Obsidian

This page written in Obsidian

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User guide

Overview

Obsidian is a text editor for creating and managing notes in the Markdown format (.md).

Notes are stored in folders called "Vaults" and can be interconnected through internal links. Obsidian also supports a wide range of community-developed plugins to extend its functionality.

Getting Started

1. Download and install Obsidian on your device or use the web version
2. Create a new Vault for your project or lab notes
   • It is possible to create a vault in a locally synced cloud to make it accessible from anywhere (e.g. Nextcloud )
3. Add Markdown files for notes, procedures, or references
4. Link related notes using internal links and tags
5. Explore plugins to extend functionality as needed

Key Concepts

• Vault: A folder containing Markdown files that make up a collection of notes.
• Markdown: A lightweight markup language used for formatting text.
• Internal links: Connections between notes to create a network of related information.
• Tags: Labels used to organize and categorize notes.
• Plugins: Add-ons that extend Obsidian’s functionality.

Main Uses

• Organize project documentation and research notes
• Link related notes for easy navigation and reference
• Visualize relationships between files using graph view
• Customize features with community plugins
• Maintain structured and searchable knowledge bases

Obsidian graph view of the Tools page's links

Why It Matters

• Centralizes documentation and notes in one system
• Supports knowledge discovery through linking and visualization
• Enhances productivity with organization and search tools
• Extensible through community plugins for added functionality

When You Will Use It

• Taking and organizing project notes
• Documenting experiments or procedures
• Visualizing connections between topics or data
• Using plugins for task management, templates, or advanced workflows

Good Practices

• Organize notes with clear file names and folder structures
• Use consistent tags for categorization
• Regularly update notes to keep documentation current
• Make use of graph view to identify relationships between notes

Tutorials

• The Ultimate Obsidian for Beginner's Guide 2025