How to add tags in obsidian

Tags are phrases or keywords that can help you organize notes in Obsidian. By creating tags, you can locate specific notes faster if you want to read them. The process of creating tags in Obsidian is relatively simple. Simply type in a hashtag and a keyword or topic. Obsidian Vault will automatically detect your tag.

If you are a beginner, read this article to learn the entire process of creating tags in Obsidian.

How to create labels in obsidian

Obsidian users can choose between tags, links, and folders. All three elements allow you to organize your notes in the app. Which one you use depends on how you prefer to view your notes. Some people start with tags and then links as their notes become more meaningful. Others choose only tags or tags of objects, people, categories of things, or places.

Also, some Obsidian users tag less important things and link to more important ones. You can freely decide how and when to use the tags. Here’s how to add tags to notes in Obsidian:

1. Type a hashtag icon (#) in the editor.
   
2. Enter a keyword next to it.
   
3. Your tag should look like this: #Recipe. Please note that labels are not case sensitive.
   

For example, the system would detect and understand “#Recipe” and “#recipe” as just tags, even if one is capitalized and the other is not. Additionally, you cannot leave blank spaces between the words that make up a tag. For example, you should type #PradaPurse or #Prada_Purse instead of #Prada Purse. When creating a label in Obsidian, use only the following characters:

• Underscore
• Forward slash
• Script
• Number
• Alphabet.

Additionally, you must include a non-numeric character with numeric characters. For example, type #a2023 instead of #2023.

How to add tags to metadata in YAML Frontmatter

The fastest way to create labels in Obsidian is with YAML. You could add a tag to your metadata in YAML. Here are examples:

Add a tag to the metadata

Use this code to add a tag to the metadata:

Tag: #book

Add multiple tags

If you want to add many tags at once, the code will appear like this:

Tags:

-book

-reading

Single line tags

Another way involves adding tags to a line and separating them with a comma like this:

Tags: books, reading

Add many tags to metadata on a single line

Alternatively, you can create multiple tag metadata on a single line like this:

Tags: (books, reading)

Using YAML-based tags in Obsidian Notes

After creating tags in the YAML plugin, you can use them in your Obsidian notes. You just need to do it through code like this:

Tags:

-article-post

-article-podcast

Using YAML autocomplete

YAML provides a valuable feature called AutoComplete, which you can use with your tags in Obsidian. It can allow you to work faster and more accurately. With AutoComplete, you can avoid creating unnecessary tags that can mess up Obsidian’s tagging system. So, use the function like this:

1. Write the first three dashes (—).
   
2. Enter “tags” below them followed by a colon.
   
3. Then, enter the left double quote, leave a blank, type a hashtag (#), enter the keyword, and end with a right double quote.
   
4. After finishing the steps above for your first tag, the result should look like this:

tags: “ #article_post”

Suppose you want to create many tags using the YAML autocomplete tool. The code should appear like this:

tags: “ #article_post #article_podcast ”

You can also write the code like this:

tags: (“ #article_post #article_podcast ”)

Or this way:

tags: 
   “     #article_post”
   “     #article_podcast”

How to locate tagged notes

After you create tags, you should use them to find relevant notes in Obsidian. Here are ways to achieve this:

1. Enter “tag:” in the Obsidian search box and choose the item you need from a list.
   
2. Go to the “Tag Panel” and choose the “tag name” you need.
   
3. Enter “#tagname” in the search box when searching for a specific tag within your notes. For example, you can write #Twitter, #YouTube, etc.
   

If you are using the Command palette, a Labels plugin in Obsidian, choose “Labels: Show Labels” in this plugin. After that, click on the tag you want to find.

Types of tags: What are nested tags?

When creating tags for related topics, you should use the nested type. Nested tags are also called hierarchical tags. They are like subtags of the more important tags. If you want to locate and filter related tags, nested tags will help you. Nested tags can find many related tags in multiple areas of your Obsidian notes.

They create a simple hierarchical tag structure. If your parent tag is “social media content”, the appropriate nested tags might be “Facebook”, “Instagram”, “Twitter”, etc. The correct way to create a nested tag for your Obsidian notes is by adding a forward slash to the tag name. Here is a correct nested tag: #animals/domestic-animals/dogs. If you take complex notes with Obsidian, you’ll find nested tags very convenient.

It will help you create as many subtitles as possible. A note can contain many tags nested under one or more parent tags. Therefore, labels and nested labels are a better choice than folders when your notes are large. They can simplify cross-referencing and help you identify correlations between notes.

Knowing when to add tags to obsidian

Complex projects

Tags are reliable when doing a project with many steps or subtopics in Obsidian. As noted above, you can create nested tags for your parent tags. This will lead to a logical hierarchy of tags. When searching for specific notes, you can type a related nested tag in the search plugin.

Visual Aesthetics

If you like the way labels look in notes, you can apply them to folders and links. You can view all tags using the Tag Panel. The classifications of parent tags and nested tags are clear. Let’s say your main tag is Dog Diseases. The Tag Panel will list nested tags such as “hip dysplasia,” “ocular glaucoma,” and “ringworm” below.

Links are hidden inside notes, making it impossible to see them directly. On the other hand, tags are so well organized in the Tag Panel that you can distinguish between topics and subtopics. However, you should avoid creating excessive labels so as not to be distracted when reading notes.

Note Transfer

If you plan to transfer some notes from your Obsidian app to another web system, you should avoid tags. The problem with using tags is the way the hashtags are copied to the landing page. They can confuse readers and the best solution is to remove them. Nested labels can be even more distracting after transferring Obsidian notes to a WordPress blog or Half page.

Additionally, copying and pasting notes in “Edit Mode” and “Reading Mode” will produce different results on the destination page. If you want to use your notes elsewhere, you may want to use another sorting method. Otherwise, using tags will give you extra work.

Frequent questions

How can you enable the labels panel?

All you need to do is log in to your Obsidian app. Then, open the command palette and search for “Labels:Show Labels.” Move the label panel where you need it.

Can you add emoticons to your Obsidian?

If you want to insert an emoji into the editor, it’s pretty simple. Click on the emoji directly or search for it using the arrow keys. Press enter to insert your favorite emoji.

Group your notes with tags

Tags are a convenient way to group and classify different notes in Obsidian. After making tags, use them to locate notes. After you click a tag or nested tag, the system will generate all notes that contain it. As you’ve learned, you can create tags in Obsidian with or without a community plugin. The method you choose depends on your goals.