Even though the library can hold any text you'll ever write, you probably want to keep it neat and organized. That's what our Projects feature is for.

The Projects section allows you to focus on a single project by hiding all other content. Projects are self-contained and provide a predefined distinction between the content and the extras. This allows you to separate chapters from research or articles from ideas.

Creating a New Project

The Projects section in Ulysses is activated by default. This means you can get started right away and create a new project.

Mac

1. Open Ulysses' library.
2. Click Add Project… in the Projects section. If you already have a project, hover your mouse over the Projects section, click the circled ellipsis and select Add Project…
3. Now, enter a project title and select a project icon. You can also set a goal or deadline if you check Goal.
4. Click OK to create the project.

iPad/iPhone

1. Open Ulysses' library.
2. Tap New Project in the Projects section. If you already have a project, tap the Add… button and select New Project. 

   

3. Enter a project title and select Continue.
4. Now, you can select a project icon and set a goal or a deadline by tapping Add Goal.
5. Tap the checkmark to create the project.

If iCloud is enabled, your project will be synced across all devices running Ulysses.

Project Library

Each project is actually a standalone library. This becomes apparent when you open a project because your main Ulysses library is hidden. This allows you to focus entirely on your project.

In the project library, you can find various buttons that help you manage your project.

On Mac, you have the option to access the statistics directly via the Statistics button. Use the Add… button to add a new group or filter. If you want to edit, share or export your project, click the circled ellipsis and select the appropriate option.

On iOS, you can: 

• Tap the Add… button to create a new group or filter.
• Access the options to share, edit and export your project via the circled ellipsis.
• Select the Export icon (iPad only) to open the export preview.

When you select Edit Project, you have various options to adjust the look of your project using icons and colors. You can also add a new project goal or adjust an existing one. For general information about goals in Ulysses, see our Goals guide.

Project Groups

First, you have the project groups, where you can store the main content of your project. 

If your project is still empty, you can create a new group by clicking/tapping the New Group button.

Extras

The Extras section serves as a storage location for all other items, including individual sheets, sheet templates, favorite sheets, and deleted content.

You can also add a new group or filter to this section:

• On Mac, hover over the Extras section and click the circled ellipsis.
• On iPad/iPhone, select the Extras section and tap the Add… button.

Pending

In the Projects section, you usually work in groups. However, if you drag a single sheet into a project or create a new sheet within a project without selecting a group first, this sheet must be stored somewhere. For this purpose, there is a Pending group for each project. The individual sheets in this group are pending because they are only temporarily stored here until you move them to a group within your project. 
 

Favorites

All sheets of a project that you mark as favorites are displayed here. This way, you have a handy overview of all your favorite writings. Just so you know, this group only appears after you have marked a sheet as a favorite.

To favorite a sheet, right-click (Mac) or touch and hold (iPad/iPhone), then select Favorite. On iPad/iPhone, you can also favorite a sheet via the dashboard.

Templates

The Templates group allows you to create and store sheet templates for your project. Sheets dragged into or out of this group are automatically copied, not moved. This makes them ideal for texts with a recurring structure, e.g., blog posts. The Templates group is created automatically for all projects and cannot be deactivated.

To create a template, drag and drop (Mac) a sheet to the Templates group. On iPad/iPhone, touch and hold a sheet, tap Copy to and select Templates.
 

Trash

All sheets and groups you delete in a project are automatically moved to the Trash.

If you right-click (Mac) or touch and hold (iPad/iPhone) a group/sheet in the Trash, you can put it back, move it, or erase it.
 

Project Management

If you right-click (Mac) or touch and hold (iPad/iPhone) a project in the library, you can not only edit the project but also duplicate or archive it.

Duplicating a Project

This feature allows you to use a project as a simple template. Create a project with all the necessary content and settings, and duplicate it as needed.

Archiving a Project

Once you've completed a project, you'll probably want to archive it. In this case, the archiving option comes in handy.

When you select Archive, the project is moved to the Archive group at the bottom of the Projects section. Once archived, the project is in read-only mode. This means that the project cannot be edited anymore. You can, however, export the contents of the project.

Archive Management

When you right-click (Mac) or touch and hold (iPad/iPhone) an archived project, you have several options. 

• Duplicate the archived project.
• Restore it as a regular project.
• Open it in a New Tab or a New Window.
• Erase the project to delete it permanently. Please be aware that if you erase the project, there will be no copy in the trash. If you need to restore an erased project, you can do so with our automatic backups.

You can also hide the archive. Right-click (Mac) or touch and hold (iPad/iPhone) the Archive group and select Hide. To show the archive again, right-click (Mac) the Projects header and then select Show Archive. On iPad/iPhone, tap the circled ellipsis next to the header to select the option.

Converting a Group or Project Group

You can also convert an existing group into a project or a project group into a regular group.

Convert an Existing Group Into a Project

Here is how to convert a group that exists in your main library into a project:

Mac

1. Open Ulysses' library.
2. Drag and drop an existing group into the Projects section.
3. The group is then automatically converted into a project. 

iPad/iPhone

1. Open Ulysses' library.
2. Touch and hold a group and select Move.
3. Then, tap the Convert to Project option at the end of the Projects section.
4. The group is then automatically converted into a project.

If you are unsure whether you really want to convert a group into a project, we recommend duplicating the group first before moving it.

Convert a Project Group into a Regular Group

It is not possible to convert whole projects. However, you can move individual project groups to other sections. Here's how to do that:

Mac

1. Open the project.
2. Open Ulysses' library in a second window.
3. Drag and drop the group from the project to the Notes section.

iPad/iPhone

1. Open the project.
2. Touch and hold a group and select Move.
3. Tap the back button in the top left corner.
4. Select the option Move Here at the end of the Notes section.