Boat Notes Lite
Add a floating sticky-notes widget to any page or post. Let your team annotate content with color-coded notes — right inside WordPress.
Use with caution
Boat Notes Lite works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. Was last updated 4 months ago, and scores 49/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (<10 active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where Boat Notes Lite stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| annotations | #95 |
| notes | >100 |
| post notes | >100 |
| sticky notes | #80 |
| team notes | >100 |
About Boat Notes Lite
From the official readme · v1.0.0Description
Boat Notes Lite adds a beautiful floating sticky-notes widget to your WordPress posts and pages. Logged-in users can create, edit, and delete color-coded notes directly on any page — no page reloads, no friction.
All notes are stored as a custom post type (boat_note) so they live in your database like regular content and survive plugin updates cleanly.
Free features
- Floating widget — a subtle button appears on every enabled post/page. Click it to open the notes panel.
- 5 pastel colors — Yellow, Peach, Green, Blue, and Pink.
- Full CRUD — Create, edit, and delete notes with instant REST API saves.
- Notes board — shortcode
[boat_notes_board]and a Gutenberg block to display all your notes on any page. - Trash & restore — accidentally deleted a note? Restore it from the trash tab.
- 20 note fonts — choose from 20 Google Fonts for your note text.
- 8 UI fonts — apply any of 8 Google Fonts to the widget interface.
- Custom colors — pick your own button color, hover color, icon color, and badge color.
- Button position — dock the widget to the bottom-left or bottom-right corner.
- 12 preset icons — choose from a curated set of Dashicons for the widget button.
- Board customization — set a title, description, and choose whether to show the icon.
- GDPR ready — full personal data export and erasure via the WordPress privacy tools.
- Zero dependencies — no jQuery UI, no external libraries beyond Google Fonts.
- Clean uninstall — removes all data when you delete the plugin.
Upgrade to Boat Notes Pro
The free version is generous, but Boat Notes Pro adds the features power users need:
- 4 note themes — Classic, Notebook, Torn Paper, and Minimal.
- 6 background patterns — Dots, Grid, Lines, Diagonal, Crosshatch, and None.
- Dark mode & auto mode — Light, Dark, or follow the user’s system preference.
- Custom SVG icon — upload your own SVG for a fully branded experience.
- Role-based permissions — choose exactly which WordPress roles can create and read notes.
- Board filters — let users filter notes by color, date, post type, or author.
- Analytics dashboard — see note activity, top pages, most active users, and color distribution at a glance.
How it works
- Install and activate the plugin.
- Go to Settings → Boat Notes to configure colors, fonts, and the board page.
- A floating button will appear on all posts and pages for logged-in users.
- Click the button to open the notes panel and start writing.
- Place the
[boat_notes_board]shortcode or the Boat Notes Board Gutenberg block on any page to show all your notes in one place.
Privacy
Boat Notes Lite stores notes as WordPress custom post types attributed to the logged-in user. It supports WordPress’s built-in Personal Data Export and Personal Data Erasure tools under Tools → Erase Personal Data.
No data is sent to external servers. Google Fonts are loaded from Google’s CDN for the font picker preview — if you prefer self-hosted fonts, you can dequeue the stylesheet and use the Pro version’s custom font stack support.
Installation
- Upload the
boat-notes-litefolder to/wp-content/plugins/, or install directly from the WordPress plugin directory. - Activate the plugin through the Plugins menu in WordPress.
- Navigate to Settings → Boat Notes to configure the widget.
- The floating notes widget will appear automatically on all posts and pages.
Frequently asked questions
Who can see and create notes?
In Boat Notes Lite, any logged-in user can create, edit, and delete their own notes. Notes are private to the user who created them — other users cannot see each other’s notes. Role-based permissions (limiting notes to specific roles) are available in Boat Notes Pro.
Can I show the notes board on a specific page?
Yes. Create a page, then add the shortcode [boat_notes_board] or insert the Boat Notes Board Gutenberg block. The board shows all notes created by the logged-in user across the entire site.
Does this work with page builders like Elementor or Divi?
The floating widget is injected via the wp_footer hook and works on any theme or page builder. The board shortcode/block can be placed anywhere shortcodes or blocks are supported.
Will my notes be lost if I upgrade to Pro?
No. Boat Notes Lite and Boat Notes Pro use the same database structure (boat_note custom post type and boat_notes_settings option). Activating Pro after Lite preserves all your notes and settings automatically.
Is the plugin compatible with multisite?
Each subsite in a WordPress Multisite network maintains its own notes and settings independently. The plugin has not been specifically tested in a network-activated configuration.
What happens to my data if I uninstall?
If you deactivate and delete Boat Notes Lite while Boat Notes Pro is not active, all notes and settings will be permanently removed. If Pro is active, uninstalling Lite leaves your data intact (Pro manages it).
Does the widget appear for all visitors?
No. The widget only appears for logged-in users. Logged-out visitors see nothing.
Can I disable the widget on specific post types?
Yes. Go to Settings → Boat Notes → Widget and use the Post Types section to enable or disable notes for each registered public post type.
Changelog
Welcome to Boat Notes Lite! Install and go — no configuration required to get started.
1.0.0
- Initial release.
For developers
Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.
Add a live badge to your site, docs or GitHub README. It updates on its own — no account needed.
Best Boat Notes Lite alternatives
All annotations plugins →
FAQ
Boat Notes Lite: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Sep 29, 2026
Is Boat Notes Lite free?
Yes. Boat Notes Lite is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Boat Notes Lite safe to use in 2026?
Boat Notes Lite works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. Was last updated 4 months ago, and scores 49/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Boat Notes Lite?
Boat Notes Lite is active on <10 WordPress websites and has been downloaded 214 times since it launched in May 2026. It was downloaded 56 times in the last 30 days.
Does Boat Notes Lite work with WordPress 7.1?
Boat Notes Lite is officially tested up to WordPress 7.0.6, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
What PHP version does Boat Notes Lite need?
Boat Notes Lite requires PHP 7.4 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was Boat Notes Lite last updated?
The latest version, 1.0.0, was released on May 28, 2026 (4 months ago).
Who makes Boat Notes Lite?
Boat Notes Lite is developed and maintained by creativeboat.
What are the best alternatives to Boat Notes Lite?
The most popular alternatives to Boat Notes Lite are Simple Commenter (200+ installs), Side Matter (100+ installs) and Previu (30+ installs).
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