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Obsidian Basics: Taking Notes That Link Together

Tap a step to see it in order.

  1. Create a vault

    Install Obsidian and create a new vault, and a folder on your computer becomes the space where your notes live. Every note is stored as a local file rather than in the cloud.

  2. Write a note and learn basic Markdown

    A handful of simple symbols β€” # for headings, ** for bold, - for lists β€” let you structure a note quickly with plain-text Markdown.

  3. See how notes connect in the graph view

    Click the graph view icon on the left to visualize the connections between your notes as dots and lines, giving you a bird's-eye view of how your knowledge fits together.

  4. Sort notes with tags

    Add a tag to a note and you can quickly pull together notes on the same topic, independent of whatever folder structure you are using.

  5. Extend it with plugins

    Installing community plugins adds features like calendars or kanban boards, so you can freely build out your own note-taking setup to fit exactly what you need.

Notes That Form a Web, Not Just Folders

Obsidian's biggest difference from a typical notes app is that it doesn't confine notes to a folder tree β€” it lets you link notes to each other, so your thinking spreads out and connects like a web instead of getting boxed into a rigid hierarchy.

It Rewards Patience More Than Speed

The linking and graph view pay off gradually as your vault grows β€” a handful of notes will not show much of a pattern, but after a few months of consistent note-taking, real clusters and connections start to emerge on their own.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are my notes automatically backed up to the cloud?

No β€” by default, notes are stored only in a local folder on your computer, so you'll need to add a separate sync feature or cloud folder if you want them backed up or available on other devices.

Do I need to know Markdown syntax to use it?

No β€” you can just type plain text at first, and pick up a few basic symbols like # and - gradually. That alone is enough to organize notes reasonably well.