Glossary

An alias is a type of property that defines alternative names for a note.

An attachment is an accepted file format that was created outside of the vault and added later.

A command is an action that can be performed either by selecting it from the Command palette or by assigning it to a hotkey.

Embedding means replacing a reference to external content with the content itself, for example to include an image in your note. See also Embed files.

Frontmatter is a way to define properties by adding YAML or JSON at the top of the note. See also Property format.

A graph is a visualization that highlights connections between notes. See also Graph view.

A hotkey is a keyboard shortcut for a command. See also Hotkeys and How to/Use hotkeys.

A link references another note or file. An internal link points to a file located in the current vault. An external link points to a location outside the vault, typically a web page.

The main area is the central area of the Obsidian app, where you primarily edit notes.

Markdown is a markup language for formatting text and the primary file format used for notes in Obsidian, .md files. See also Basic formatting syntax.

A note is a Markdown file inside a vault.

A plugin extends Obsidian with additional features.

You can build your own plugin.

By default, all notes within a vault opens in the same app window. A pop-out window lets you open notes from the same vault in separate windows, for example to display on a second screen.

See also Pop-out windows.

Properties define additional information about a note, such as a due date or author.

The ribbon functions as a container for frequently used action icons.

In the desktop version, it's the vertical area situated on the far left.

In the mobile version, it's represented by a menu button ( ) on the status bar.

An area that contains supporting views organized as tabs. A sidebar can be split into multiple tab groups.

Obsidian desktop has two sidebars, one on each side of the main area. Both sidebars can be accessed by icons in the upper-left and upper-right corners in the Obsidian app, in addition to swiping left or right. The upper-right icon must be held to open the window.

A snippet, or CSS snippet, changes the appearance of Obsidian, just like a theme. Unlike themes, you can apply multiple snippets at the same time.

The status bar in the Obsidian application shows you essential statistics and statuses. In the desktop version, you'll find it in the bottom-right corner, while on mobile devices, it's positioned along the bottom of the app.

A tab contains a view. Tabs can be repositioned within the main area and the sidebars. See also Tabs.

A tab group is a collection of tabs in the main area. Tabs in a tab group can be stacked.

A tag is a word that starts with a hash (#), for example #book. Tags are primarily used to find related notes.

A theme changes the appearance of the Obsidian app using CSS. You can override parts of a theme using snippets.

Aliases: local vault, local data

A vault is a folder on your file system which contains notes and an .obsidian folder with Obsidian-specific configuration. See also How Obsidian stores data.

A view displays information, for example the Search view.