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Backlinks

Backlinks show you every note that links to the one you’re currently viewing. This creates a bidirectional web of connections.

Section titled “What Are Backlinks?”

When Note A contains [[Note B]], a wiki link is created from A to B. From Note B’s perspective, Note A is a backlink.

Note A: "See [[Note B]] for details"
        ↓
Note B's backlinks show: Note A
Section titled “Viewing Backlinks”
  1. Open any note
  2. Look at the right sidebar
  3. Find the Backlinks section

Each backlink shows:

  • The note name
  • A preview of the context where the link appears

Click any backlink to open that note.

Section titled “Backlinks vs Linked Notes”

The sidebar shows both:

Linked NotesBacklinks
Notes this note links toNotes that link to this note
You created these linksOthers (or past you) created these
Outbound connectionsInbound connections
Section titled “Why Backlinks Matter”

Discover Context

Section titled “Discover Context”

When working on a note, backlinks remind you of related content you might have forgotten.

Surface Connections

Section titled “Surface Connections”

Notes you didn’t intentionally connect might be related through shared backlinks.

Track References

Section titled “Track References”

See everywhere a topic, person, or project is mentioned across your notes.

Build Knowledge

Section titled “Build Knowledge”

Over time, heavily-linked notes reveal your key concepts and ideas.

Section titled “Backlinks in Practice”

Example: Person Notes

Section titled “Example: Person Notes”

Create a note for each person you work with:

# Alice Smith


- Role: Engineering Manager
- Team: Platform

Every time you mention [[Alice Smith]] in meeting notes, project docs, or elsewhere, those notes appear as backlinks on her note.

Example: Concept Notes

Section titled “Example: Concept Notes”

Create notes for important concepts:

# Technical Debt


Technical debt is the implied cost of additional rework...

Link to [[Technical Debt]] whenever you encounter it. The backlinks become a log of where technical debt exists.

Example: Daily Notes

Section titled “Example: Daily Notes”

If you keep daily notes, link to projects and people:

# 2024-01-15


Met with [[Alice Smith]] about [[Project Alpha]].
Discussed [[Technical Debt]] in the auth system.

Each linked note accumulates backlinks showing when it was relevant.

Section titled “Backlink Search”

To find all notes related to a topic:

  1. Open that topic’s note
  2. Check its backlinks
  3. Also search for the term in case some mentions aren’t linked

Tips

Section titled “Tips”
Section titled “Make Link-Worthy Notes”

Create notes for concepts worth linking to. The more link targets you have, the richer your backlink graph.

Section titled “Check Backlinks When Editing”

Before major edits to a note, review its backlinks. Changes might affect the context in linking notes.

Section titled “Use Backlinks for Review”

When reviewing a topic, read through its backlinks to refresh your memory of all related contexts.