Differences between using a notebook in the browser and in OneNote

Information Rights Management (IRM)

In SharePoint libraries that are IRM-protected, OneNote for the web opens notebooks for reading, but not for editing. IRM protection can’t be added to notebooks in OneNote for the web.

Copy and Paste

Copy and paste text, and copy/paste pictures from the web. Text pasted within a notebook keeps its original formatting, but text pasted from outside OneNote for the web loses formatting such as bold and italics.

Font formatting

Apply bold, italics, underline, font, size, and color. Note: the Format Painter command is not available in OneNote for the web.

Text formatting

Align text left, right, or centered; run text right-to-left or left-to-right; increase or decrease indentation; format text as a bulleted or numbered list.

Numbering and bullets

Apply built-in numbering or bullet formats.

Styles

Apply one of a gallery of built-in styles. You can also clear formatting.

Search

Search is limited to the current section in OneNote for the web.

Insert Space

The command for creating empty space on the page is not available in OneNote for the web. Try moving notes around to make room, or start a new page.

Rule lines and page color

Commands for changing the look of the page are not available in OneNote for the web. Rule lines and page color are hidden in OneNote for the web, but they are preserved in the notebook.

Co-authoring

Multiple authors can work simultaneously in OneNote 2010, OneNote for the web, and OneNote Mobile. Show and hide author names.

Tags

Tag notes for follow-up, and remove tags when you want. Tags cannot be customized in OneNote for the web, and your custom tags are not available to apply. However, OneNote for the web displays custom tags, and you can remove them.

Find Tags

This feature is not available in OneNote for the web.

Outlook integration

OneNote for the web does not support commands that work with Microsoft Outlook (E-mail Page, Outlook Tasks, or Meeting Details).

Proofing tools

Check spelling and set the proofing language, using the built-in dictionary. OneNote for the web does not use a custom dictionary and does not include translation or a thesaurus.

Page versions

View and restore previous versions of a page.

Review notes by unread, recent, and author

Notes cannot be marked as read or unread in OneNote for the web, and reviewing edits by how recent they are or by author is not available.

Hyperlinks

Insert, edit, and follow hyperlinks to the web or to other pages in the same notebook. Links to locations within the notebook work at the page, but not the paragraph, level in OneNote for the web.

Tables

Tables are created the same way in OneNote for the web as they are in the OneNote desktop app.

Pictures, clip art, and screen clippings

Insert pictures stored on your computer, or insert clip art available on Office.com. You can change the size of pictures, and add Alt-text. More sophisticated features for working with pictures, such as rotating or ordering in layers back-to-front, are not available in OneNote for the web. You can’t take screen clippings in OneNote for the web, but screen clippings in your notes display as pictures in OneNote for the web.

Audio and video

These are preserved in the notes, but cannot be recorded in OneNote for the web. You can download audio and video files to your computer to play them.

Shapes, equations, and ink

These can’t be inserted or edited in OneNote for the web. In OneDrive, you can select and delete shapes, ink, and equation placeholders. In SharePoint, you can select and delete placeholders for these objects.

Symbols

These can’t be inserted or edited in OneNote for the web, but OneNote for the web displays them as expected.

Embedded files

Download these to your computer to open them.

Timestamp

The commands for inserting the current date and time are not available in OneNote for the web, but OneNote for the web displays them as expected.

Linked notes

The ability to link note-taking to files is not available in OneNote for the web, and links to files are hidden. However, they are preserved in the notes.