Obsidian – Knowledge Base and Note-Taking Application

What is Obsidian?

Obsidian is a powerful knowledge base application that works on local Markdown files, creating a “second brain” for organizing thoughts, notes, and research. Unlike cloud-based note apps, Obsidian stores everything in plain text files on your device, ensuring your knowledge remains accessible and portable forever.

What sets Obsidian apart is its approach to connecting ideas. Bidirectional linking creates a web of interconnected notes, revealing relationships between concepts that traditional folder hierarchies miss. The graph view visualizes these connections, helping you discover unexpected patterns in your thinking.

Obsidian’s plugin ecosystem transforms it from a simple note-taking app into a comprehensive productivity system. Whether you need task management, spaced repetition flashcards, publishing capabilities, or integration with other tools, plugins extend Obsidian’s functionality while maintaining its core philosophy of local-first, plain-text storage.

Key Features and Capabilities

Local-First Storage

All notes are stored as plain Markdown files in folders you control. No proprietary formats, no vendor lock-in. Open your notes with any text editor, back them up anywhere, and access them forever regardless of Obsidian’s future.

Bidirectional Links

Create [[wiki-style links]] between notes to build a connected knowledge base. Backlinks panel shows all notes linking to the current one. Unlinked mentions find related notes that don’t explicitly link yet.

Graph View

Visualize your knowledge as an interactive graph where notes are nodes and links are edges. Filter by tags, folders, or search terms. Identify clusters of related ideas and isolated notes needing connection.

Canvas

Infinite spatial canvas for visual thinking. Arrange notes, images, web content, and cards freely. Draw connections between elements. Perfect for brainstorming, planning, and understanding complex topics.

Plugins

Core plugins add essential features like daily notes, templates, and command palette. Community plugins extend functionality infinitely—over 1,000 available for task management, publishing, calendar views, and more.

Customization

CSS snippets customize appearance. Themes transform the entire interface. Hotkeys are fully configurable. Make Obsidian work exactly how you want.

System Requirements

Desktop Requirements

Obsidian runs on Windows 10+, macOS 10.13+, and Linux (AppImage). Minimal resource usage—runs smoothly on modest hardware. Vault size limited only by disk space.

Mobile Requirements

Mobile apps available for iOS 14+ and Android 7+. Full editing capabilities with mobile-optimized interface. Sync via Obsidian Sync, iCloud, or third-party services.

Installation Guide

Installing on Windows

# Download from obsidian.md
# Run installer

# Using Chocolatey
choco install obsidian

# Using Winget
winget install Obsidian.Obsidian

# Using Scoop
scoop install obsidian

Installing on macOS

# Download from obsidian.md
# Open DMG and drag to Applications

# Using Homebrew
brew install --cask obsidian

Installing on Linux

# AppImage (official)
# Download from obsidian.md
chmod +x Obsidian-*.AppImage
./Obsidian-*.AppImage

# Flatpak
flatpak install flathub md.obsidian.Obsidian

# Snap
sudo snap install obsidian --classic

# Arch Linux (AUR)
yay -S obsidian

Getting Started

Creating a Vault

First Launch:
1. Choose "Create new vault"
2. Name your vault
3. Choose folder location
4. Click "Create"

Vault = Folder:
- All notes stored as .md files
- Subfolders for organization
- .obsidian folder for settings
- Easy to backup, sync, version control

Creating Notes

Methods:
- Ctrl/Cmd + N: New note
- Click "New note" icon
- Click link to non-existent note
- Use daily note command

Note Structure:
# Title (H1 heading)

Content with **bold**, *italic*, and [[links]].

- Lists
- More items

## Subheading

More content...

Tags: #tag1 #tag2

Keyboard Shortcuts

Essential Shortcuts

Ctrl/Cmd + N        - New note
Ctrl/Cmd + O        - Quick switcher
Ctrl/Cmd + P        - Command palette
Ctrl/Cmd + E        - Toggle edit/preview
Ctrl/Cmd + ,        - Settings
Ctrl/Cmd + Click    - Open link in new pane
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + F - Search all files
Ctrl/Cmd + G        - Open graph view
Ctrl/Cmd + \        - Split pane vertically
Ctrl/Cmd + W        - Close current pane

Editing Shortcuts

Ctrl/Cmd + B        - Bold
Ctrl/Cmd + I        - Italic
Ctrl/Cmd + K        - Insert link
Ctrl/Cmd + ]        - Indent
Ctrl/Cmd + [        - Outdent
Ctrl/Cmd + D        - Delete paragraph
Ctrl/Cmd + Enter    - Toggle checkbox
Ctrl/Cmd + L        - Toggle bullet list
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + ] - Toggle fold

Navigation

Ctrl/Cmd + ?/?      - Navigate back/forward
Alt + Enter         - Follow link under cursor
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + E - File explorer
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + G - Graph view
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + T - Open tag pane

Linking and Connections

Creating Links

Wiki Links:
[[Note Name]]
[[Note Name|Display Text]]
[[Note Name#Heading]]
[[Note Name#^block-id]]

Markdown Links:
[Display Text](Note%20Name.md)

Embeds:
![[Note Name]]
![[Image.png]]
![[Note Name#Heading]]

Block References:
^block-id
[[Note#^block-id]]

Backlinks

Backlinks Pane:
- Shows all notes linking here
- Includes context around link
- Unlinked mentions: text matches without links

Using Backlinks:
1. Open backlinks pane (sidebar)
2. Review incoming connections
3. Create links from unlinked mentions
4. Navigate to linking notes

Tags and Organization

Using Tags

Inline Tags:
#project #status/active #priority/high

Nested Tags:
#work/meetings
#work/projects
#work/projects/alpha

YAML Frontmatter:
---
tags: [project, active, important]
---

Tag Pane:
- View all tags
- Click to search
- Nested tag hierarchy

Folder Structure

Example Structures:

By Type:
/Daily Notes
/Projects
/References
/Templates

By Project:
/Work
/Personal
/Archive

Zettelkasten:
/Inbox
/Notes
/Literature Notes
/Permanent Notes

Templates

Using Templates

Setup:
1. Create Templates folder
2. Settings > Core plugins > Templates
3. Set template folder location

Template Variables:
{{title}}     - Note title
{{date}}      - Current date
{{time}}      - Current time
{{date:YYYY-MM-DD}} - Formatted date

Example Template:
# {{title}}

Created: {{date:YYYY-MM-DD}}

## Summary

## Notes

## Actions
- [ ] 

## Related
- [[]]

Daily Notes

Setup:
1. Enable Daily notes plugin
2. Configure date format
3. Set template (optional)
4. Set folder

Daily Note Template:
# {{date:dddd, MMMM D, YYYY}}

## Tasks
- [ ] 

## Notes

## Journal

## Links to Today

Core Plugins

Essential Plugins

File Explorer: Browse vault files
Search: Full-text search
Quick Switcher: Fast note navigation (Cmd/Ctrl+O)
Graph View: Visualize connections
Backlinks: See incoming links
Outgoing Links: See outgoing links
Tags: Tag management
Page Preview: Hover preview
Templates: Note templates
Daily Notes: Dated notes
Command Palette: All commands (Cmd/Ctrl+P)
Starred: Favorite notes
Markdown Importer: Import markdown
Word Count: Track statistics
Workspaces: Save layouts
File Recovery: Snapshot history

Community Plugins

Popular Plugins

Task Management:
- Tasks: Enhanced task syntax
- Kanban: Kanban boards
- Day Planner: Time blocking

Knowledge Management:
- Dataview: Query notes like database
- Breadcrumbs: Hierarchical navigation
- Strange New Worlds: Link analysis

Writing:
- Templater: Advanced templates
- Calendar: Calendar view
- Periodic Notes: Weekly/monthly notes

Publishing:
- Obsidian Publish alternative plugins
- Digital Garden
- Quartz

Productivity:
- Excalidraw: Drawing
- Advanced Tables: Table editing
- Slides: Presentations
- Mind Map: Visual maps

Installing Plugins

Community Plugins:
1. Settings > Community plugins
2. Turn off Safe Mode
3. Browse plugins
4. Install desired plugins
5. Enable installed plugins

Manual Installation:
1. Download plugin files
2. Create folder in .obsidian/plugins/
3. Place files in folder
4. Enable in settings

Dataview Queries

Basic Dataview

List all notes with tag:
```dataview
LIST
FROM #project
```

Table of tasks:
```dataview
TABLE file.name as "Note", status
FROM #project
WHERE status != "complete"
```

Tasks from folder:
```dataview
TASK
FROM "Projects"
WHERE !completed
```

Notes created this week:
```dataview
LIST
WHERE file.cday >= date(today) - dur(7 days)
SORT file.cday DESC
```

Sync Options

Synchronization Methods

Obsidian Sync ($8/month):
- End-to-end encrypted
- Version history
- Selective sync
- Official support

iCloud (macOS/iOS):
- Free with Apple devices
- Store vault in iCloud Drive
- Automatic sync

Syncthing:
- Free, open source
- Peer-to-peer
- Cross-platform

Other Options:
- Dropbox
- Google Drive
- OneDrive
- Git (advanced)

Best Practices

Knowledge Management

Principles:
1. Capture ideas quickly
2. Process notes regularly
3. Create atomic notes (one idea per note)
4. Link liberally
5. Use consistent naming
6. Review graph for orphan notes
7. Regular maintenance

Zettelkasten Method:
1. Capture fleeting notes
2. Process into literature notes
3. Create permanent notes
4. Connect to existing notes
5. Build knowledge network

Conclusion

Obsidian provides a powerful foundation for personal knowledge management while respecting your data ownership. Its local-first approach, bidirectional linking, and extensive plugin ecosystem enable building a truly personal second brain.

Whether capturing daily thoughts, building a research database, or organizing a complex project, Obsidian adapts to your workflow while ensuring your knowledge remains accessible in plain text forever.