Described is a mechanism for visually categorizing electronic notes so that important information within the notes can be easily discerned. More specifically, a user may request to categorize an object (i.e., a note) in a document that is being displayed on a screen. The request may be received through a menu selection, a short-key combination, an ink gesture, and the like. The request specifies which one of several visual indicators to apply to the object. When the visual indicator is applied, the object becomes distinguishable from other objects displayed in the document on the screen. The visual indicator may be displayed in proximity to the object on the screen and may have a formatting attribute therewith which is applied to the object, such as changing a font color for the object, highlighting the object and the like. Each of the several visual indicators is visually distinct.