Internote

Internote is a term used to describe a note intended for internal use within a project, organization, or software system. It is commonly attached to documents, tickets, source code, or design artifacts and serves to record context, rationale, decisions, or reminders that are not intended for external audiences. The term is a portmanteau of internal and note, and its exact usage varies by platform and domain; some systems refer to internal notes as private notes, internal comments, or internal memos.

In practice, internotes are provided with access controls, visibility settings, and version history to preserve provenance. They may accompany change requests, code reviews, or design documents to explain tradeoffs, assumptions, or issues that future readers should be aware of. When used, internotes should be concise, relevant, and aligned with privacy and confidentiality policies. They are often employed to support decision-making, onboarding, or knowledge transfer without exposing sensitive information to external or non-authorized readers.

Internotes are related to but distinct from public annotations, footnotes, or comments intended for all readers. Overuse can clutter documents and hinder clarity, so many organizations establish guidelines for when to use internotes and how to document sensitive information properly. They are a common feature in collaboration tools, version-controlled repos, and knowledge-management systems, where they help preserve context while separating internal reasoning from outward-facing content.

See also: internal memo, private comment, annotation, code review notes, knowledge management.