How to Get Started with Logseq | Videos I wish I had (Part 1)

Logseq’s core advantage for a complete beginner is that it replaces folder-based “top-down” storage with a bottom-up network of linked notes—so information can be found again through backlinks, search, and topic connections rather than through perfect file hierarchies. The practical payoff is immediate: when notes live in folders, working memory becomes the organizing system, and important material can vanish simply because the user can’t remember where it was filed. In Logseq, every entry becomes a node in a graph, and linking those nodes turns scattered thoughts into a navigable knowledge network.

The foundation starts with two building blocks. Blocks are the smallest functional unit—each line of text (entered in the journal) is a block. Pages are a different type of block that represent named nodes in the graph. Creating a page happens when text like “page one” or “page two” is entered; the moment a page is linked from another page (for example, typing “page two” inside “page one”), a connection appears in the graph. Hashtags can also create the same kind of linking, and the graph view visualizes relationships such as triangles formed by mutual links across pages. This linking mechanism is what turns raw entries into an interconnected knowledge graph.

Beyond the mechanics, the workflow design matters. The creator frames early struggles around advice to “just start writing,” saying that approach didn’t work until a more deliberate process was built. Instead of chasing one-size-fits-all habits, the system is guided by five design goals: easy searching and resurfacing of notes, a usable graph view that highlights important topics rather than becoming an unreadable cluster, decoupling inputs from outputs (while still keeping links so sources remain traceable), removing clutter, and keeping the process frictionless enough to actually sustain.

A major decision point is whether to enter information in the journal or on a page. The journal is treated as a high-frequency intake area for micro inputs—small items like tweets, short articles, YouTube videos, and podcasts—plus quick thoughts, to-dos, and notes from calls or irregular meetings. Pages are reserved for macro inputs: dense materials like books and long articles, recurring meetings that should be easy to access, and process/output content such as synthesized ideas for publishing. To make this choice consistent, four filters are used: how frequently something is entered, the weight or density of the information, how predictable the workflow is, and the coherence of the intended output.

Tags play a special role in this setup. Pages are used “at will” for tags to improve searchability without cluttering the journal or the graph lines directly, with the trade-off that many unlinked pages can form an “asteroid belt” around the graph. The creator has moved past that aesthetic annoyance, treating it as part of the process. The session ends by positioning this as theory-first groundwork, with a follow-up planned to focus more on practical implementation.