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!

6 Likes
2

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.