obsidian-markdown

# Obsidian Flavored Markdown Skill

Create and edit valid Obsidian Flavored Markdown. Obsidian extends CommonMark and GFM with wikilinks, embeds, callouts, properties, comments, and other syntax. This skill covers only Obsidian-specific extensions -- standard Markdown (headings, bold, italic, lists, quotes, code blocks, tables) is assumed knowledge.

## Mindset

Obsidian's core principle: use vault-native syntax (wikilinks, embeds, callouts) for anything that lives inside the vault, and standard Markdown only for external references or content that must render outside Obsidian.

**When to apply:** Working with `.md` files in an Obsidian vault, creating notes with wikilinks, using callouts, defining frontmatter properties, or embedding content from other notes.
**When NOT to apply:** Plain Markdown files outside a vault, GitHub READMEs, or documentation sites — Obsidian-specific syntax renders as raw text outside Obsidian.

## Workflow: Creating an Obsidian Note

1. **Add frontmatter** with properties (title, tags, aliases) at the top of the file. See [PROPERTIES.md](references/PROPERTIES.md) for all property types.
2. **Write content** using standard Markdown for structure, plus Obsidian-specific syntax below.
3. **Link related notes** using wikilinks (`[[Note]]`) for internal vault connections, or standard Markdown links for external URLs.
4. **Embed content** from other notes, images, or PDFs using the `![[embed]]` syntax. See [EMBEDS.md](references/EMBEDS.md) for all embed types.
5. **Add callouts** for highlighted information using `> [!type]` syntax. See [CALLOUTS.md](references/CALLOUTS.md) for all callout types.
6. **Verify** the note renders correctly in Obsidian's reading view.

> When choosing between wikilinks and Markdown links: use `[[wikilinks]]` for notes within the vault (Obsidian tracks renames automatically) and `[text](url)` for external URLs only.

## Internal Links (Wikilinks)

```markdown
[[Note Name]]                          Link to note
[[Note Name|Display Text]]             Custom display text
[[Note Name#Heading]]                  Link to heading
[[Note Name#^block-id]]                Link to block
[[#Heading in same note]]              Same-note heading link
```

Define a block ID by appending `^block-id` to any paragraph:

```markdown
This paragraph can be linked to. ^my-block-id
```

For lists and quotes, place the block ID on a separate line after the block:

```markdown
> A quote block

^quote-id
```

## Embeds

Prefix any wikilink with `!` to embed its content inline:

```markdown
![[Note Name]]                         Embed full note
![[Note Name#Heading]]                 Embed section
![[image.png]]                         Embed image
![[image.png|300]]                     Embed image with width
![[document.pdf#page=3]]               Embed PDF page
```

See [EMBEDS.md](references/EMBEDS.md) for audio, video, search embeds, and external images.

## Callouts

```markdown
> [!note]
> Basic callout.

> [!warning] Custom Title
> Callout with a custom title.

> [!faq]- Collapsed by default
> Foldable callout (- collapsed, + expanded).
```

Common types: `note`, `tip`, `warning`, `info`, `example`, `quote`, `bug`, `danger`, `success`, `failure`, `question`, `abstract`, `todo`.

See [CALLOUTS.md](references/CALLOUTS.md) for the full list with aliases, nesting, and custom CSS callouts.

## Properties (Frontmatter)

```yaml
---
title: My Note
date: 2024-01-15
tags:
  - project
  - active
aliases:
  - Alternative Name
cssclasses:
  - custom-class
---
```

Default properties: `tags` (searchable labels), `aliases` (alternative note names for link suggestions), `cssclasses` (CSS classes for styling).

See [PROPERTIES.md](references/PROPERTIES.md) for all property types, tag syntax rules, and advanced usage.

## Tags

```markdown
#tag                    Inline tag
#nested/tag             Nested tag with hierarchy
```

Tags can contain letters, numbers (not first character), underscores, hyphens, and forward slashes. Tags can also be defined in frontmatter under the `tags` property.

## Comments

```markdown
This is visible %%but this is hidden%% text.

%%
This entire block is hidden in reading view.
%%
```

## Obsidian-Specific Formatting

```markdown
==Highlighted text==                   Highlight syntax
```

## Math (LaTeX)

```markdown
Inline: $e^{i\pi} + 1 = 0$

Block:
$$
\frac{a}{b} = c
$$
```

## Diagrams (Mermaid)

````markdown
```mermaid
graph TD
    A[Start] --> B{Decision}
    B -->|Yes| C[Do this]
    B -->|No| D[Do that]
```
````

To link Mermaid nodes to Obsidian notes, add `class NodeName internal-link;`.

## Footnotes

```markdown
Text with a footnote[^1].

[^1]: Footnote content.

Inline footnote.^[This is inline.]
```

## Complete Example

See [EXAMPLES.md](references/EXAMPLES.md) for a full annotated note combining all Obsidian-specific syntax.

## Common Mistakes

**NEVER** use standard Markdown links (`[text](file.md)`) for notes inside the vault — renames silently break them. Use `[[wikilinks]]` instead.
**NEVER** wrap external URLs in `[[...]]` wikilink syntax — creates unresolvable vault references instead of hyperlinks.
**NEVER** place block IDs on the same line as list items or quotes — they require a separate trailing line after the block.
**NEVER** embed full notes with `![[Note]]` when only a section is relevant — use `![[Note#Heading]]`.
**NEVER** include spaces in tag names — a space terminates the tag and the rest becomes unindexed plain text.
**NEVER** place YAML frontmatter anywhere except the very first line of the file.

**WHY:** Obsidian-specific syntax fails silently — broken wikilinks, unindexed tags, and ignored properties produce no errors but corrupt the vault graph invisibly.

See [COMMON-MISTAKES.md](references/COMMON-MISTAKES.md) for full BAD/GOOD examples.

## References

- [Obsidian Flavored Markdown](https://help.obsidian.md/obsidian-flavored-markdown)
- [Internal links](https://help.obsidian.md/links)
- [Embed files](https://help.obsidian.md/embeds)
- [Callouts](https://help.obsidian.md/callouts)
- [Properties](https://help.obsidian.md/properties)