Obsidian Cheatsheet
Note: Obsidian shortcuts can be customized in Settings → Hotkeys. Some shortcuts may vary by platform.
File & Vault Management
Ctrl/Cmd + N
Create new note
Ctrl/Cmd + O
Open file
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + F
Search all files
Ctrl/Cmd + G
Switch to another file (quick switcher)
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + O
Switch vault
Ctrl/Cmd + ,
Open settings
Ctrl/Cmd + E
Toggle edit/preview mode
Editing & Formatting
Ctrl/Cmd + B
Bold text
Ctrl/Cmd + I
Italic text
Ctrl/Cmd + K
Insert link
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + C
Insert code block
Tab / Shift + Tab
Increase/decrease indent
Ctrl/Cmd + /
Toggle comment
Ctrl/Cmd + Z / Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + Z
Undo / redo
Linking & Navigation
[[Note Name]]
Create internal link to another note
[[Note Name|Display Text]]
Internal link with custom display text
#tag
Create tag
[[]]
Auto-suggest note link when typing
Ctrl/Cmd + Click
Follow link
Ctrl/Cmd + Enter
Follow link under cursor
View & Layout
Ctrl/Cmd + P
Command palette
Ctrl/Cmd + \
Toggle file explorer
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + \
Toggle side panel
Ctrl/Cmd + 1/2/3
Switch between panes
Ctrl/Cmd + W
Close current tab/pane
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + N
New vertical pane
Templates & Snippets
Ctrl/Cmd + T
Insert template
{{date}}
Insert current date (in template)
{{time}}
Insert current time (in template)
{{title}}
Insert note title (in template)
Templates are stored in a folder specified in Settings → Files and Links → Templates folder
Markdown Extensions
==highlighted text==
Highlight text
~~strikethrough~~
Strikethrough text
^[internal reference]
Block reference
![[image.png]]
Embed image or note
![[note#^block-id]]
Embed specific block from another note
- [ ] Task
Create task checkbox
- [x] Completed
Mark task as completed
Quick Notes & Daily
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + I
Open quick capture (if configured)
Ctrl/Cmd + J
Open today's daily note (Daily Notes plugin)
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + J
Open yesterday's daily note
Requires Daily Notes or Periodic Notes plugin to be installed and enabled
Useful Plugins
Core Plugins
File Explorer, Search, Graph View, Command Palette, Quick Switcher, Word Count
Community Plugins
Templates, Calendar, Kanban, Dataview, Advanced Tables, Excalidraw
Popular Plugin Commands:
- Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + L: Open left sidebar (Templates, Calendar)
- Alt + Click: Drag to create new note from canvas
- Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + T: Open template list
Tips & Tricks
Type [[]] for quick linking
Auto-suggest notes as you type
Drag & drop images
Automatically copies to vault folder and embeds
Right-click → Copy Obsidian URL
Share direct links to notes
Use folders and tags
Better organization and navigation
Aliases in frontmatter
Enable multiple ways to reference the same note
Quick reference for Obsidian note-taking and knowledge management