Export Evernote to OneNote: Step-by-Step Guide

Moving your notes from Evernote to OneNote is a straightforward process that preserves your notebooks, notes, and attachments. This guide walks you through the official export and import method, ensuring your content transfers cleanly without losing important formatting or files. You’ll need a computer (Windows or Mac) with both Evernote and OneNote installed, and enough free disk space for your notes.

What You’ll Need

• A computer with Evernote installed (desktop app, not just the web version).
• Microsoft OneNote installed (free from the Microsoft Store or onenote.com).
• Sufficient free disk space for the exported files (check your Evernote account size).
• Your Evernote account credentials (to sign in and sync if needed).

Step-by-Step

1. Open Evernote on your computer. Make sure you’re signed in and your notes are fully synced. Look for the sync icon in the top right – it should show a checkmark or “Synced”.
2. Select the notebooks you want to export. In the left sidebar, click on a notebook name to select it. To export multiple notebooks, hold Ctrl (Windows) or Cmd (Mac) and click each notebook.
3. Start the export. Go to File > Export. (On Mac, it’s File > Export Notes.)
4. Choose the export format. In the dialog box, select ENEX (Evernote Exchange Format) as the file type. This is the only format that preserves note structure, tags, and attachments. Do not choose HTML or plain text if you want a full transfer.
5. Select the notes to export. If you selected notebooks in step 2, choose “Selected notes” or “All notes from [notebook name]”. If you want everything, select “All notes”.
6. Save the .enex file. Choose a location on your computer, give the file a name (e.g., “MyEvernoteNotes.enex”), and click Save. Evernote will create a single file containing all selected notes.
7. Open OneNote. Launch the OneNote desktop app. If you don’t have it, download it from onenote.com or the Microsoft Store.
8. Create a new notebook (optional but recommended). Go to File > New and create a notebook named something like “From Evernote”. This keeps your imported notes separate.
9. Open the import dialog. In OneNote, go to File > Open > Import. (On some versions, it’s File > Open > Import Notes.)
10. Select your .enex file. Navigate to the saved file, select it, and click Open. OneNote will start importing the notes.
11. Choose where to place the notes. A dialog may ask which section to import into. You can select a specific section or let OneNote create a new section for each notebook.
12. Wait for the import to finish. The time depends on the number and size of your notes. You’ll see a progress bar. Do not close OneNote during this process.
13. Verify the import. Once done, check your notebooks and sections. Open a few notes to ensure attachments, images, and formatting came through correctly.

Common Mistakes

• Exporting as HTML instead of ENEX. HTML loses attachments, tags, and internal links. Always choose ENEX.
• Not syncing Evernote before export. If your notes aren’t synced, you might miss recent edits. Sync first.
• Importing into the wrong notebook. OneNote might place notes in an unexpected location. Create a dedicated notebook first.
• Closing OneNote during import. This can corrupt the import. Be patient.
• Ignoring file size limits. Very large .enex files (over a few hundred MB) can cause timeouts. Consider exporting notebooks in smaller batches.

Tips

• Clean up before exporting. Delete or archive notes you no longer need – this speeds up the process.
• Use the desktop app, not the web. Evernote’s web version does not support ENEX export.
• Check for unsupported content. Some Evernote features like audio notes or encrypted text may not transfer perfectly. Review those notes after import.
• Keep the .enex file as a backup. Don’t delete it immediately after import. Store it somewhere safe.
• Test with a small notebook first. Export a single notebook with a few notes to see how the import behaves before doing a full migration.

Troubleshooting

• Import fails or hangs. Try splitting your export into smaller notebooks. Also, close other programs to free up memory.
• Notes appear but attachments are missing. This can happen if the .enex file is corrupted or if OneNote couldn’t handle certain file types. Re-export the specific notebook and try again.
• Formatting looks different. Evernote and OneNote use different rendering engines. Some fonts, colors, or tables may not match exactly. It’s cosmetic; the content is there.
• Tags are not imported. OneNote does not support tags in the same way as Evernote. Tags become searchable text, but the tag structure is lost. You can manually recreate important tags using OneNote’s tag feature.
• “Cannot open file” error. Make sure the .enex file is not corrupted. Try exporting again, or use a tool like Evernote’s own backup to verify the file.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I export from the Evernote web version?

No. The web version does not offer ENEX export. You must use the desktop app.

Will my images and PDFs transfer?

Yes, ENEX includes attachments, so images, PDFs, and other files should import into OneNote.

How long does the import take?

It depends on the number of notes and file sizes. A few hundred notes might take a couple of minutes; thousands could take longer.

Can I import into OneNote for Mac?

Yes, the import feature is available in OneNote for Mac as well.

Will my Evernote notebooks become OneNote notebooks?

Not automatically. OneNote creates sections (or a new section group) for each notebook you import. You can manually reorganize them into new notebooks.

What if I have more than one Evernote account?

Export each account separately, then import each .enex file into a different OneNote notebook.

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