer:
• {{video: https://www.loom.com/share/f28c077d47ce4d8396363e4bcae485b7}}

If I upgrade/cancel/pause my subscription, will I lose my data?

• No, we never delete any graphs unless asked to. So you can cancel/pause your subscription, reactivate it later and you'll still be able to get back to your graph. You can also [export](Export) your graph before your subscription expires so you always have a local backup.​

How can I cancel my membership during my free trial?

• Cancelling your membership during your free trial

How can I change my payment method?

• Here are the steps for changing your payment method:
• Visit https://roamresearch.com/#/app then you'll see this
• 
• Click on the first link to cancel or update.
• The next page will look something like this.
• 
• From here you can cancel, change, or renew your plan, along with the payment method.

Can I apply Roam Scholar pricing for the Believer plan?

• Unfortunately, we cannot offer Scholar prices for our Believer plan—it ends up being the same price per month as the Scholar's discount plan!

[Features](Features)

How do I create a graph?

• Awesome! Thanks for signing up to Roam.
• The first page you will see is the graph overview page. A graph is another name for a database. Inside a graph is where you will do all the work in Roam, writing, making blocks and pages.  And to get there, you have to create your first graph.
• Create your first Graph
• Click the + Create Graph button show below.
• 
• You will then be prompted to choose a graph name in the pop up.
• Just a warning! It's currently not possible to change your graph name after it has been created. Renaming graphs will be a feature in the future, but for now, please name your Graph something you will be happy with for a while.  If you are unsure, something generic related to your name is a safe strategy.
• 
• Once you have entered a New Graph Name and pressed Create Graph you will be taken to the daily notes page within your graph.  Congrats you are now officially able to use Roam!
• You can also contact support any time via the help menu that automatically pops up when you sign up, or from the ? button in the top right of your screen.
• But the best way to find out what Roam can do is to try for yourself and keep on Roaming!

What's the difference between hosted vs Local Graph?

• There is a big difference between hosted vs local graphs.
• You can only access the local graphs on the computer you hosted the local graphs with, whereas you can access the hosted graphs on any computer with your Roam account, as well as Sharing with collaborators for them to view or edit your graph.
• Though, some people would prefer local graphs for ultra-security (since the notes you jot down won't hit our server) and control of data.
• However, hosted graphs are used when we want to access our notes anywhere, on any machine, and collaborate with anyone :)

How do I make a Kanban?

How do I hide private things in my database?

• If you need to make some blocks private, you can use our Encrypted Block feature.

Can I change my graph name?

• You can't change the name of graphs just yet. As a work around for now, you can create a new graph with your preferred name, export your notes from your old graph, and import them to your new graph. Follow these steps:
  • 1) Export your graph (click the top right '...' menu and then 'Export All' as EDN format)
  • 2) Create a new graph with the name you want (click your graph name in the top left and then 'Graphs and Settings' from the dropdown)
  • 3) Once you are in your new graph, click the top right '...' menu and then 'Settings' -> 'Graph' and then restore this graph, by uploading your EDN file. This has then created an identical copy of your graph, with your new name.

Does Roam have a mobile app? Can I install it on my machine?

• Not yet, however Roam is available now as a webapp which gives you full access to your Roam and functions in a similar way to an app available through the appstore.
• Here's how to install Roam as a webapp on your phone or tablet:
  • Go to chrome (or the other browser you use such as safari, firefox etc), then go to http://www.roamresearch.com, and it will ask you to sign in to your Roam account.
  • Once you sign in you will see this screen below. And then click the prompt at the bottom that says 'Add Roam to homescreen', which will install Roam as a link on your tablet/phone.
  • 
  • An alternative way to do this, if you go to roamresearch.com and sign in, you should should see 'install full site' as a button on the top right of page, if you click this it will install Roam on your device.
• Here's how to install Roam as a webapp on your desktop:
  • Go to Chrome, and open your Roam graph
  • From Chrome's three-dot-menu, go to "More Tools", "Create Shortcut"
    • 
• More on this: https://www.roamtips.com/home/roam-research-app-mac-windows

What are the available formats for [exporting](Export) and backing up the data in my graph?

• Markdown, JSON and EDN

How do I create new pages?

• Create pages by typing square brackets
  • When you type two opening square brackets, [[, anywhere in your existing Roam pages, Roam will automatically complete with the closing square brackets. Then to create a page: all you have to do to is write the title of the page within those brackets. Hit enter and the title will turn blue indicating it has now become its own page!
  • Here's an example, where I created a new page called 'Swimming' to log my swimming sessions. Without leaving the Daily Notes, I created the swimming page, which I can then move into and back from (bidirectional linking!). I then also created a TODO for myself to look up more info for the local pool.
  • 
  • Creating new pages by typing square brackets in the flow of your writing takes some getting used to, but it is one of the distinctive features of Roam. Compared to other note-taking software which relies on the traditional sequence: file -> new->  dropdown or file tree menu systems, with Roam you'll expend no energy on file management. Pages - and insights! - will come about seamlessly, in the flow.
  • If you have text that you have already written, it's also possible to highlight a word or phrase, and with it highlighted  pressing will also turn it into a page.  Here's an example:
  • 
• Create new pages via the search bar on the top right
  • You can use the search bar in the top right of Roam to search your existing pages, and you can also use it to create new pages.  Click on the search bar (or hit cmd+u) and your existing pages will start showing up as you type.  If you want to create a new page, type the title here, press enter, and the new page will be created.
  • Here, I use the search bar to create a page for cycling.
  • 
  • In terms of end result, there is no difference between the pages created with either method - swimming or Cycling both will be new pages in your database. However, the first method creates pages in the flow of writing, more spontaneously, while the second is used more consciously to create a page that you may have in mind.

How can I add frequently used pages as a shortcut?

• To create a page shortcut, within the page you want to create a shortcut to, click the star button located in the top right next to the search bar.
• Clicking this star button will add a shortcut to that page in the left sidebar menu, making the page one click away from wherever you are in Roam.
• If later you want to remove this shortcut, follow the same process. Enter the page you want to remove from your shortcuts, and then simply un click the same star button.
• Here's an example:
• 

How do I delete a [page](Pages)?

• There are different ways to delete a page:
• From the All Pages view
  • 
• From the page itself
  • Open the page you want to delete, then go to the three-dot-menu on the top-right corner and select "Delete".
  • 

Can I remove bullets from a [page](Pages)?

• Yes! On any page, right click on the title, and the select 'view as document' and it will remove the bullets.
• Here's an example -
• 

How can I make a [block reference](Block References)?

• Method 1
  • Type (())
  • Start typing some words, and you'll see suggestions come up.
  • Once you find the block you want, hit Enter and you'll see your reference
    • 
• Method 2
  • While pressing Alt, drag the block you want to reference and you'll create another block reference!
    • 
• Method 3
  • Right-click on a bullet
  • Choose Copy Block ref
  • Paste the block ref

How do I toggle Quick Capture on mobile?

• Inside your Roam graph, open the left sidebar and click on the dropdown icon next to your graph name.
• Once this opens, scroll down to the option Quick Capture. Clicking here will change to quick capture mode. Here's a screenshot:
• 
• If you are in quick capture mode already and want to get back to full site, there's a button on the top right that says Full site Clicking here will get you back to full site mode.
• 

How do I update Roam?

• Within any page in your graph, click the three dots on the top right. Scroll down to 'Check for updates'. If there is an update, an orange box will show up and ask you to install it.  You will know you are on the latest version if you get the green box like shown below:
• 

How much text can I paste at once?

• You can paste a max of 50KB of text at a time.

My display name is set as "Anonymous". How do I change that?

• Here's how to change your display name: open User Settings from the three-dot-menu, then change your name under "Display Names" and click away.
• 

How do I delete a graph?

• You delete a graph from the graph setting menu. To get there, in any page of the the graph you want to delete, go to the three dot menu on the top right of the page. Then click 'Graph Settings', then click 'Delete this Graph'.  It will then ask you to type in the name of the graph in order to delete.
• Please note that this is deleting all the data in your graph.  If you want to first [export](Export) the contents of your graph as a back up, you can also do that first by the three dot menu, and select 'Export All'.
• Here's how the delete process looks like:
• 

How can I merge pages?

• Sometimes you can run into a situation where you've got a bunch of pages with names like: ebooks, EBooks, eBooks, and Ebooks.
• Each of those pages may contain different data, but all of those pages refer to the same concept... ebooks.
• Well, there's actually a solution for tidying up all of these pages.
• Let's try to merge together ebooks and EBooks into just "ebooks"
  • Go to the EBooks page
  • Click on the title to rename it
  • Rename the page to ebooks
  • An orange warning will ask you if you want to merge the two pages, click on the tick icon
  • Done! Now all the data is merged :)
• 

What are namespaces?

• Namespaces is a function that allows you to deal with situations such as homonyms - multiple words that are spelt the same, but mean different things. You can show up to three levels with a slash / in the title.
• If you want to change what is displayed, go to the three-dot-menu on top right in the graph, then click on User Settings. Under "Cycle namespace view" Choosing the top option will show the complete name, which includes all the / in the title
• 

What can I upload on Roam?

• You can upload and embed files in Roam, including audio, PDFs, and images, so you can access files right on the spot
• More here: Upload Files

What formats does Roam support when uploading images?

• Currently supported formats include jpg and png.

Why are some of my Daily Notes missing?

• Sometimes, if you're looking for a specific date, you may notice that the Daily Note for the page doesn't exist.
• Here, notes for September 20th-22nd are missing.
• 
• Something to know about Daily Notes is that although they are automatically created each day, they only save when you use them.
• A Daily Note will save in one of two cases:
• 1. You write on the page.
• 2. You linked to the Daily Note from a different page.
• You can see this from the All Notes view (from the left sidebar). In the picture below, pages for September 17th and 19th were created but have no content.
• 
• Both dates have one mention, though. You can see from the Linked References of the page that the Daily Note of September 17th was linked from the previous day.
• 
• If you can't find a specific date in your Roam graph, it is most likely because you didn't use Roam on that day or you did all your writing in separate pages.
• If you're sure that you took notes on a specific Daily Note and can't find it, please reach out to us at [email protected]

How do I [export](Export) a page from Roam?

• First navigate to the page you want to export and then press Export inside the ... Share menu in the top right of your screen:
• 
• Next you can choose between Markdown and JSON formats for the page you want to export. We recommend exporting into JSON if you want to import the page into another Roam graph as it keeps more Roam-specific information than Markdown allows for.
• 
• Your file will download once you press the Export button:
• 

How do I move a local graph from one device to another?

• Your local graphs are only saved and stored on the browser and device you created them from. If you want to transfer your local graph to another computer, you will need to export it and then import it to your new computer.
  • Here's how to do it:
    • Export your graph:
      • First go into your local graph on your original machine. Once in any page, on the top right, click the three dot menu and then select "Export All"
        • Make sure to export in EDN, as it is the highest fidelity export format. This will download your entire local graph as a zip file. Make sure to unzip the file before you continue with the following steps.
      • 
    • Create your new graph on your new computer:
      • On your new computer, log in to Roam, and then create a new local graph from your graph overview page.
      • The name of this graph can be the same as your previously exported graph.
      • Once created, go into your local graph, and then click on the three-dot menu again. Then select "Settings", "Graph", and "Restore Graph".
        • You will then be prompted to upload a graph. Upload your previous unzipped EDN export from step 1.
        • 
    • Things to watch out for:
      • Please note you will now have the same local graph on two computers. If you make changes to one, it will not update on the other. To avoid confusion, please consider deleting the graph from your original computer after you've made sure that your import was successful (you'll see the "Graph restoration was successful!" message)
      • Make sure you are not importing the zip file, but the actual EDN file contained in the previous zip export

How do [import](Import) notes into Roam?

• We currently offer two ways to import notes into Roam: JSON and Markdown.
• If you are interested in importing Roam notes, we suggest you import with JSON, which stores more metadata about Roam-specific content and will allow you to more seamlessly move notes from one graph to another. On the other hand, if you plan to import text files from any other source, we recommend Markdown.
• Here's how you can import notes in Roam:
• 1. Press Import Files inside the ... share menu at the top-right of your screen:
• 
• 2. Now choose your Markdown or JSON files from your file system and you will see them show inside the pop up, where you can see a preview, change file names, and choose which files you want to finish importing:
• 
• 3. Once they are finished uploading, you will see them available on your current Daily Notes page under the block "Import":
• 
• And there you have it! A quick and easy way to import your files into Roam.

Can I merge two graphs?

• Unfortunately it's not possible to merge graphs currently. [Importing](Import) in EDN format will overwrite the previous content in your graph.
• If one of the graphs is small, you can manually copy paste each page into another graph. Then, import all your content in EDN format into the small graph to have all your content in one place.
• To import in EDN format, go to the ... menu > Graph settings > Restore graphs
• 

If I delete a graph, can I reuse that name when creating a new one?

• Previous graph names are available for re-use 90 days after the deletion. So here are three possible options:
  • Wait till then;
  • Use another suitable name;
  • Write in another graph meanwhile, then after 90 days, create the old-name graph again, [export](Export) all your from temporary name graph in EDN format and [import](Import) it to the old-name graph.

How to use templates and do you have some Templates I can use?

• Check out how to use templates here: Templates
• Check out some of our template collections here: roam/templates

How do I collapse or expand all blocks in a page?

• If you have nested blocks in a page, it's possible to collapse or expand all of your blocks in a page with a single click.
• To do this, right mouse click on the title of the page. This will bring up a contextual menu that includes the options to expand or collapse all blocks.
• 

Why can't I hear the Pomodoro timer bell sound?

• In order for the pomodoro bell sound to go off, the timer needs to be in a page that's currently open in your graph.
• Here's an example:
  • I start a pomodoro timer, and the block is on my Daily Notes page for the day.
  • While working I open other pages
  • If at the end of the pomodoro session I haven't returned to my Daily Notes view, I won't hear the sound
• The solution is fairly simple:
  • Once you decide the page where you want your pomodoro timer to live, open that same page in the [right sidebar](Right Sidebar), so that your timer will always stay in an open page.

How to do I paste text in a single block?

• In order to paste content using [soft line breaks](Adding soft line breaks in a block), use ctrl-shift-v.

[Multiplayer](Multiplayer)

How do I [share](Sharing) my graph?

• Roam allows to share your graph as readable or editable by everyone with the url, or with specific emails addresses.
• You can access these settings from the three-dot-menu -> Share
• Here's how to share your graph as readable by everyone with the url:
  • From "Share" settings, toggle the option "can be read by anyone with the url", then click away
  • 
• Here's how to share your graph as editable by everyone with the url:
  • From "Share" settings, toggle the option "can be edited by anyone with the url", then click away
  • 
• Here's how to share a graph with specific readers:
  • In the “Share” settings, toggle on “is shared only with the emails below.” Then, set the role to read access on the right side, and add the email addresses of the users you want to give access to. Hit Enter, and their emails will then be added as readers of the graph.
    • One thing to keep in mind, the person needs to create a Roam account (does not have to have a plan) BEFORE his email is added to the sharing tab!
  • 
• Here's how to share a graph with specific editors:
  • In the “Share” settings, toggle on “is shared only with the emails below.” Then, keep the role to edit access on the right side, and add the email addresses of the users you want to give access to. Hit Enter, and their emails will then be added as editors of the graph.
    • One thing to keep in mind, the person needs to create a Roam account (does not have to have a plan) BEFORE his email is added to the sharing tab!
  • 

Is anyone doing multiplayer at the moment?

• Check out Notable Graphs for public graphs by our community
• Check out Roam Book Club for our own experiment with multiplayer

[Security](Security)

How secure are my uploaded files?

• When you upload an image, audio, or PDF file, it is stored on Google Firebase servers. While the link is public, it has a random unique identifier. So any images you upload are private so long as you keep the links private. If someone obtains access to your file's link then they can access it. No one can delete any files you have uploaded. We are releasing a file manager soon so you can view all your uploaded files and delete any files you do not want stored on Google's servers.

Are my uploaded files/images automatically indexed by Google?

• Absolutely not!

Where are local graphs stored?

• Local graphs are stored in your browser's local storage. This means that if you clear your browser data then you will lose all the data in your local graph. To mitigate this risk, we recommend you set up daily automatic backups.

Can I store my data on my computer?

• Right now, the only way to store data is in your browser's local storage. We will soon be offering a local file storage solution where you can have your Roam data stored inside your computer's file system.

Who can access my data?

• By default, hosted graphs you create are accessible only to you. You can also set up read and write access for specific emails or even make your hosted graph publicly readable or editable (you cannot however share your local graph with anyone).
  • No one on the Roam team can access your data without your written permission.
• Local graphs are accessible to anyone who accesses Roam (even their own account) on the browser your local graph is stored currently. We are in the midst of removing this behaviour and only the user who made the local graph will have access to it.

Can anyone access my pages / graphs?

• No, unless you want them to.
  • If you set your graph to publicly readable or editable,
    • then your entire graph will be able to be seen or edited by anyone, respectively.
  • If you share a page with someone else,
    • because of the current architecture of the app, when someone with the link to the page opens it, it loads the entire graph's data into the browser and if a technically adept, motivated person could hypothetically, access the rest of your graph data, IF they had the link to your graph.
      • However, a regular user would not be able to access the rest of the contents of your graph through the UI, they would just have access to the single page you shared.

If local graphs are private, does that mean hosted graphs are public?

• No-- local graphs are always private and cannot be shared.
• Hosted graphs are private by default, but you can choose to share them with others.

Are my notes private?

• All your notes are private by default. They will only be accessible by others if you have a hosted graph AND you have explicitly shared with other users explicitly from the Settings panel.

Are local graphs secure enough for corporate IT policies?

• Local graphs are not ever stored anywhere except your computer, but they are not encrypted so whether they are secure enough depends on your corporate IT policy.

Is my data secure?

• Hosted graph data is stored in Google Firebase and inherits their security, the data is encrypted at rest inside Google's servers.
• Local graph data is as secure as your computer is.
• You can also [encrypt your graph](Encrypted Graphs)

Do you offer end-to-end encryption?

• Yep. See Encrypted Graphs

Do you offer 2-factor authentication?

• We do not offer 2-factor authentication currently but it is something we are considering.

Other

Where do I learn more about Roam and engage with the Community?

• Feel free to browse around Features, Workflows
• Check out Community to see how you can engage with the community

What's your security standards and Privacy Policy?

• Roam's data is hosted by Google, encrypted at rest, and encrypted over the wires.
• We follow industry best practices for encryption - same as Evernote and Notion - but we make an additional guarantee in our Privacy Policy to not ever read your notes without your permission.
• If you want more thorough encryption, you can use the Encrypted Block. For more details on how we treat our users data, you can see our Privacy Policy.

Where do I find the newest feature updates and bug fixes?

• Please check our Change Log

How do I send console logs for debugging?

• If you ever run into a problem with Roam, your best bet is to first check GitHub and see if other users have faced the same issue, and whether or not the issue has been solved yet.
• If no one has reported the issue you are seeing, please file a [bug report](Bug Report) by clicking here and filling out this template.
• If you want to help us solve the issue, its best if you send us the console logs from your browser session in Roam. The way you can do so is by first right clicking on any part of the page you are on in Roam and then selecting Inspect (Inspect Element on Safari):
• 
• 
• This will open up your browser's development tools, and from here, you'll want to click on the Console tab:
• 
• On the Console tab in Chrome, right click anywhere on the screen, and select Save As...
• On the Console tab in Safari, shift-select all the logs, right-click, and then choose Save Selected
• 
• Remember! When you take a screenshot of your console logs, look for the red errors (not orange warning) in the console log, and ignore sentry/amplitude warnings.
• Please include these files in your bug reports or in any support emails to help us help you!

How do I migrate from the Intel Desktop App to the Apple Silicon (M1) desktop app?

• Before installing new M1 desktop app, if you have local graphs follow the following steps as a precaution:
  • Export EDN backup of all local graphs in current desktop app before starting.
    • Process to export:
      • Open the local graph you want to export. Click on 'export all' within the three dot menu. Select EDN format for export.
        • 
      • Repeat for every local graph.
  • Backup of local-graph-uploads
    • To find this folder- Go to finder then type cmd shift g
      • and enter ~/Library/Application Support/Roam Research
    • Then copy folder named local-graph-uploads to somewhere else (documents)
• Uninstall Intel Roam Version
• Install M1 Roam Version
  • Download new M1 version from www.roamresearch.com
    • 
  • Unzip, double click to install. Save to application folder
  • If you have local graphs, check they are all there and that they work.
    • If you have any issues write to [email protected].
    • Don't panic, your data is safe, this is why we had you create a backup
  • Enjoy m1 m8.

markdown version · view in Roam Research · exported 2026-07-03