Current Location, {location}, and Metadata

Location Acquisition Does Not Imply Metadata Output

Each Capture Preset has two separate location controls. Use Current Location decides whether the preset requests one origin-time location. Write Location Metadata decides whether that acquired snapshot is also written as frontmatter or inline fields.

Set Up Current Location for One Capture Preset

1. Open Capture Presets.On iPhone or iPad, open Settings → Capture Presets. On Mac, open Settings and choose Capture Presets.
2. Edit the preset.Choose the preset that should use its origin location. The setting belongs to that preset and does not affect the others.
3. Open Location.Turn on Use Current Location. Keep Write Location Metadata off for token-only behavior.
4. Choose precision.Use Exact for the origin fix or City for coordinates rounded to two decimal places with no point-of-interest label.
5. Choose unavailable behavior.Ask, Send Without Location, or Cancel Capture determines what happens when the origin fix cannot be obtained.
6. Add {location} if wanted.Place the token in an Entry Template, custom entry prefix or suffix, or a vault Markdown template.

The first use may show the operating system’s location permission prompt. If permission was previously denied, enable location access for Vox.md in iOS, iPadOS, or macOS system settings.

Choose the Smallest Location Surface You Need

Turning off Use Current Location prevents both token rendering and metadata output for that preset, even if previous metadata formatting choices remain configured for later use.

Use {location} Without Changing Note Metadata

When Use Current Location is on and the origin snapshot is available, {location} renders a validated Google Maps Markdown link:

[Location](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=45.501235%2C-73.567890)

The token works in reusable Entry Templates, custom entry prefixes and suffixes, and vault Markdown templates. It uses the same Exact or City coordinates selected for the preset.

Token-only example

For a suffix such as:

Captured from {location}

Vox.md can produce:

Captured from [Location](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=45.501235%2C-73.567890)

With Write Location Metadata off, this link is the only location content added by the preset. No locations: collection and no location.*:: fields are written.

Composer one-tap fix

If an effective entry prefix, suffix, or reusable Entry Template uses {location} while the selected preset has Current Location off, the composer explains that the token will render empty and offers Use Current Location for [Preset]. That action turns on Current Location for the preset while intentionally leaving Write Location Metadata off, so the next Send can resolve the token without changing note metadata. Live vault template files are read only during delivery, so their contents cannot trigger this composer hint; enable Current Location manually when a vault template uses the token.

Independent Capture Bar action

The Quick Capture Current Location action directly inserts a one-shot Google Maps link into the current draft. It is independent of Capture Presets and does not change either Use Current Location or Write Location Metadata.

Write Structured Fields Only When You Choose To

Turn on Write Location Metadata when the note should receive machine-readable location fields in addition to, or instead of, the {location} link.

Structured frontmatter example

---
title: Field Notes
locations:
  - id: "aaaaaaaa-bbbb-cccc-dddd-eeeeeeeeeeee"
    coordinates: [45.501235, -73.567890]
    place: "Café & Main"
    appleMapsURL: "https://maps.apple.com/?ll=45.501235%2C-73.567890&q=Caf%C3%A9%20%26%20Main"
    timestamp: "2023-11-14T22:13:20.000Z"
    source: "app"
---

Rolling notes can retain multiple captures in the collection. Retry protection is built into the location merge: a retry with the same Capture ID cannot append the same location twice. If the chosen collection key already contains an incompatible user-authored value, Vox.md stops instead of overwriting it.

Inline entry example

location.id:: aaaaaaaa-bbbb-cccc-dddd-eeeeeeeeeeee
location.coordinates:: [45.501235, -73.567890]
location.place:: "Café & Main"

Captured text

Advanced YAML placeholders

Advanced templates can use placeholders such as {{coordinates}}, {{latitude}}, {{longitude}}, {{place}}, {{city}}, {{region}}, {{country}}, {{appleMapsURL}}, {{googleMapsURL}}, {{openStreetMapURL}}, {{geoURI}}, {{accuracy}}, {{timestamp}}, {{source}}, and {{id}}. Preview the configuration in preset settings before saving.

Exact and City Use One Consistent Snapshot

Apple’s system reverse geocoder is used only when Write Location Metadata is on and a selected structured field or advanced placeholder needs place, city, region, or country. A token-only preset skips reverse geocoding. If label lookup fails, coordinate-based output remains available.

The Snapshot Belongs to the Capture Origin

Current Location is evaluated at the boundary where the capture originates. Retry and recovery reuse that durable result instead of silently acquiring a newer location.

Watch Recording Only exports raw M4A audio to Files without a Markdown surface, so it does not request location even when the preset otherwise uses Current Location.

Choose How Each Preset Handles an Unavailable Fix

• Ask: interactive captures can retry, cancel, send once without location, or choose Always Send Without Location for that preset.
• Send Without Location: continues delivery without a token value or metadata output.
• Cancel Capture: stops delivery rather than creating a note without the requested origin location.
• Reset a saved choice: use Reset Location Unavailable Choice in the preset’s Location settings.

An unattended Ask request stores its origin-time unavailable result for later review. Retrying a queued or failed capture never substitutes a later location. Pending work keeps only the privacy-adjusted snapshot or unavailable outcome needed for local recovery.

Upgrades Preserve Previous Metadata Behavior

The split between acquisition and output is migration-safe:

• New presets: Use Current Location and Write Location Metadata both start off.
• Previously enabled location presets: both controls remain on after upgrading, preserving the metadata those presets already wrote.
• Previously disabled location presets: both controls remain off; upgrading does not introduce a new metadata output.

To convert an existing metadata-writing preset to token-only behavior, leave Use Current Location on and turn Write Location Metadata off. Existing Markdown is not rewritten or removed.

One Explicit Snapshot, Never Background Tracking

• Vox.md does not continuously monitor location or run background location tracking.
• Location is not sent to Vox.md servers, analytics, advertising systems, or third-party AI services.
• Token and provider URLs are formatted locally. Apple Maps, Google Maps, or OpenStreetMap receives the coordinates only when you open its link.
• Apple’s system reverse geocoder may make a network request only when selected metadata needs a place label. Token-only location skips this lookup.
• After successful delivery, recoverable requests are reduced to content-free receipts, and completed Capture history does not retain coordinates, labels, provider URLs, or location templates.
• If location metadata or a token link is written into Markdown, it becomes part of the file you chose. Your file-sync provider may process that file under its own terms.

See the Privacy Policy for complete data-handling and retention details.

Fix Common Location and Template Issues