Context
Obsidian shortcut and formatting reference for writing notes in this vault. For how the vault itself works the note lifecycle, tag vocabulary and frontmatter see Start Here.
Quick access
Essential shortcuts
On Windows/Linux use Ctrl where this says Cmd.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Cmd + P | Command palette. Every command, searchable. The one shortcut to remember. |
Cmd + O | Quick switcher. Jump to any note by name |
Cmd + N | New note (lands in 02 - In progress) |
Cmd + Shift + F | Search across the whole vault |
Cmd + E | Toggle edit / reading view |
Cmd + click a link | Open the note in a new tab |
Cmd + Alt + ← / → | Navigate back / forward |
Cmd + , | Settings |
Commands worth knowing
Type Cmd + P, then the command name:
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
Insert template | Drops Template_note.md into the current note. Do this first on every new note. |
Move file to another folder | Promotes a note through the flow without dragging |
Rename file | Renames and fixes every link pointing at it |
Toggle reading view | See the note as readers will |
Open graph view | Visualise how notes link together |
Delete current file | Sends it to .trash/ inside the vault, not your OS trash |
Typing / in the editor opens the same command list inline.
Text formatting
| Syntax | Result |
|---|---|
# H1 … ###### H6 | Headings. One # per note as the title; ## for sections. |
**bold** | bold |
*italic* | italic |
~~strikethrough~~ | |
==highlight== | highlight |
`inline code` | inline code. Use for parameter names, table names, values |
```sql … ``` | Fenced code block with syntax highlighting |
------ | Horizontal rule (every note opens with one, under the frontmatter) |
- item | Bullet list |
1. item | Numbered list. Use for procedure steps |
- [ ] task | Checkbox, for validation checklists |
> quote | Blockquote |
| tables | See the tables on this page for the pattern |
Links, tags and images
| Syntax | Result |
|---|---|
[[Note name]] | Link to another note. Start typing after [[ and Obsidian autocompletes. | |
| [[Note name|display text]] | Link showing different text |
[[Note name\#Section]] | Link straight to a heading |
![[Note name]] | Embed the whole other note inline |
![[screenshot.png]] | Embed an image from 99 - Attachments |
#AIF_DATA | Inline tag, clickable. The tag vocabulary is fixed — see Start Here. |
[text](https://url) | External link |
Always use wikilinks ([[ ]]) between notes, never file paths. Wikilinks survive when a note moves from 02 - In progress to 00 - Knowledge Base (reviewed); paths do not.
Callouts
Use these to make warnings impossible to miss in a runbook:
> [!warning] Destructive step
>
> This truncates the staging table.Types available: note, tip, info, success, question, warning, danger, bug, example, quote.
Use a > [!tip] Quick access box, with one [[#section|Section]] link per heading, at the top of any note that has more than one subtopic — see the top of this note for the pattern.