Difference between Tags, Folders, and Links in Obsidian
Content
This cell presents a detailed explanation, guided by the Director of AI and Digital Identity, on the functional and epistemological distinctions between tags, folders, and links in Obsidian. The approach includes both technical and conceptual implications for building networks of knowledge within the MentisCraft project.
There's an, old, human generated version of this text available at Connecting information and notes. This human generated text was not used as input to the AI.
📁 Folders
Definition:
Folders are physical structures in the file system. They group notes into visible directories and act as editorial containers.
Examples:
MentisCraft/Models
MentisCraft/Epistemological Notes
MentisCraft/Projects 2025
Typical uses:
- Separate by content type (concepts, projects, analyses)
- Create editorial hierarchies (e.g., Published, Drafts, Review)
- Organize chronologically or by author
Limitations:
- No explicit semantics
- Do not create relationships between notes
- Not visible in the knowledge graph
🏷️ Tags
Definition:
Tags are keywords preceded by # inside the note. They serve as thematic labels grouping notes by topic.
Example:
#governance #ai #digitalidentity #mentiscraft
Typical uses:
- Group notes by transversal themes
- Create quick filters in search
- Identify emerging or recurring topics
Limitations:
- Do not indicate relationships between notes
- Lack direction or context
- May be ambiguous without standardization
🔗 Links
Definition:
Links connect one note to another using the
Display text syntax. They are relational elements that build the semantic network within Obsidian.
Example:
See also: Knowledge Curator and Director Ethics Epistemology
Typical uses:
- Create explicit conceptual connections
- Build mental and epistemological maps
- Enable contextual navigation between ideas
- Feed visualizations in the knowledge graph
Advantages:
- Semantic and relational
- Support traceability and iterative refinement
- Fundamental to modular structures
🧠 Final Comparison
| Element | Main Function | Semantic | Navigation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Folders | Physical organization | ❌ | Hierarchical | MentisCraft/Models |
| Tags | Thematic grouping | Partial | By filter | #epistemology |
| Links | Conceptual connection | ✅ | Contextual | Metaepistemology AI Thinking Thought |
🧪 AI Director's Recommendations
“Use folders for editorial structure, tags to track emerging themes, and links to build living knowledge. In MentisCraft, links are the backbone of the semantic network — they are what transform notes into interconnected cells.”
Essence
- Folders organize physically but lack semantic connection
- Tags group by theme but don’t create explicit relationships
- Links build meaning networks and support contextual navigation
Links
- Director of AI and Digital Identity – source of this explanation
- MentisCraft – Design, Analysis, and Modular Structure – editorial and semantic structure
- MentisCell - Knowledge Curator – traceability and conceptual organization
- MentisCell - Metaepistemology AI Thinking Thought – philosophical implications of networked structure
- Model Interpretability in AI – explainability and traceability
- MentisCell - Data Culture Organizational Change – organizational impact and structuring practice
Tags
#mentiscraft #obsidian #folders #tags #links #structure #modularity #epistemology #mentiscell
Contributors
Created with support from Microsoft Copilot on 2025-07-18.
With structural, conceptual, and editorial contributions by Jorge Godoy.