How To Use Obsidian: Introduction To Folders, Links, And Tags

Obsidian’s most practical organizing strategy starts with links between notes, not a perfectly engineered folder system. Folders can become a “never-ending yak shaving” exercise because they’re rigid; the payoff is smaller than the benefit of connecting ideas directly so information stays discoverable as your knowledge grows. The core workflow presented is simple: create notes for the things you care about, link them to related notes, and then use tags as metadata so you can filter and retrieve later.

For folders, the guidance is intentionally lightweight. The recommended setup uses only a handful of folders: an “attachments” folder for photos, videos, and audio files (so any media referenced by notes has a predictable home), a “catch-all” folder for most notes and quick off-the-cuff writing, and a “templates” folder mainly to satisfy plugin expectations rather than to drive day-to-day organization. The catch-all is treated as the default landing zone—most notes go there—while folders come into play only when information needs a larger-scale separation.

A real-world example explains why folders still matter in specific contexts. In graphic design work, a rigid folder structure helped a stranger jump in and find deliverables quickly. The structure grouped client assets under each client, then organized project work by month, with “working files” (e.g., Photoshop and Illustrator) and “exports” split by platform (Facebook and Instagram) and by month. That setup made it easy to locate the exact source file behind a specific post—an operational need where folders provide clear navigation.

In Obsidian’s day-to-day use, the emphasis shifts to linking. The approach is to create a note for every “noun” in life—projects, routines, people, clients, and family. For instance, a “Client X Details” note functions like a Rolodex: it contains facts such as who the CEO and CTO are. Those names are linked to their own person notes. When the “Client X” note is updated, the links automatically connect the relevant person notes, and the linked-mentions view shows which notes reference each person. This keeps notes clean: the note focused on set lists or client context doesn’t get cluttered with everything else, yet the connections remain one click away.

Tags handle the “how would I want to find this later?” question. In a Broadway-show example, routines are tagged by stage suitability—stage, close-up, parlor, and so on. When building a set list, the user clicks a tag like “stage” to surface the relevant routine notes, then links those routine notes into the show’s set list. Tags describe attributes (illusion, tv promo, daring, favorite, worst, quote, daily), while the note title is what gets linked. The final rule of thumb is inverted pyramid thinking: start with links to connect ideas, use tags for later retrieval, and rely on folders only when you truly need bigger boundaries—starting with a catch-all to avoid losing time chasing the “perfect” structure.