Obsidian is a powerful note-taking app that allows you to organize your notes using tags. Adding tags to your notes can help you categorize information and quickly find what you need later. This guide will teach you everything you need to know about using tags effectively in Obsidian.
Table of Contents
What are Tags in Obsidian?
Tags in Obsidian are keywords or phrases preceded by the hash symbol (#) that you can add to notes to categorize and connect related content. For example, adding #biology and #zoology tags to notes about animals.
Some key things to know about Obsidian tags:
- Tags allow you to view all notes with a particular tag in one place
- You can add multiple tags to a single note
- Tags create connections between notes with similar topics
- Tags can be searched and filtered easily
How to Add Tags to Notes
Adding tags in Obsidian is very straightforward:
1. Open the note you want to tag
Double-click on the note in the file explorer pane to open it for editing.
2. Type a hash symbol # followed by the tag
For example: #tagname
You can add multiple tags by typing #tag1 #tag2 #tag3
3. Save the note
Once you’ve added tags, save the note by pressing Ctrl/Cmd + S or clicking the save icon. The tags will now be attached to that note.
Viewing and Managing Tags
Once you’ve started adding tags to your notes, you’ll want to be able to view, search, and manage them easily. Here are some ways to work with tags:
View Tag Pane
To see a list of all your tags and the notes they are attached to:
- Open command palette (Ctrl/Cmd + P)
- Type “tags” and select “Tags: Show Tags”
This will open the tags pane. You can drag this pane to reposition it.
Search Tags
To search for a specific tag, type #yoursearchterm in the search bar. This will show all notes with that tag.
Tag Suggestions
As you start typing a tag, Obsidian will suggest existing tags that match to help prevent duplicate tags.
Rename Tags
If you need to rename a tag on multiple notes:
- Click the tag in the tag pane
- Choose “Rename tag”
- Enter the new tag name
This will rename the tag across all notes.
Best Practices for Using Tags
Here are some tips for using tags effectively as part of your note-taking workflow:
Be Consistent
Use singular vs plural tags consistently. Settle on using either #apple vs #apples.
Use Specific Tags
Tags like #todo or #important are too broad. Use specific tags like #health-todo or #work-important.
Avoid Over-Tagging
Too many tags on a note can be counterproductive. Stick to 5-10 essential tags per note.
Create Tag Hierarchies
Use slashes to indicate hierarchies. For example: #biology/cell/mitochondria.
Use Numbers to Order Tags
Numbering tags can indicate sequence like steps. Ex: #step-1 #step-2 #step-3.
Tag Status and Priority
Use tags like #in-progress, #completed, or #high-priority to indicate status.
Additional Recommended Plugins
Here are some Obsidian plugins that can improve working with tags:
- Tag Wrangler – Automatically fixes tag consistency issues in your vault.
- Tags Extended – Additional features like tag folders and merging tags.
- Tag Pill – Displays tags as small pills at the top of notes.
Conclusion
Adding tags to your notes is a great way to organize information and add context in Obsidian. Now that you know the basics of creating and managing tags, you can develop a tagging strategy to suit your specific note-taking needs.
Consistently applying a well-thought-out tagging methodology will enable you to easily track content, uncover connections, and enhance your productivity when writing and referencing notes.
So give tags a try and see how much easier navigating your Obsidian knowledge base can be!
