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<!DOCTYPE html>
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stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="folder-icon nav-folder-collapse-indicator collapse-icon"><polyline points="6 9 12 15 18 9"></polyline></svg><div><button class="folder-button"><span class="folder-title"></span></button></div></div><div class="folder-outer"><ul class="content tree-item-children"></ul></div></li></template></div></div><div class="center"><div class="page-header"><div class="popover-hint"><nav class="breadcrumb-container" aria-label="breadcrumbs"><div class="breadcrumb-element"><a href="./">Home</a><p> ❯ </p></div><div class="breadcrumb-element"><a href>Graph Guide</a></div></nav><h1 class="article-title">Graph Guide</h1><details class="note-properties metadata-container" open data-collapsed="false"><summary class="note-properties-header"><span class="note-properties-title">Properties</span><span class="note-properties-count">1</span></summary><table class="note-properties-table"><tbody><tr class="note-properties-row metadata-property"><td class="note-properties-key metadata-property-key">tags</td><td class="note-properties-value metadata-property-value"><span class="note-properties-tags"><a href="./tags/note/guide" class="internal internal-link tag-link">note/guide</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table></details><p show-comma="true" class="content-meta"><time datetime="2026-10-15T05:00:00.000Z">Oct 15, 2026</time><span>4 min read</span></p></div></div><article class="popover-hint"><div class="markdown-preview-view markdown-rendered"><h1 id="graph-guide">Graph Guide<a role="anchor" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1" data-no-popover="true" href="#graph-guide" class="internal internal-link"><svg width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><path d="M10 13a5 5 0 0 0 7.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 0 0-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71"></path><path d="M14 11a5 5 0 0 0-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 0 0 7.07 7.07l1.71-1.71"></path></svg></a></h1>
<p>How to build the graph <strong>by hand</strong> — one note, one <code>[[link]]</code>, at a time.</p>
<blockquote class="callout tip" data-callout="tip">
<div class="callout-title">
<div class="callout-icon"></div>
<div class="callout-title-inner"><p>The one-sentence version </p></div>
</div>
<div class="callout-content">
<p>The graph is nothing but your links. No links → lonely dots. Links → edges. Everything below is a way of adding more edges.</p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<h2 id="1-a-note-is-just-a-file">1. A note is just a file<a role="anchor" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1" data-no-popover="true" href="#1-a-note-is-just-a-file" class="internal internal-link"><svg width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><path d="M10 13a5 5 0 0 0 7.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 0 0-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71"></path><path d="M14 11a5 5 0 0 0-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 0 0 7.07 7.07l1.71-1.71"></path></svg></a></h2>
<p>Every note is a plain <code>.md</code> file in this folder. That’s it. Rename the file, the note changes. Delete it, the note’s gone.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>New note:</strong> <code>Ctrl+N</code></li>
<li><strong>Or:</strong> click any <code>[[link]]</code> to a note that doesn’t exist yet — Obsidian creates it for you (this is the fastest way to grow).</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="2-the-link-syntax--this-is-the-whole-trick">2. The link syntax — this is the whole trick<a role="anchor" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1" data-no-popover="true" href="#2-the-link-syntax--this-is-the-whole-trick" class="internal internal-link"><svg width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><path d="M10 13a5 5 0 0 0 7.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 0 0-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71"></path><path d="M14 11a5 5 0 0 0-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 0 0 7.07 7.07l1.71-1.71"></path></svg></a></h2>
<div class="table-container"><table><thead><tr><th>You type</th><th>You get</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><code>[[Note Name]]</code></td><td>A link to that note (and an <strong>edge</strong> in the graph)</td></tr><tr><td><code>[[Note Name|shown text]]</code></td><td>Same link, displays “shown text”</td></tr><tr><td><code>[[Note Name#Heading]]</code></td><td>Jumps to a <em>heading</em> inside that note</td></tr><tr><td><code>[[Note Name^block-id]]</code></td><td>Jumps to a specific <em>block</em></td></tr><tr><td><code>![[Note Name]]</code></td><td><strong>Embeds</strong> the whole note inline (transclusion)</td></tr><tr><td><code>[[Brand New Note]]</code></td><td>Doesn’t exist? Click it → creates the note</td></tr></tbody></table></div>
<h2 id="3-making-an-edge">3. Making an edge<a role="anchor" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1" data-no-popover="true" href="#3-making-an-edge" class="internal internal-link"><svg width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><path d="M10 13a5 5 0 0 0 7.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 0 0-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71"></path><path d="M14 11a5 5 0 0 0-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 0 0 7.07 7.07l1.71-1.71"></path></svg></a></h2>
<p>Two ways links happen:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>You write it.</strong> Type <code>[[</code> anywhere in a note and Obsidian pops an autocomplete of every note you can link to.</li>
<li><strong>Backlinks (automatic).</strong> You only ever write one direction. If <code>A</code> links to <code>B</code>, Obsidian <em>automatically</em> shows <code>A</code> in <code>B</code>’s <strong>Backlinks</strong> panel (right sidebar). So:
<ul>
<li><strong>Outgoing links</strong> = what this note points to.</li>
<li><strong>Backlinks</strong> = what points <em>to</em> this note.
You never have to write the reverse link yourself.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ol>
<h2 id="4-the-build-loop-do-this-on-repeat">4. The build loop (do this on repeat)<a role="anchor" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1" data-no-popover="true" href="#4-the-build-loop-do-this-on-repeat" class="internal internal-link"><svg width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><path d="M10 13a5 5 0 0 0 7.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 0 0-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71"></path><path d="M14 11a5 5 0 0 0-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 0 0 7.07 7.07l1.71-1.71"></path></svg></a></h2>
<pre><code>open a note → ask "what does this connect to?" → type [[target]]
↑ │
└────────── click it, create it if missing ←───────────┘
</code></pre>
<p>That’s the entire craft. Open <a href="./inbox" class="internal internal-link" data-slug="inbox">Inbox</a>. Think <em>“what’s this related to?”</em> — type <code>[[</code>. Pick or create. Move to the new note. Repeat. Ten minutes of this and your graph looks alive.</p>
<h2 id="5-the-graph-view">5. The graph view<a role="anchor" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1" data-no-popover="true" href="#5-the-graph-view" class="internal internal-link"><svg width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><path d="M10 13a5 5 0 0 0 7.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 0 0-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71"></path><path d="M14 11a5 5 0 0 0-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 0 0 7.07 7.07l1.71-1.71"></path></svg></a></h2>
<ul>
<li><strong><code>Ctrl+G</code></strong> → whole-vault graph.</li>
<li><strong>Local graph</strong> → <code>Ctrl+P</code> → <em>“Open local graph”</em>. Shows <strong>only this note’s neighborhood</strong>. This one is actually useful; the big one is eye candy.</li>
<li><strong>Color it:</strong> top-right of graph → <strong>Groups</strong> → <code>+</code> → type a query, pick a color. Examples:
<ul>
<li><code>tag:#project</code></li>
<li><code>tag:#guide</code></li>
<li><code>path:Daily</code></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><strong>Filters:</strong> the graph panel can also filter by search text, hide orphans, show tags.</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="6-tags--frontmatter--structure-the-graph">6. Tags & frontmatter — structure the graph<a role="anchor" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1" data-no-popover="true" href="#6-tags--frontmatter--structure-the-graph" class="internal internal-link"><svg width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><path d="M10 13a5 5 0 0 0 7.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 0 0-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71"></path><path d="M14 11a5 5 0 0 0-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 0 0 7.07 7.07l1.71-1.71"></path></svg></a></h2>
<p>Tags let you color, filter, and query. Put them in the frontmatter at the very top:</p>
<figure data-rehype-pretty-code-figure><pre tabindex="0" data-language="markdown" data-theme="github-light github-dark"><code data-language="markdown" data-theme="github-light github-dark" style="display:grid;"><span data-line><span style="--shiki-light:#005CC5;--shiki-light-font-weight:bold;--shiki-dark:#79B8FF;--shiki-dark-font-weight:bold;" data-token-type="comment">---</span></span>
<span data-line><span style="--shiki-light:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8;">tags:</span></span>
<span data-line><span style="--shiki-light:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70;" data-token-type="important"> -</span><span style="--shiki-light:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8;" data-token-type="normal"> project</span></span>
<span data-line><span style="--shiki-light:#E36209;--shiki-dark:#FFAB70;" data-token-type="important"> -</span><span style="--shiki-light:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8;" data-token-type="normal"> guide</span></span>
<span data-line><span style="--shiki-light:#24292E;--shiki-dark:#E1E4E8;">created: 2026-10-15</span></span>
<span data-line><span style="--shiki-light:#005CC5;--shiki-light-font-weight:bold;--shiki-dark:#79B8FF;--shiki-dark-font-weight:bold;" data-token-type="tag">---</span></span></code></pre></figure>
<p>Or inline, anywhere in the text: <code>#project</code>.</p>
<p>Tags are how the color <strong>Groups</strong> know what to paint. Link = edge; tag = category. Together they turn a hairball into a map.</p>
<h2 id="7-hygiene--the-two-things-to-watch">7. Hygiene — the two things to watch<a role="anchor" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1" data-no-popover="true" href="#7-hygiene--the-two-things-to-watch" class="internal internal-link"><svg width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><path d="M10 13a5 5 0 0 0 7.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 0 0-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71"></path><path d="M14 11a5 5 0 0 0-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 0 0 7.07 7.07l1.71-1.71"></path></svg></a></h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Dangling links</strong> (show up in a different color, “unresolved”): you linked to a note that doesn’t exist. Either <strong>click to create it</strong>, or delete the link. Not an error — a to-do.</li>
<li><strong>Orphans:</strong> notes with <strong>no links in or out</strong>. They float alone. Fix by linking them into something. (Frontmatter/tags don’t count as links.)</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="8-naming-rules-save-yourself-pain">8. Naming rules (save yourself pain)<a role="anchor" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1" data-no-popover="true" href="#8-naming-rules-save-yourself-pain" class="internal internal-link"><svg width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><path d="M10 13a5 5 0 0 0 7.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 0 0-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71"></path><path d="M14 11a5 5 0 0 0-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 0 0 7.07 7.07l1.71-1.71"></path></svg></a></h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Filenames must be unique</strong> for short <code>[[links]]</code> to work.</li>
<li>Spaces are fine — <code>[[Graph Guide]]</code> works.</li>
<li>Renaming a note: Obsidian can auto-update every link pointing to it (enable <em>Options → Files & Links → Automatically update internal links</em>).</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="9-practice--go-do-it-now">9. Practice — go do it now<a role="anchor" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1" data-no-popover="true" href="#9-practice--go-do-it-now" class="internal internal-link"><svg width="18" height="18" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><path d="M10 13a5 5 0 0 0 7.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 0 0-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71"></path><path d="M14 11a5 5 0 0 0-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 0 0 7.07 7.07l1.71-1.71"></path></svg></a></h2>
<ol>
<li>Make a note (<code>Ctrl+N</code>), name it anything. Add the line <code>See also: [[Graph Guide]]</code> and save. Watch the edge appear in the graph.</li>
<li>Open two notes you care about and link them together.</li>
<li>Hit <code>Ctrl+G</code>, then open the <strong>local graph</strong> of the note with the most links.</li>
</ol>
<blockquote class="callout warning" data-callout="warning">
<div class="callout-title">
<div class="callout-icon"></div>
<div class="callout-title-inner"><p>The trap </p></div>
</div>
<div class="callout-content">
<p>The graph is the most fun part of Obsidian and the least valuable. Pretty dots aren’t knowledge — <strong>links are</strong>. A thousand linked notes is a brain; a thousand colored dots is a screensaver. Play for five minutes, then go write.</p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="./inbox" class="internal internal-link" data-slug="inbox">Inbox</a></p></div></article><hr/><div class="page-footer"></div></div><div class="right sidebar"><div class="graph"><h3>Graph View</h3><div class="graph-outer"><div class="graph-container" data-cfg="{"drag":true,"zoom":true,"depth":-1,"scale":1.1,"repelForce":0.9,"centerForce":0.3,"linkDistance":45,"fontSize":0.9,"opacityScale":1,"showTags":false,"removeTags":[],"focusOnHover":true,"enableRadial":true}"></div><button class="global-graph-icon" aria-label="Global Graph"><svg version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" x="0px" y="0px" viewBox="0 0 55 55" fill="currentColor" xml:space="preserve"><path d="M49,0c-3.309,0-6,2.691-6,6c0,1.035,0.263,2.009,0.726,2.86l-9.829,9.829C32.542,17.634,30.846,17,29,17
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C46.042,11.405,47.451,12,49,12c3.309,0,6-2.691,6-6S52.309,0,49,0z M11,9c0-1.103,0.897-2,2-2s2,0.897,2,2s-0.897,2-2,2
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s1.794-4,4-4S33,46.794,33,49z M29,31c-3.309,0-6-2.691-6-6s2.691-6,6-6s6,2.691,6,6S32.309,31,29,31z M47,41c0,1.103-0.897,2-2,2
s-2-0.897-2-2s0.897-2,2-2S47,39.897,47,41z M49,10c-2.206,0-4-1.794-4-4s1.794-4,4-4s4,1.794,4,4S51.206,10,49,10z"></path></svg></button></div><div class="global-graph-outer"><div class="global-graph-container" data-cfg="{"drag":true,"zoom":true,"depth":-1,"scale":0.9,"repelForce":0.5,"centerForce":0.2,"linkDistance":30,"fontSize":0.6,"opacityScale":1,"showTags":true,"removeTags":[],"focusOnHover":true,"enableRadial":true}"></div></div></div><div class="toc"><button type="button" class="toc-header" aria-controls="toc-34" aria-expanded="true"><h3>Table of Contents</h3><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="fold"><polyline points="6 9 12 15 18 9"></polyline></svg></button><ul id="list-0" class="toc-content overflow"><li class="depth-0"><a href="#graph-guide" data-for="graph-guide">Graph Guide</a></li><li class="depth-1"><a href="#1-a-note-is-just-a-file" data-for="1-a-note-is-just-a-file">1. A note is just a file</a></li><li class="depth-1"><a href="#2-the-link-syntax--this-is-the-whole-trick" data-for="2-the-link-syntax--this-is-the-whole-trick">2. The link syntax — this is the whole trick</a></li><li class="depth-1"><a href="#3-making-an-edge" data-for="3-making-an-edge">3. Making an edge</a></li><li class="depth-1"><a href="#4-the-build-loop-do-this-on-repeat" data-for="4-the-build-loop-do-this-on-repeat">4. The build loop (do this on repeat)</a></li><li class="depth-1"><a href="#5-the-graph-view" data-for="5-the-graph-view">5. The graph view</a></li><li class="depth-1"><a href="#6-tags--frontmatter--structure-the-graph" data-for="6-tags--frontmatter--structure-the-graph">6. Tags & frontmatter — structure the graph</a></li><li class="depth-1"><a href="#7-hygiene--the-two-things-to-watch" data-for="7-hygiene--the-two-things-to-watch">7. Hygiene — the two things to watch</a></li><li class="depth-1"><a href="#8-naming-rules-save-yourself-pain" data-for="8-naming-rules-save-yourself-pain">8. Naming rules (save yourself pain)</a></li><li class="depth-1"><a href="#9-practice--go-do-it-now" data-for="9-practice--go-do-it-now">9. Practice — go do it now</a></li><li class="overflow-end"></li></ul></div><div class="backlinks"><h3>Backlinks</h3><ul id="list-0" class="overflow"><li><a href="./" class="internal">Home</a></li><li class="overflow-end"></li></ul></div></div><footer class><p>Created with <a href="https://quartz.jzhao.xyz/">Quartz v5.0.0</a> © 2026</p><ul><li><a href="https://github.com/jackyzha0/quartz">GitHub</a></li><li><a href="https://discord.gg/cRFFHYye7t">Discord Community</a></li></ul></footer></div></div></body><script src="./static/resource-after-e13fffa1.js" type="application/javascript" data-persist="true"></script><script src="./static/resource-after-8b336f9a.js" type="application/javascript" data-persist="true"></script><script src="./static/resource-after-baba652b.js" type="application/javascript" data-persist="true"></script><script src="./static/resource-after-5eb75950.js" type="module" data-persist="true"></script><script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/katex@0.16.11/dist/contrib/copy-tex.min.js" type="application/javascript" data-persist="true"></script><script src="./postscript-3426b91c.js" type="module" data-persist="true"></script></html>