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Obsidian Note-Taking Cheat Sheet

Last Updated: November 21, 2025

Essential Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut (Windows) Shortcut (Mac) Action
Ctrl + N ⌘ + N Create new note
Ctrl + O ⌘ + O Quick switcher (open file)
Ctrl + P ⌘ + P Command palette
Ctrl + E ⌘ + E Toggle edit/preview mode
Ctrl + G ⌘ + G Open graph view
Ctrl + Shift + F ⌘ + Shift + F Search in all files
Ctrl + F ⌘ + F Search in current file
Ctrl + Shift + E ⌘ + Shift + E Open file explorer
Ctrl + Alt + Left/Right ⌘ + ⌥ + Left/Right Navigate back/forward
Ctrl + Click ⌘ + Click Open link in new pane
Ctrl + K ⌘ + K Insert link
Ctrl + ] ⌘ + ] Indent
Ctrl + [ ⌘ + [ Unindent
Ctrl + D ⌘ + D Delete current line
Ctrl + B ⌘ + B Bold text
Ctrl + I ⌘ + I Italic text
Ctrl + H ⌘ + H Find and replace
Ctrl + , ⌘ + , Open settings
Ctrl + T ⌘ + T Open new tab
Ctrl + W ⌘ + W Close current tab
Ctrl + Tab ⌘ + Tab Switch to next tab
Ctrl + Shift + Tab ⌘ + Shift + Tab Switch to previous tab
Ctrl + Enter ⌘ + Enter Toggle checkbox
Alt + Up/Down ⌥ + Up/Down Move line up/down
Ctrl + Home ⌘ + Home Go to top of file
Ctrl + End ⌘ + End Go to bottom of file

Markdown Syntax

Syntax Result Example
# Heading 1 H1 heading # My Note Title
## Heading 2 H2 heading ## Section Title
**bold** bold **important text**
*italic* italic *emphasis*
==highlight== highlight ==key point==
~~strikethrough~~ strikethrough ~~old idea~~
[[Link]] Internal link [[My Other Note]]
[[Link|Alias]] Link with custom text [[Long Note Name|Short]]
[Link](url) External link [Google](https://google.com)
![[Image]] Embed image ![[screenshot.png]]
![[Note]] Embed note ![[Reference Note]]
- [ ] Task Checkbox - [ ] Todo item
- [x] Done Checked box - [x] Completed
- Item Bullet list - List item
1. Item Numbered list 1. First step
`code` Inline code `variable`
```code block``` Code block ```python\nprint("hi")\n```
> Quote Blockquote > Important quote
--- Horizontal rule ---
^blockid Block reference Important point ^ref123
[[Note#Heading]] Link to heading [[Note#Section 2]]
[[Note#^blockid]] Link to block [[Note#^ref123]]
#tag Tag #important #project/work

Core Plugins

Plugin Purpose Key Features
File Explorer Browse files and folders Create, rename, delete files/folders. Drag and drop organization
Search Find content across vault Regex support, case-sensitive, whole word matching
Quick Switcher Quickly open files Fuzzy search, keyboard-only navigation
Graph View Visualize note connections Interactive graph, filters, groups, local vs global view
Backlinks See incoming links Shows all notes linking to current note
Outgoing Links See links from note Shows all links in current note
Tags Pane Browse by tags Hierarchical tag view, click to search
Page Preview Hover to preview Hover over links to see preview without opening
Daily Notes Create daily journal Auto-create daily note, templates, quick access
Templates Insert templates Create reusable note templates with variables
Slash Commands Insert blocks Type / to insert headings, lists, code blocks
Note Composer Merge/split notes Extract headings, merge files, refactor notes
Sync Cloud sync (paid) End-to-end encrypted sync across devices
Publish Publish online (paid) Create public website from your notes

Essential Community Plugins

Plugin Purpose Why Use It
Dataview Query notes like database Create dynamic lists, tables from note metadata. Essential for PKM
Templater Advanced templates Dynamic templates with JavaScript, date functions, user input
Calendar Visual calendar Quickly access daily notes, see which days have notes
Kanban Kanban boards Project management, task tracking in markdown
Excalidraw Draw diagrams Sketch ideas, flowcharts, mind maps directly in Obsidian
Advanced Tables Better table editing Excel-like navigation, formatting, formulas in tables
Tag Wrangler Manage tags Rename tags across vault, merge, view in context menu
Natural Language Dates Human-readable dates Type "next Monday" or "in 3 days" instead of manual dates
QuickAdd Quick capture Capture notes/tasks quickly with keyboard shortcuts
Periodic Notes Weekly/monthly notes Like daily notes but for weeks, months, quarters, years
Omnisearch Better search Faster, smarter search with better ranking
Outliner Better outlining Fold bullets, zoom into headings, better list handling
Tasks Task management Query, filter, track tasks across vault with due dates
Dictionary Define words Hover over words to see definitions
Linter Format notes Auto-format markdown, enforce consistent style

Linking Strategies

Strategy Description Example
Direct Links Link between related notes See also: [[Project Planning]]
Backlinks Automatically see incoming links No action needed - Obsidian tracks automatically
Tags Categorize notes #project/work #status/active
MOC (Map of Content) Index note linking to topic notes Create "Programming MOC" linking to all programming notes
Zettelkasten Atomic notes with unique IDs 202401151430 - Note Title
PARA Projects, Areas, Resources, Archives Organize folders: Projects/Work/Active Client
Johnny Decimal Numerical categorization 10-19 Work/11 Projects/11.01 Client A
Block References Link to specific paragraphs [[Note#^abc123]]
Heading Links Link to specific sections [[Meeting Notes#Action Items]]
Aliases Multiple names for note YAML: aliases: [PKM, Knowledge Management]

Template Examples

Template Type Content
Daily Note ---
date: {{date}}
---
# {{date:YYYY-MM-DD}}

## Tasks
- [ ]

## Notes

## Journal
Meeting Note # Meeting - {{title}}
**Date:** {{date}}
**Attendees:**
**Agenda:**

## Discussion

## Action Items
- [ ]

## Decisions
Book Note # {{title}}
**Author:**
**Status:** #status/reading
**Rating:**

## Summary

## Key Ideas

## Quotes

## My Thoughts
Project # {{title}}
**Status:** #status/active
**Start:** {{date}}
**Due:**

## Goal

## Tasks
- [ ]

## Resources

## Notes
Person # {{title}}
**Role:**
**Contact:**
**Tags:** #person

## Interactions

## Notes

## Related Projects

Dataview Query Examples

Query Purpose
```dataview
LIST
FROM #project
WHERE status = "active"
``` 		List all active projects
```dataview
TABLE status, due
FROM #task
WHERE !completed
SORT due ASC
``` 		Show incomplete tasks with due dates
```dataview
LIST
WHERE file.mtime >= date(today) - dur(7 days)
``` 		Recently modified notes (last 7 days)
```dataview
TABLE file.ctime as "Created"
FROM ""
SORT file.ctime DESC
LIMIT 10
``` 		10 most recently created notes
```dataview
TASK
FROM #project
WHERE !completed
``` 		All incomplete tasks from project notes

Vault Organization Approaches

Approach Structure Best For
Flat All notes in root, rely on links/tags Zettelkasten users, small vaults
PARA Projects / Areas / Resources / Archives Getting Things Done (GTD) practitioners
By Topic Work / Personal / Learning / Health Clear separation of life areas
By Type Daily Notes / Meeting Notes / Reference / Projects Consistent note types
ACCESS Atlas / Cards / Calendar / Extras / Sources / Spaces Nick Milo's Linking Your Thinking method
Hybrid Top-level folders + heavy linking Most users - balance structure and flexibility

Workflow Templates

Workflow Steps
Zettelkasten 1. Fleeting notes (quick captures) → 2. Literature notes (from sources) → 3. Permanent notes (atomic ideas) → 4. Link extensively
PARA + Daily Notes 1. Capture in daily note → 2. Move to project/area → 3. Archive when done → 4. Resources for reference
Second Brain 1. Capture everything → 2. Organize by actionability → 3. Distill key insights → 4. Express/Create output
Academic Research 1. Literature notes per paper → 2. Concept notes (ideas) → 3. Topic MOCs → 4. Draft writing
Meeting Notes 1. Template for each meeting → 2. Tag attendees, projects → 3. Extract action items → 4. Link to project notes

YAML Frontmatter Properties

Property Purpose Example
title Note title title: My Note Title
tags Tags list tags: [project, work, active]
aliases Alternative names aliases: [PKM, Knowledge Base]
date Creation/publish date date: 2024-01-15
status Note status status: active
author Author name author: John Doe
type Note type type: meeting-note
project Related project project: Website Redesign
due Due date due: 2024-12-31
rating Rating/score rating: 5

Settings & Customization

Setting Location Recommendation
Default Note Location Files & Links Set to specific folder or root based on workflow
New Link Format Files & Links Shortest path when possible (cleaner links)
Auto-Pair Brackets Editor Enable for faster linking
Vim Key Bindings Editor Enable if you know Vim (power users)
Spell Check Editor Enable for writing
Hotkeys Hotkeys Customize for frequently used actions
Theme Appearance Try: Minimal, Things, or Atom
CSS Snippets Appearance Customize appearance with CSS
Sync Core Plugins Obsidian Sync (paid) or third-party (iCloud, Dropbox)
Safe Mode Community Plugins Disable to use community plugins

Mobile-Specific Tips

Feature Description
Quick Capture Use QuickAdd plugin for fast mobile capture
Mobile Toolbar Customize toolbar with frequently used commands
Swipe Actions Configure left/right swipe in file explorer
Voice Typing Use device keyboard's voice input for dictation
Sync Obsidian Sync or Working Copy (Git) for iOS
Widgets (iOS) Add Obsidian widget to home screen for quick access
Share Extension Share content from other apps directly to Obsidian
Reading Mode Swipe between notes in reading mode
💡 Pro Tips:
  • Start simple - don't install all plugins at once. Add as you discover needs
  • Use Cmd/Ctrl+P (command palette) to discover features and learn shortcuts
  • Link liberally - over-linking is better than under-linking for knowledge building
  • Use local graph view (Cmd/Ctrl+G) to explore connections around current note
  • Create a "00 Home" or "Start Here" note as your vault's entry point
  • Templater + Daily Notes = powerful journaling and task tracking system
  • Use Dataview to create dynamic dashboards that update automatically
  • Folder structure matters less when you have good links and tags
  • Review your graph view periodically - orphaned notes may need linking
  • Use block references (^) to link to specific paragraphs instead of whole notes
  • Canvas feature (core plugin) great for visual thinking and project planning
  • Set up automated backups - use Obsidian Sync, Git, or cloud storage sync

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