Learn Obsidian / First Note

Creating Your First Note

Write your first note and explore the Obsidian editor interface.

The Obsidian Editor Interface

When you open Obsidian, you'll see several main areas:

Left Sidebar

  • File Explorer: Browse your vault's files and folders
  • Search: Search for notes across your vault
  • Bookmarks: Quickly access frequently used notes
  • Other plugins: Additional tools you can enable

Right Sidebar

  • Outline: View the structure of your current note
  • Backlinks: See which notes link to this one
  • Related: Find related notes based on content
  • Properties: Metadata about your note

Tip: You can toggle sidebars on/off by clicking the arrow icons or using Ctrl+B (Windows) / Cmd+B (Mac) to hide/show the left sidebar.

How to Create a New Note

Method 1: Using the File Explorer (Easiest)

  1. Look at the left sidebar and find "File Explorer"
  2. Click the "+" icon at the top of the File Explorer
  3. A dialog will ask you to name your note
  4. Type a name (e.g., "My First Note") and press Enter
  5. Your new note will open in the editor!

Method 2: Using Keyboard Shortcut

Press Ctrl+N (Windows) / Cmd+N (Mac) to create a new note instantly.

Method 3: Using the Command Palette

  1. Press Ctrl+P (Windows) / Cmd+P (Mac) to open the command palette
  2. Type "new note" and press Enter
  3. Name your note and press Enter

Tip: The quickest way is usually Ctrl+N / Cmd+N!

Editing Your First Note

Step 1: Create a Note

Create a new note called "Getting Started" using one of the methods above.

Step 2: Start Typing

Just start typing! The editor is very simple. Type anything you want—your thoughts, a to-do list, a reflection, whatever you'd like.

Example:

# My First Obsidian Note

This is my first note in Obsidian!

## What I'm learning
- How to create notes
- How to format text
- How to organize my thoughts

Step 3: Auto-Save

Here's the good news: Obsidian automatically saves your notes! You don't need to press Ctrl+S. As soon as you stop typing for a moment, your note is saved.

Step 4: Close the Note (Optional)

To close a note, click the X next to the note name at the top of the editor, or press Ctrl+W.

Opening and Navigating Notes

Opening a Note

  • File Explorer: Click on a file name in the left sidebar
  • Quick open: Press Ctrl+O / Cmd+O and search for a note by name
  • Command palette: Press Ctrl+P and search for notes

Multiple Tabs

You can have multiple notes open at once. Each note appears as a tab at the top of the editor. Click between tabs to switch notes, or use keyboard shortcuts:

  • Ctrl+Tab - Switch to next tab
  • Ctrl+Shift+Tab - Switch to previous tab

Useful workflow: Open multiple notes side-by-side by dragging a tab. This lets you reference notes while writing!

Useful Editing Features

The Outline Panel

Look at the right sidebar. You should see an "Outline" tab that shows the structure of your note based on headings. Click any heading to jump to it instantly!

Backlinks Panel

This shows notes that link to your current note. Since you're just starting, it will be empty. We'll explore this more in the linking module!

Word Count

At the bottom of the editor, you can see your word count and character count. This is useful for writing assignments with word limits!

Reading View vs. Editing View

Look at the top right of the editor. You can toggle between:

  • Editing view: See raw Markdown with formatting visible (what you see now)
  • Reading view: See formatted, polished text without Markdown syntax

Click the icon to switch between views, or press Ctrl+E / Cmd+E.

Essential Keyboard Shortcuts

Action Windows Mac
New note Ctrl+N Cmd+N
Open note Ctrl+O Cmd+O
Find in note Ctrl+F Cmd+F
Replace in note Ctrl+H Cmd+H
Command palette Ctrl+P Cmd+P
Toggle edit/read Ctrl+E Cmd+E
Close note Ctrl+W Cmd+W
Switch vault Ctrl+Alt+O Cmd+Option+O

You don't need to memorize these now! Just remember that Ctrl+P / Cmd+P opens the command palette where you can search for any action.

Pro Tips for Editing

Tip 1: Fold Sections

Click the arrow next to a heading to collapse/expand that section. Great for keeping notes organized!

Tip 2: Use Reading View When Finished

When you're done editing, toggle to Reading View to see how your note actually looks. It's much more polished-looking!

Tip 3: Link to Other Notes as You Write

Even on your first note, start linking! Type [[ to create a link. We'll explore this more in Module 6.

Tip 4: Create Folders

In the File Explorer, click the folder icon to create folders. You can organize notes into folders like "Research," "Ideas," "Projects," etc.

Tip 5: Rename Notes Anytime

Right-click a note name and select "Rename" to change its name. Obsidian will automatically update links!

You've Created Your First Note!

Congratulations! You're now officially using Obsidian. Try creating a few more notes with different types of content—lists, reflections, notes from reading, whatever interests you!

Next: Module 5 will teach you Markdown formatting, which will make your notes look amazing.

← Previous: Creating Your First Vault Next: Markdown Basics →