By name: obsidian-markdown description: Write and edit Obsidian Flavored Markdown — wikilinks, embeds, callouts, block references, tags, comments, highlights, and math. Activate this skill when users want to link notes, embed content, add callouts, or use Obsidian-specific Markdown syntax.
Obsidian Flavored Markdown
Obsidian extends standard Markdown (CommonMark + GitHub Flavored Markdown) with syntax for connecting and enriching notes: wikilinks, embeds, callouts, block references, tags, comments, highlights, and math.
When creating or editing notes, use the write_file tool for note bodies and the update_frontmatter tool for properties. Place all body content after the YAML frontmatter block (if present) — frontmatter must start with --- on line 1 and end with a closing ---.
Internal Links (Wikilinks)
Link to other notes by title — no path or extension needed unless disambiguating:
| Syntax | Meaning |
|---|---|
[[Note Name]] |
Link by note title |
[[Note Name|Display Text]] |
Custom display text |
[[Note Name#Heading]] |
Link to a heading within a note |
[[Note Name#^block-id]] |
Link to a specific block |
[[#Heading]] |
Link to a heading in the current note |
[[folder/Note Name]] |
Disambiguate when titles collide |
Wikilinks are the preferred linking style in Obsidian. Standard Markdown links ([text](path)) also work, but wikilinks integrate with the graph view, backlinks, and autocomplete.
Block References
Append a caret + identifier to the end of any block (paragraph, list item, etc.) to give it a stable anchor, then link to it:
This is an important paragraph. ^key-point
See [[Other Note#^key-point]] for context.
Block IDs may contain letters, numbers, and hyphens. Obsidian auto-generates one (e.g. ^a1b2c3) if you link to a block before naming it.
Embeds
Prefix any wikilink with ! to embed the target's content inline instead of linking to it:
| Syntax | Meaning |
|---|---|
![[Note Name]] |
Embed an entire note |
![[Note Name#Heading]] |
Embed one section |
![[Note Name#^block-id]] |
Embed a single block |
![[image.png]] |
Embed an image |
![[image.png|300]] |
Embed an image at 300px width |
![[image.png|300x200]] |
Width x height |
![[document.pdf]] |
Embed a PDF |
![[document.pdf#page=3]] |
Embed a specific PDF page |
![[recording.mp3]] |
Embed audio |
![[clip.mp4]] |
Embed video |
Embeds only render in Reading view and Live Preview — they appear as raw ![[...]] text in Source mode. After adding embeds, let the user know they may need Reading view to see them rendered.
Callouts
Callouts are styled blockquotes for admonitions. Structure: a blockquote whose first line is > [!type], optionally followed by a custom title:
> [!note]
> This is a note callout with default title.
> [!warning] Custom Title
> This callout has a custom title.
> [!tip]+ Expanded by default
> The `+` makes a foldable callout that starts open.
> [!info]- Collapsed by default
> The `-` makes a foldable callout that starts closed.
Built-in types (each has its own icon/color): note, abstract/summary/tldr, info, todo, tip/hint/important, success/check/done, question/help/faq, warning/caution/attention, failure/fail/missing, danger/error, bug, example, quote/cite. Unknown types fall back to the note style. Callouts can be nested by adding more > levels, and may contain any Markdown, including wikilinks and embeds.
Properties (Frontmatter)
YAML metadata at the very top of a note. Always use the update_frontmatter tool to add or change properties — it formats YAML safely via Obsidian's API rather than hand-editing the block.
---
title: My Note
tags:
- project
- active
aliases:
- Alt Name
date: 2026-06-09
cssclasses:
- wide-page
---
For full guidance on property types (text, list, number, checkbox, date, datetime) and their interaction with Bases, Templates, and Search, activate the obsidian-properties skill.
Tags
Inline #tags categorize notes and can be nested with /:
#project #status/active #area/work
Tags can also live in frontmatter under the tags property (without the #). Tags may contain letters, numbers, -, _, and /, but not spaces, and cannot be purely numeric.
Comments
Text wrapped in %% is hidden from Reading view but stays in the file:
%%This is a private note that won't render.%%
Visible text %%inline hidden%% more visible text.
Other Syntax
| Feature | Syntax |
|---|---|
| Highlight | ==highlighted text== |
| Inline math | $e = mc^2$ |
| Block math | $$\int_a^b f(x)\,dx$$ on its own line |
| Footnote | Some text.[^1] then [^1]: The definition. on its own line |
Mermaid diagrams render from a fenced mermaid code block and support wikilinks between nodes:
graph TD
A[[Note A]] --> B[[Note B]]
Standard GitHub Flavored Markdown — tables, task lists (- [ ] / - [x]), fenced code blocks, strikethrough (~~text~~) — all work as expected.
Workflow
- If the note needs metadata, add frontmatter first via
update_frontmatter. - Write the body with
write_file, placing content after any frontmatter. - Use wikilinks to connect related notes and embeds to pull in supporting content.
- Remind the user that embeds and callouts render in Reading view / Live Preview, not Source mode.
Tips
- Prefer
[[wikilinks]]over Markdown links so the note participates in the graph and backlinks. - When linking to a heading or block that doesn't exist yet, create the anchor in the target note so the link resolves.
- Keep callout types lowercase; the title after
[!type]is free-form text. - Don't place body content before frontmatter unless explicitly editing the frontmatter block.