The Big Picture
Why Obsidian exists and what makes it different from the notes app on your phone.
😔 Regular Note Apps
Isolated notes. No connections. Easy to forget.
✨ Obsidian
Connected web. Ideas link together. Nothing gets lost.
The Library Analogy
Key Terms
The vocabulary you'll use every day — explained simply.
Vault
Your entire collection of notes — one folder on your computer.
Note
A single document saved as a plain .md text file.
Markdown
Simple text formatting: type # for headings instead of clicking buttons.
Wikilink
Obsidian's link format: [[Note Title]] — click to jump there.
Tag
A label like #project/website that cuts across folders.
Backlink
Notes that link TO the one you're viewing — "who points to me?"
Graph
Visual map of all notes (dots) and links (lines).
Plugin
Optional add-on to extend Obsidian's features.
Installing Obsidian
Desktop
Go to obsidian.md → Download → Install like any app.
Mobile
Search "Obsidian" in the App Store or Google Play.
First launch
Choose Create a new vault to start fresh.
Your First Vault
A vault is just a folder. Obsidian watches it and turns every .md file into a note.
Click "Create new vault"
Name it
Something like My Notes or Knowledge Base
Choose location
On Mac with iCloud: store it in iCloud Drive for automatic syncing.
Click Create
You're in! Left sidebar = files, center = editor, right = backlinks/graph.
Today I learned about [[GitHub Basics]].
Related: [[Daily Note 2026-08-21]]
.md file you own. Open it with any text editor, even without Obsidian. You own your data.Creating & Editing Notes
# Main Heading ## Sub Heading Regular text with **bold** and *italic*. - Bullet point - [ ] Task item - [x] Done task > A blockquote `inline code`
Live Preview (default) shows formatted text as you type. Source Mode shows raw Markdown. Toggle with ⌘E.
Linking Notes Together
Links are the heart of Obsidian. This is what makes it more than a pile of text files.
Type [[ and watch the magic:
[[Note Name]] → basic link [[Note Name|Display Text]] → custom display text [[Note Name#Heading]] → link to a heading ![[Note Name]] → embed note inside this one ![[image.png]] → embed an image
Organizing Your Notes
No single "right" way — pick what feels natural.
Folders
Like your computer. Good for broad categories. One folder per note.
Tags
#project/website — cross-cutting labels. One note, many tags.
Links
The Obsidian way. Connect related notes; structure emerges naturally.
Maps of Content
A "hub" note linking to many related notes — your own table of contents.
MyVault/ ├── Inbox/ ← quick captures ├── Journal/ ← daily notes ├── Reference/ ← guides & how-tos ├── Projects/ ← active work └── Templates/ ← reusable structures
Finding Things
Quick Switcher
⌘O — type a note name, jump instantly. Fastest navigation.
Global Search
⌘⇧F — search everything. Use tag:#project or path:Journal/
Starred & Bookmarks
Pin important notes for quick access from the sidebar.
The Graph View
A visual map of your entire knowledge base — dots are notes, lines are links.
✅ Good for
Discovering forgotten notes, seeing clusters, bird's-eye view.
❌ Not good for
Day-to-day navigation — use Quick Switcher instead.
Daily Notes & Templates
Daily Notes — one note per day. Enable in Settings → Core plugins → Daily notes. Open with the calendar icon or ⌘P → "daily".
Templates — reusable structures. Create a Templates/ folder, enable the Templates plugin, insert with ⌘P → "Insert template".
Backlinks & Local Graph
Open any note and check the right sidebar. Backlinks show every note linking TO the current one. The local graph shows just that note's neighborhood.
Settings Worth Changing
| Setting | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Default editing mode | Live Preview |
| Always update links | Keep ON — renames won't break links |
| Attachment folder | Create an Attachments/ folder |
| Spellcheck | Turn on |
Syncing Across Devices
iCloud Drive
Simplest for Apple users. Store vault in iCloud Drive. Edit one device at a time.
Obsidian Sync
Paid ($4–8/mo). Official, encrypted, handles conflicts. Best multi-platform.
GitHub
Free, private repo. Good if you know Git. Watch for merge conflicts.
Dropbox / OneDrive
Any cloud sync works — vaults are just folders.
Plugins (When Ready)
Master links, search, and daily notes first. Then explore:
Obsidian vs. Other Apps
| Feature | Obsidian | Apple Notes | Notion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Files on your device | ✅ Plain text | ❌ | ❌ Cloud only |
| Works offline | ✅ Fully | ✅ | ⚠️ Limited |
| Linking notes | ✅ Core feature | ❌ | ⚠️ Basic |
| Graph view | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Collaboration | ⚠️ Via Sync | ✅ | ✅ Excellent |
A Simple System to Start
Daily habit
- Open today's daily note
- Write one thing you learned
- Link it:
[[topic]]
Weekly habit
- Process your Inbox
- Glance at the graph view
- Review open tasks
The One Rule
Link generously. Every time you write something related to another note, add a [[link]]. Over time, this builds a web that makes everything findable.
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Better approach |
|---|---|
| Over-organizing before writing | Start with Inbox + Journal; organize later |
| 20 plugins on day one | Master core features first |
| Never linking notes | Link at least one thing per note |
| Editing on two devices at once | Wait for sync; one device at a time |
Cheat Sheet
Glossary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Vault | Your entire note collection — one folder |
| Wikilink | [[Note Title]] link format |
| Backlink | A note linking TO the one you're viewing |
| MOC | Map of Content — a hub note indexing related notes |
| Graph view | Visual map of notes and connections |
| Embed | ![[Note]] — display another note inside this one |