Yes, Obsidian is free for personal use. Paid add-ons include Sync ($8/mo) and Publish ($16/mo). Commercial use requires a license ($50/user/year). The core app and all plugins are free.

Where are my Obsidian notes stored?

Notes are stored locally on your device as plain Markdown (.md) files in a folder you choose. You fully own and control your data—no cloud dependency required.

Can I sync Obsidian across devices?

Yes. Use Obsidian Sync (official paid service), or sync your vault folder through iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, or Git. Different sync methods work better for different platform combinations.

What are backlinks in Obsidian?

When Note A links to Note B, Note B automatically shows Note A in its backlinks panel. This bidirectional linking helps you see connections between ideas and navigate your knowledge graph.

How do I link notes together?

Type [[Note Name]] to create a link to another note. If the note doesn't exist, clicking the link creates it. Use [[Note Name|Display Text]] to customize the link text.

What is the graph view?

The graph view visualizes connections between your notes as a network. Nodes are notes, lines are links. It helps you see clusters of related ideas and discover unexpected connections.

Should I use folders or links to organize?

Both work. Many Obsidian users favor links and tags over deep folder structures. Links allow notes to "belong" to multiple topics. Use folders for broad categories, links for relationships.

What plugins should I install first?

Start with core plugins: Daily Notes, Templates, and Backlinks. For community plugins, Calendar and Dataview are popular essentials. Add plugins gradually based on needs.

Can I use Obsidian for work/team collaboration?

Obsidian is primarily designed for personal use. For teams, shared sync folders can work, but there's no real-time collaboration. Consider Notion or Obsidian Publish for shared content.

How is Obsidian different from Notion?

Obsidian uses local files and emphasizes linking; Notion is cloud-based and emphasizes databases. Obsidian is faster and more private; Notion is more collaborative and flexible. Many use both for different purposes.

Obsidian Getting Started: Complete Beginner Guide (2026)

What is Obsidian?

Obsidian is a powerful knowledge base application that works on local Markdown files. Unlike cloud-based apps, your notes live on your device as plain text files—you own your data completely.

Why Obsidian Stands Out

Local-first - Notes are stored on your computer as standard Markdown files. No vendor lock-in, no subscription required for basic use.

Bidirectional linking - Connect notes together and see connections with the graph view. Great for building a "second brain."

Plugin ecosystem - Hundreds of community plugins extend functionality to match your exact workflow.

Customizable - Themes, CSS snippets, and extensive settings make Obsidian truly yours.

Cross-platform - Works on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.

Who Obsidian is For

Researchers and academics managing complex information
Writers developing interconnected ideas
Developers who love Markdown and local files
Knowledge workers building personal wikis
Anyone who wants to own their notes forever

Installation and Setup

Download Obsidian

Visit obsidian.md
Download for your platform
Install like any other application

Create Your First Vault

A vault is a folder containing your Obsidian notes. You can have multiple vaults for different areas of life.

Open Obsidian
Click "Create new vault"
Name it (e.g., "Personal Notes" or "Work")
Choose a location on your computer
Click "Create"

The Obsidian Interface

Left sidebar - File explorer, search, bookmarks Main area - Your note editor Right sidebar - Backlinks, outline, tags Bottom bar - Word count, view options

Settings You Should Know

Access settings via the gear icon:

Editor - Font size, line width, spell check
Files & Links - Default location for new notes
Appearance - Theme, accent color
Community Plugins - Enable to install plugins

Core Features

Creating Notes

Click the new note icon
Or use Cmd/Ctrl + N
Or type [[New Note Name]] and click it

Markdown Formatting

Obsidian uses Markdown syntax:

# Heading 1
## Heading 2
### Heading 3

**Bold text**
*Italic text*
~~Strikethrough~~

- Bullet list
1. Numbered list
- [ ] Checkbox

> Quote

`Inline code`

Code block


[Link text](URL)
![Image](path/to/image.png)

Live Preview

Obsidian renders Markdown as you type—see formatted output without switching views.

Daily Notes

Enable the Daily Notes core plugin to create date-based notes automatically. Great for journaling, logging, and capturing daily thoughts.

Search

Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + F opens global search. Find any note by content, filename, or tag.

Linking Your Notes

Linking is Obsidian's superpower. It transforms isolated notes into a connected knowledge graph.

Internal Links

Link to another note:

[[Note Name]]

Link with display text:

[[Note Name|Display Text]]

Link to heading:

[[Note Name#Heading]]

Backlinks

Every link creates a backlink. If Note A links to Note B, Note B shows Note A in its backlinks panel.

This creates bidirectional connections—see both where you're linking and who's linking to you.

Unlinked Mentions

Obsidian finds mentions of a note's title even without explicit links. This surfaces connections you might have missed.

The Graph View

The graph visualizes your connected notes:

Nodes are notes
Lines are links
Clusters show related topics

Use Cmd/Ctrl + G for local graph (current note's connections) or click the graph icon for the full vault.

Embedding Notes

Pull in content from other notes:

![[Note Name]]

Embed specific sections:

![[Note Name#Section]]

Great for building MOCs (Maps of Content) that compile information from multiple sources.

Essential Plugins

Obsidian's plugin ecosystem is massive. Start with these essentials:

Core Plugins (Built-in)

Enable these in Settings → Core Plugins:

Daily Notes - Auto-create dated notes
Templates - Insert predefined content
Backlinks - See what links to current note
Outgoing Links - See where current note links
Tag Pane - Browse all tags
Graph View - Visualize connections
Quick Switcher - Fast note navigation

Community Plugins (Must-haves)

Enable community plugins in Settings, then browse and install:

Dataview - Query your notes like a database. Create dynamic lists, tables, and task views.

Calendar - Visual calendar for daily notes. Click any date to open or create that day's note.

Templater - Advanced templates with JavaScript. Automate note creation with dynamic content.

Excalidraw - Hand-drawn diagrams and visual thinking inside your vault.

Kanban - Turn notes into kanban boards for project management.

Quick Add - Fast capture and note creation with templates and macros.

Recommended for Writers

Longform - Manage multi-scene writing projects
Writing Statistics - Word counts and writing goals

Recommended for Developers

Git - Version control your vault
Advanced Tables - Easy table editing
Code Block Enhancements - Better code display

Recommended Workflows

Daily Notes + Backlinks

Create daily notes for each day
Link liberally to project and topic notes
Use backlinks to see all daily entries mentioning a topic

Example daily note:

# 2026-01-15

## Tasks
- [ ] Review [[Project Alpha]] proposal
- [ ] Call with [[John Smith]]

## Notes
- Interesting idea about [[Machine Learning]]...

## Journal
Today I learned...

Zettelkasten Method

Create atomic notes—one idea per note
Give each note a unique ID
Link related concepts together
Use index notes to navigate
Let structure emerge organically

PARA in Obsidian

Organize with the PARA method:

📁 1-Projects
📁 2-Areas
📁 3-Resources
📁 4-Archives

Use links and tags rather than folders for flexible organization.

Maps of Content (MOCs)

Create hub notes that link to related topics:

# MOC - Productivity

## Methods
- [[Getting Things Done]]
- [[Pomodoro Technique]]
- [[Time Blocking]]

## Tools
- [[Obsidian]]
- [[Todoist]]
- [[Notion]]

## Resources
- [[Deep Work Book Notes]]
- [[Productivity Articles]]

MOCs provide structure without rigid hierarchies.

Pro Tips

Keyboard Shortcuts

Cmd/Ctrl + O - Quick switcher
Cmd/Ctrl + P - Command palette
Cmd/Ctrl + E - Toggle edit/preview
Cmd/Ctrl + Click - Open link in new pane
Cmd/Ctrl + [ - Go back
Cmd/Ctrl + ] - Go forward

Working with Panes

Split view: Cmd/Ctrl + Click on links
Tabs: Drag notes to create tabs
Pop out: Right-click → Open in new window
Stack: Drag panes to stack vertically

Templates

Create a Templates folder. Add template notes with placeholders:

# {{title}}
Created: {{date}}

## Overview

## Key Points

## Related
- [[]]

Use Templater plugin for dynamic content like dates and prompts.

Syncing Across Devices

Options for sync:

Obsidian Sync (paid) - Official, reliable, end-to-end encrypted
iCloud - Free for Apple devices
Dropbox/Google Drive - Free, works across platforms
Git - For technical users, version control included

CSS Customization

Add custom CSS in Settings → Appearance → CSS Snippets:

/* Bigger headings */
h1 { font-size: 2rem; }

/* Custom link color */
a { color: #7c3aed; }

Starting Fresh

Don't migrate everything at once. Start with:

A few notes on current projects
Daily notes habit
Gradually pull in relevant old notes

Let your vault grow organically rather than importing everything from your old system.

Obsidian rewards consistency. A small vault actively used beats a huge vault never opened. Start simple, link liberally, and let your second brain evolve.