Managing Notes in Bullhorn ATS

Use notes to log interactions, capture feedback, and maintain a complete activity history on your records. Notes are visible to other users, making them a useful way to keep colleagues informed and ensure nothing gets missed.

Common uses include logging call outcomes, documenting candidate feedback, leaving updates for teammates, and recording follow-up actions.

Add a Note

Follow these steps to add a note to a record:

  1. From the record you want to add a note to, select Actions > Add Note.

  2. In the Comments field, type the contents of your note.

    • To tag a user or distribution list, type @ followed by their name and select them from the dropdown. Tagged users receive an email notification.

    • To reference a job, opportunity, or placement, type # followed by the record name and select it from the dropdown.

    Only people with a record in Bullhorn (such as a candidate, contact, or lead) can be tagged.

  3. From the Note Action drop down, select the note type (e.g., Email, Internal Memo, or Phone Call).

  4. Add any Additional References as needed.

  5. Under Schedule Next Action, select the applicable action.

    • If you select Add Task or Add Appointment, a new window will open after you save the note to capture the relevant details.

  6. Click Save.

Your note appears on the record's Notes tab and in the record's preview slideout. Any @ and # references appear as clickable links.

Edit a Note

Follow these steps to make an update or correction to an existing note:

  1. From the record, go to the Notes tab.

  2. Click the Actions dropdown to the left of the note and select Edit.

  3. Make your changes in the Edit Note window.

    When editing a note that contains @ or # references, the references appear in the Additional References field rather than in the main note text. They'll remain as clickable links as long as the main note text isn't altered.

  4. Click Save.

Access Note Drafts

Bullhorn automatically saves note drafts as you work, but only when adding a note from the Notes tab within a record — not from the preview slideout. A draft is created as soon as you add any content, including comments, references, or a note action.

Note drafts are stored in your browser's local cache. Clearing your cache will permanently delete any unsaved drafts. Save your notes before clearing your cache.

  1. From the record, select Actions > Add Note.

  2. Select your draft from the Drafts dropdown.

  3. Continue editing and click Save when you're done.

FAQ

Why can't I see notes written by other users on a record?

Notes visibility is controlled by your user type entitlements. Contact your Bullhorn Admin, who can raise a case with Bullhorn Support to enable the appropriate entitlement. The relevant entitlements are:

  • View All [Entity] Notes (e.g. View All Candidate Notes) — allows you to view notes written by any user.

  • View Department [Entity] Notes — allows you to view notes written by users in your department.

Why can't I paste a chart, image, or other rich text into a note?

Notes in Bullhorn support plain text only. Charts, images, and other rich text formatting can't be pasted into the comments field.

Can I share a note with a colleague?

Yes — tag them using the @ symbol within the note. They'll receive an email notification with the note's details.

What is the difference between a Note and a Task?

A note is a permanent record of something that has already happened. A task is a to-do item scheduled for the future. You can create a task directly from a note to schedule a follow-up action.

Can I add a note to a job record?

Notes are primarily associated with candidate, contact, and lead records. When you add a note from a job record, it's automatically linked to the relevant contact and appears on both the job record's preview slideout and the contact record.