Obsidian Setup for Zettelkasten
Based on Darin Suthapong's video on YouTube. If you like this content, support the original creators by watching, liking and subscribing to their content.
Create a dedicated Obsidian vault folder (either via Obsidian’s create-new-vault flow or by opening an existing folder as a vault).
Briefing
A practical Obsidian setup for Zettelkasten-style knowledge management hinges on four choices: where the vault lives, how it syncs, how nodes are named, and how templates standardize new notes. The core workflow starts with creating an Obsidian vault—either by generating a new vault folder inside Obsidian or by creating a folder first and opening it as a vault. Multiple vaults are possible, but this approach uses a single vault for personal knowledge management, while collaboration work is handled separately in Notion.
Syncing across devices is treated as a tradeoff between convenience and control. Two paths are offered: cloud syncing via services like Dropbox, Google Drive, or iCloud, or Obsidian Sync, a paid option. The setup described relies on iCloud and works well overall, with one recurring issue: iCloud can create duplicate daily notes on different devices. The workaround is manual—delete the duplicate and edit the original daily note—so the daily note stream stays consistent.
Once the vault is in place, the system becomes about note taxonomy and repeatable structure. Four node types are defined: literature nodes and references for consumed material, permanent notes for learned insights and ideas, fleeting notes for quick thoughts that arise during the day, and hub notes that function like an index in the Zettelkasten ecosystem. To make node types instantly recognizable in backlinks, each note name is prefixed with an emoji. If emojis feel cumbersome, an alternative naming convention uses letters as separators—for example, “p” for permanent notes and “r” for reference notes—so the note type remains legible even when viewed out of context.
Templates then enforce consistency and reduce friction. A dedicated templates folder holds the different template files, and Obsidian’s core plugins are configured to enable daily notes and template support. Daily note templates include a journal section (tagged for organization), plus a weekly goals area for daily check-ins, with the rest of the daily content handled in the same template structure.
Permanent note templates are designed around metadata and linking. They include the note title, a place to link back to hub notes or related nodes, and a tag describing the information type (such as YouTube, books, a person, or a concept). Additional fields capture author name, created date, source link, and hub/backlink connections. That metadata format is explicitly meant to work with Dataview, a plugin that can later query and display notes based on those structured fields.
Hub note templates are simpler: they store the hub node name and provide links to other hub nodes and related nodes. The setup concludes by offering downloadable templates for customization, aiming to let users adapt the same structure to their own Zettelkasten workflow without rebuilding everything from scratch.
Cornell Notes
The setup builds a Zettelkasten-style workflow in Obsidian using four pillars: a single vault, cross-device syncing, strict node naming, and templates that standardize new notes. Notes are categorized into literature nodes/references, permanent notes, fleeting notes, and hub notes. Node names are made self-describing by prefixing emojis (or using letter codes like “p” and “r”) so backlinks reveal note type at a glance. Daily notes and other node types are created through templates enabled in Obsidian’s core plugins, with permanent notes capturing structured metadata (author, dates, source links, and hub links) intended for use with Dataview. This matters because consistent naming and templating reduce friction and make linking and retrieval more reliable over time.
What’s the practical difference between using multiple vaults versus a single vault in this setup?
How does the setup handle syncing across devices, and what problem can occur with iCloud?
Why does the system insist on naming conventions for different node types?
What are the four node types, and what role does each play?
How do templates reduce friction, and what specific template fields are used for permanent notes?
What does the setup mean by “metadata,” and how does Dataview fit in?
Review Questions
- How would you decide between emoji prefixes and letter codes for note naming, and what problem does each solve?
- What steps are required in Obsidian to enable daily notes and templates, and why does that matter for consistent note creation?
- If iCloud creates duplicate daily notes, what workflow adjustment keeps the system consistent?
Key Points
- 1
Create a dedicated Obsidian vault folder (either via Obsidian’s create-new-vault flow or by opening an existing folder as a vault).
- 2
Use either cloud syncing (Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud) or Obsidian Sync; iCloud may produce duplicate daily notes across devices.
- 3
Organize notes into four node types: literature/reference, permanent, fleeting, and hub notes.
- 4
Make node types visible in backlinks by prefixing note names with emojis or using letter codes like “p” and “r.”
- 5
Enable daily notes and template support in Obsidian core plugins and point Obsidian to a templates folder.
- 6
Use permanent note templates with structured metadata (author, created date, source link, tags, and hub links) to support later querying with Dataview.
- 7
Keep hub notes as an index-like layer that links to other hub nodes and related nodes to strengthen navigation.