Master Obsidian Markdown

A comprehensive skill for Obsidian-flavored Markdown covering all Obsidian-specific syntax extensions including wiki-links, embeds, callouts, dataview queries, canvas integration, and plugin-specific syntax.

When to Use This Skill

Choose this skill when:

• Writing Obsidian notes with wiki-links, embeds, and callouts
• Creating Dataview queries for dynamic note aggregation
• Building templates with Templater syntax
• Structuring knowledge bases with MOCs (Maps of Content)
• Using Obsidian-specific formatting not in standard Markdown

Consider alternatives when:

• Writing standard Markdown → standard Markdown is sufficient
• Creating Obsidian Bases → use an Obsidian Bases skill
• Building JSON Canvases → use a JSON Canvas skill
• Working in a different note-taking app → use that app's skill

Quick Start

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# Obsidian-Specific Syntax Quick Reference

## Wiki-Links
[[Note Name]]                    → Link to note
[[Note Name|Display Text]]       → Link with custom text
[[Note Name#Heading]]            → Link to heading
[[Note Name#^block-id]]          → Link to block

## Embeds
![[Note Name]]                   → Embed entire note
![[Note Name#Heading]]           → Embed section
![[image.png]]                   → Embed image
![[image.png|400]]               → Embed image with width

## Callouts
> [!note] Title
> Content inside a callout

> [!warning] Important
> This is a warning callout

> [!tip]- Collapsible
> This callout is collapsed by default

## Tags
#topic/subtopic                  → Nested tag

Core Concepts

Callout Types

Type	Icon	Use Case
[!note]	Pencil	General information
[!tip]	Flame	Helpful suggestions
[!warning]	Alert	Caution notices
[!danger]	Zap	Critical warnings
[!example]	List	Code examples
[!question]	Circle ?	Questions/FAQs
[!quote]	Quote	Cited content
[!abstract]	Clipboard	Summaries
[!todo]	Check	Task items
[!info]	Info	Informational notes

Dataview Queries

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## Tasks Due This Week
```dataview
TASK FROM #project
WHERE !completed AND due <= date(today) + dur(7 days)
SORT due ASC

Recent Notes

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TABLE file.ctime AS "Created", file.tags AS "Tags"
FROM "notes"
WHERE file.ctime >= date(today) - dur(7 days)
SORT file.ctime DESC
LIMIT 10

Project Status Summary

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TABLE status, priority, assignee
FROM #project
WHERE status != "Done"
GROUP BY status
SORT priority DESC

### Frontmatter and Properties

```yaml
---
title: Project Specification
type: document
status: draft
tags:
  - project
  - specification
created: 2024-03-15
related:
  - "[[Architecture Doc]]"
  - "[[Requirements]]"
aliases:
  - spec
  - project-spec
cssclasses:
  - wide-page
---

Configuration

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
wikiLinkStyle	string	'shortest'	Link format: shortest, relative, or absolute
frontmatterFormat	string	'yaml'	Frontmatter: YAML or JSON
calloutDefault	string	'note'	Default callout type
dataviewEnabled	boolean	true	Include Dataview query support
templaterEnabled	boolean	true	Include Templater syntax support
tagNesting	boolean	true	Support nested tags (topic/subtopic)

Best Practices

1. Use wiki-links [[]] instead of Markdown links for internal notes — Wiki-links are automatically updated when you rename notes. Markdown links [text](file.md) break on rename and don't create backlinks.

2. Structure knowledge with Maps of Content (MOCs) — Create index notes that link to related notes on a topic. MOCs provide entry points into knowledge areas and are more flexible than rigid folder hierarchies.

3. Use frontmatter properties consistently across notes — Define a standard set of properties (status, type, tags, created) and use them consistently. This enables Dataview queries and Base views to aggregate notes reliably.

4. Leverage callouts for visual emphasis — Callouts make notes scannable by visually separating important information, warnings, and tips from body text. Use collapsible callouts ([!note]-) for supplementary details.

5. Write Dataview queries for dynamic aggregation instead of manual lists — A manually maintained "All Projects" list goes stale. A Dataview query TABLE FROM #project is always current. Dynamic queries replace manual maintenance.

Common Issues

Wiki-links break after moving notes to different folders — Obsidian's wiki-link resolution depends on the "shortest path" setting. Use unique note names or specify the full path [[folder/note]] to avoid ambiguity when multiple notes share names.

Dataview queries return empty results — Common causes: wrong FROM folder path, missing frontmatter properties, or property type mismatch. Check that property names are case-sensitive and values match the query conditions exactly.

Frontmatter not parsed correctly — YAML frontmatter must be enclosed between --- markers at the very beginning of the file (no blank lines before). Indentation errors, missing colons, or unquoted special characters break parsing.