The basics

To get started, please first check out Obsidian Help. This site contains essential information and should get you started. The documentation is clear and concise while describing the basic terminology and uses of Obsidian.

You can also play around with the sandbox vault, just remember that your changes won't be saved / permanent, so don't edit anything you want to keep while you are there. Access the sandbox vault by pressing F1 and then click “Sandbox vault”.

Should I…

Before anything, start designing your vault (the official documentation will tell you what a vault is) based on how you want to retrieve / search / use the information you stored there.

Think about how you'll be querying your data:

• will you need to ask for data inside specific time intervals?
• will you need to query your data based on specific categories?
• what are you using your notes for?
• is there a specific format you'll need to follow consistently?

Ask as many questions as you can and try thinking on the most simple way to solve them.

Don't start with plugins — except for some core ones — until you have a specific problem to solve and already have some notes to apply it (maybe 10, 20 or, depending on the problem, a few hundred notes). Search plugins to address that single issue.

Start with some real notes (with information you'd be really saving to your vault) using the default theme. This will reduce the possibility of some visual issues and conflicts. Once you're comfortable with the tool that Obsidian is, you can invest time improving its visual while knowing what the tool does.

How do I do what that YouTuber did?

If you start with what you see in a video, your system will be what that person sells for a living, and possibly not what you need for your own system.

Videos are great for new ideas, for learning additional stuff after you read the official documentation. But videos aren't the best way to start learning this complex tool. You'll really have to try it.

Don't assume that the best to that YouTuber, to me, or to any other person is also the best for you. Try to test it. Don't be afraid of testing. And always create regular backups (with extra backups before your tests).

Bug report

If you found a bug or wish something existed in Obsidian, file a bug report or feature request on the forum, which is from where developers address things.

You'll also find workflows, automation, custom styles, and other things around there, so it is also a fun place to visit.