Three Markers, One Purpose
Markers in 12scribe are audio bookmarks that capture the exact timestamp of an important moment in your recording. But not every moment carries the same weight. A topic change in a lecture is worth noting, a key definition is worth studying, and a breakthrough insight is worth highlighting above everything else. That is why 12scribe offers three distinct marker types — Flag, Favorite, and Fire — so you can create a visual hierarchy in your notes that makes later review faster and more focused.
Each marker type uses a different icon and color in the marker list, making it easy to scan even a long list of bookmarks and immediately spot the most critical moments. When you combine marker types with the filter feature, you can isolate exactly the category of content you need for any review session.
Flag
The Flag marker is your everyday, general-purpose bookmark. Use it to mark topic changes, general points of interest, useful examples, or any moment worth remembering but not necessarily worth deep study. It is the default marker type and the one you will use most often — typically for 60-70% of all your markers.
Typical uses for Flag markers include:
- Noting when a new topic or subtopic begins in a lecture — creating a natural table of contents
- Marking agenda items and discussion shifts in a meeting
- Tagging interesting quotes, anecdotes, or examples in an interview
- Creating a general timeline of noteworthy moments through a long recording
Flag markers are the backbone of your marker list. They provide structure and navigation without implying that every flagged moment requires intensive review. Think of them as sticky notes in a textbook — useful reference points that help you find your way around.
Favorite
The Favorite marker is for moments you absolutely must review later. Use it when you hear a definition you need to memorize, a formula you want to practice, a requirement that cannot be missed, or any content that demands focused study or follow-up action.
Favorite markers stand out visually in the marker list with a distinctive icon, making them easy to spot during review sessions. When studying for an exam, filter your markers to show only Favorites and you get a curated list of the most study-critical moments from every lecture — no scrolling through general bookmarks, no distractions.
This marker type is especially powerful when combined with transcription. Tap a Favorite marker during playback to jump to the exact second, read the transcribed text surrounding that moment, and study the concept in full context. The transcription text lets you review without headphones, making study sessions possible even in noisy environments.
Fire
The Fire marker is reserved for the most important moments in a recording — genuine breakthrough insights, critical decisions that change the direction of a project, eureka moments, or information that fundamentally shifts your understanding of a topic. Use it sparingly for maximum impact.
Think of Fire markers like highlights in a textbook. If you highlight every sentence, nothing stands out and the highlighting becomes meaningless. But when you mark only two or three moments per lecture with Fire, those markers become a curated summary of the most valuable content in the entire session. A single glance at your Fire markers across an entire semester tells you the most important things you learned.
Fire markers work best when they are rare. In a typical one-hour lecture, you might add zero to two Fire markers. Some sessions may not have any Fire-worthy moments, and that is perfectly fine. Reserve this type for moments that genuinely deserve top-tier emphasis.
When to Use Each Type
Here is a practical decision framework for choosing the right marker type in the moment:
- Use Flag when you think "that was interesting" or "I might want to come back to this later"
- Use Favorite when you think "I definitely need to study this" or "this is critical for my notes or assignment"
- Use Fire when you think "this is the single most important thing said today" or "this changes my understanding"
If you are unsure which type to use, default to Flag. You can always upgrade a marker to Favorite or Fire after the recording session by editing it. The important thing during live recording is to capture the moment — you can refine the classification later. See Edit Markers for instructions on changing marker types post-recording.
Combining marker types with the filter feature gives you powerful review capabilities. Filter by Fire to see only your breakthrough highlights across an entire semester. Filter by Favorite to generate your exam study list. Browse all markers for the complete picture. This is what makes consistent type usage so valuable — the discipline you invest during recording pays off many times over during review.
Learn how to add markers during a live session in Adding Markers While Recording. AI Smart Notes can also create markers automatically after transcription — these AI-generated markers work alongside your manual markers, giving you both your real-time perspective and the AI's comprehensive structural analysis in one unified list.