Feature Request : Live Nodes (Dynamic Query Bullets & Flat Search)

Issues & Ideas
1

Hi Workflowy TEAM,

I’m sure this has been asked a couple hundred times, but I didn’t find it here. Please excuse me that I wrote this using AI, but this should suffice for a mockup, and be at least 80% accurate :slight_smile:

Look, you guys are already 90% of the way there. You’ve given us Live Mirrors, a kickass Search engine, and now the shiny new Calendar feature with Found Dates.

So why not mash them all together into one glorious child : Live Nodes = MAGIC !

#AI-generated

The Idea : “Search as a Bullet”

Right now, search is a temporary relationship — you type something in the bar, look at it, and close it.

A Live Node would make search a permanent resident in the outline. You create a bullet like ? #urgent @today or ? date:this-week, and it automatically auto-populates its children with live mirror references of matching bullets from everywhere in your workspace.

Edit a card inside the Live Node? Boom, the original updates. Magic.

Why we need this (especially with Flat Search!)

1. Flat View Toggle (Save Our Kanban Boards)

When searching right now, Workflowy loves showing the whole family tree (parents, grandparents, great-grandparents). On a Kanban board, that looks like a skyscraper inside a tiny card. A “Flat View” toggle on Live Nodes would strip away parent headers and display only the matching child bullets directly beneath the node. Pure, clean signal.

2. Auto-Populating Boards That Clean Themselves

Imagine a Kanban column titled “Due Today” with a Live Node set to date:today. As soon as a date hits today, tasks from random daily notes and project outlines teleports into the column automatically. No manual dragging required.

3. The “Lazy Legend” Dashboard

Instead of manually copying mirror links into a master list like a medieval scribe, users could stack a few Live Nodes (#in-progress, @waiting, assigned:me) on one page and instantly have a real-time dashboard.

Bottom Line

You’ve already done the hard heavy lifting with Found Dates in the Calendar and Mirrors in the outline. Extending that “auto-surfacing” magic to regular search queries would give Workflowy lightweight relational superpower without turning it into a slow, bloated database app.

Keep up the awesome work!

9 Likes
Re-evaluating Dashboards : A Modern Mockup & Proposal to Fix & Elevate the Feature
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Outliners & Note Apps That Currently Have This Feature

  1. Tana (Leader in Live Search Nodes)

    • How it works : Tana built its entire architecture around this concept. You can type ? to create a “Search Node”. It runs a live query across your workspace and auto-populates matching nodes (as editable references) beneath it. You can display these search nodes as outlines, lists, or full Kanban boards.

  2. Logseq (Native Queries)

    • How it works : Uses a simple syntax like {{query (and (todo NOW) (priority A))}}. It creates an inline block that continuously updates with matching blocks/bullets from your entire graph in real time.

  3. Obsidian (Via Plugins)

    • How it works : Through plugins like Dataview or Obsidian Query Control, you can embed query blocks that fetch and list matching blocks or files dynamically, flat or grouped.

  4. Roam Research (Datalog Queries)

    • How it works : Supports native query syntax like {{query: {and: [[Todo]] [[Today]]}}} which renders a live list of matching blocks inside any bullet.

  5. RemNote (Search Queries)

    • How it works : Allows embedded search portals that bring matching concept nodes dynamically into your current doc.
2 Likes
3

The Live Nodes / Dynamic Query Bullets feature seems very interesting and effective. Do you have some good YouTube videos or articles to address that?

4

AI or not, you have presented a well-structured and convincing case for Live Nodes, along with detailed examples of how other well-known apps support this feature. I just upvoted your suggestion here on the WorkFlowy Community to show my support!

1 Like
5

Use chapters/timestamps, to navigate the long videos…

1. Tana (Search Nodes)

Tana treats live search as a core primitive.

  • Video: Tana Basics: Working with Searches by R.J. Nestor
  • What it shows: Demonstrates how creating a search node (?) queries tags and attributes dynamically across the workspace, instantly rendering editable reference nodes directly beneath the search node.

2. Logseq (Native Queries)

Logseq allows inline query blocks that update blocks and bullets in real time.

3. Roam Research (Datalog Queries)

Roam was one of the early pioneers of embedding live queries directly within outliner bullets.

4. Obsidian (Dataview / Dynamic Queries)

Obsidian achieves live queries via plugins like Dataview or native Bases.

  • Video Search Recommendation: Search YouTube for “Obsidian Dataview Plugin Setup” or “Obsidian Dynamic Queries Tutorial”.
  • What it shows: Shows how code blocks embedded in a note automatically fetch and display matching blocks, tasks, or list items dynamically across the vault.
2 Likes
6

Thanks.

7

Thanks! This is one of the most longstanding, most widely requested feature requests – usually described as search nodes. Over the years, I’ve seen no response from the WF team about whether it’s under consideration or development. Still hoping…

3 Likes
8

Exactly, very enlightening.

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I’ve wanted this too.

FWIW - I’m using a kind of hack to make something along this line work using backlinks and tags. Sharing in case it helps anyone else. (And note, it’s is for sure a HACK, so I’d still love to see search bullets!)

I’ve started using LINKS for categorizing key things instead of mirrors or tags.

So, for example - I’ve created a master running list node (RL to keep the title short), and I can quickly drop a link to it on any item using the shortcut feature. So, anytime I have a to-do type item, I add the [[RL]] link to it.

This is especially handy, because it means it doesn’t matter where I put the original item. I work off a daily bullet journal -ish setup, but I’m not good at reviewing, so stuff kept getting lost in the past, or I’d dump it in my inbox, or in a bullet that made sense at the time… but we know how that goes… But using the [[RL]] shortcut, it all lands as visible on one list, regardless of where it “lives”.

So, then, going to my “RL” list, I can then see the BACKLINKS to anything I’ve added the [[RL]] link too. As a FLAT LIST!!! The breadcrumbs show, but the items themselves are a flat list (Hallelujah!).

The BACKLINKS keep a dynamic list, without me having to manually mirror anything.

From there, I’ve discovered that you can actually click on the backlinks bullet to zoom in / open JUST the backlinks. And here’s where it’s super powerful. You can then SEARCH those backlinks. Its a tad buggy, I sometimes have to search twice, etc. BUT I can then search my [[RL]] list for anything tagged “#errands” or “#SOON”, etc. AND you can SAVE this search just like any other, and add a link to your sidebar if desired.

This isn’t quite the same as a “Search Bullet” (a feature I’d use too if we had it) - but for me, it’s solved a lot of the use cases where I find myself thinking I WANT a search bullet.

I’ve done something similar with other categories. I drop a [[PROJECT]] LINK onto any project, then I can view them all as a flat list in the backlinks section of the PROJECT node. It auto updates whenever I add or remove the [[PROJECT]] link from an item.

1 Like
10

If you are doing this on a browser and you would like to toggle the breadcrumbs here is a bookmarklet you can use. You just need to remember to toggle them back on after you’ve toggled them off. I use it multiple times a day for exactly the same usage as you have outlined.

javascript:(function(){ const styleId='toggle-breadcrumbs-style'; let style=document.getElementById(styleId); if(style){style.remove();} else{ style=document.createElement('style'); style.id=styleId; style.textContent='.project.references .breadcrumbs{display:none;}'; document.head.appendChild(style); } })();

There is also a bookmarklet called FlatFlowy. It lets you search for RL and use the bookmarklet to create a flat list. Again, the thing to remember is to toggle it off when you’re done. I use this for non-linked searches. FWIW

2 Likes
11

Awesome bookmarklet - thank you for sharing!
I also use FlatFlowy in some cases as well.

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You are welcome.

13

Hi,

Maybe I misunderstood you, but I’ve already used something like this for years on WorkFlowy!

It’s the GTD Lite template!

I didn’t found it anymore on the WorkFlowy site… But you can create your own and read how to use it on the WorkFlowy’s Systems help pages.

GTD Lite System | How to set up the GTD Lite template

I’ ve extended the concept to my needs and created more filters…

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Hope this help everyone!

1 Like