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. Under Email Notification, select Internal User(s), an Internal Distribution List, or both, to notify colleagues about this note.

7. 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.

Adding a Note From a Task

You can also add a note directly from a task, without opening the task's related record.

1. Go to Menu > Tasks.

2. Click the binoculars icon next to the task.

3. Click the References tab.

4. Click Add Note.

5. Complete the note using the same fields described above.

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.

Updating Note Actions

1. Go to Menu > Admin > System Settings and search for commentActionList.

2. Update the values as needed.

   • Separate each value with a comma and no spaces — for example: Prescreen,Outbound Call,Inbound Call,Left Email

3. Click Save.

4. Log out and back in to see your changes.

Organizing Note Actions into Groups

To visually separate note actions into groups, add a line of hyphens (----) between them in the commentActionList value wherever you want a divider.

FAQ

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

Bullhorn's notes don't support HTML. You can only paste plain text — not charts, images, or other rich text formatting.

What is the difference between a Note and a Task?

A note is a permanent record of an event or action that's already happened. A task is a to-do item you schedule for the future. You can create a task directly from a note to follow up on a logged conversation.

Can I add a note to a job record?

Notes are primarily added to Candidate, Contact, and Lead records. If you add a note while viewing a job record, Bullhorn automatically associates it with the appropriate contact, and displays it on both the job record's preview slideout and the contact record.

Can I share a note with a colleague?

Yes, two ways: type @ to tag a colleague directly within the note, or select them under Email Notification when adding the note. Either method sends them an email with the note's details.

What does the Note email notification look like?

Bullhorn emails a notification to the internal users tagged in the note. The email includes the Note Action, who the note is about, the user who added or updated the note, and the note itself.

How do I tag records in Notes?

Type # followed by the record's name to tag it. Tagged records are automatically added as an Additional Reference, and become clickable links that open the record in a new Bullhorn tab.

How do I tag an internal user in Notes?

Type @ followed by the user's name.

What's the difference between the "About" field and the "Additional References" field?

• About creates a unique note for every record listed. Editing one note doesn't affect the others.

• Additional References creates a single note shared across every record listed. Editing it updates all instances at once.

What happens if I remove a note action that's already used on existing notes?

The note and its note action are retained, but you won't be able to select or filter for that action again until you add it back to the list.

Will renaming a note action update it on existing notes?

No. Changing a note action's name doesn't retroactively update the note action already saved on existing notes.

How do I set a default note action?

Use the rememberLastCommentAction system setting to automatically populate the Add Note screen with whichever note action you used last.