As notes keep piling up, the solutions for managing them start failing one after another.
But what would be a better way to make sense of your notes?
With Obsidian and the third-party Dataview plugin, you might manage your notes like a database.
Let’s see how.
This metadata will allow you to query and filter them through the Dataview plugin.
Then, grab the folder where you moved all your notes.
Go forCreateif you want to create a new notes vault, and choose an empty folder.
Give a name to your vault, and click onCreateto do precisely that.
To filter your notes based on their metadata, you’ll also need the Dataview plugin.
Since it’s not included with Obsidian, you’ll have to install it manually.
choose the icon with the cog on the bottom left to access Obsidian’s Options.
Then, move toCommunity plugins.
TurnSafe modeoff to switch on the installation of third-party plugins.
Acknowledge the change by clicking again onTurn off Safe Modeon the warning that shows up.
With Safe Mode turned off, you’ll see more options on the Community plugins options page.
Use the search field on the top left to filter the plugins list for “data view”.
Installing Dataview isn’t enough to use it - you also have to activate it.
For that, select theEnablebutton that will show up after its installation completes.
And with that, you’re set.
Now, you need some notes.
What Does Metadata Mean in Obsidian?
The Dataview plugin can detect two types of metadata in your notes.
The more organized way is to keep all your metadata in what’s known as the “frontmatter”.
To define the frontmatter section in a note, add three dashes at its very top.
Repeat to add as many metadata values as you like.
Finally, end this section with three dashes, again.
Note that you might use single values, quoted strings, or lists for your metadata keys.
For example, you could use the following for your cooking notes:
Let’s see another example.
Are you a fan of tabletop RPGs?
Remember to use the same metadata keys for all similar notes.
For this tutorial, we’re using the more consistent frontmatter approach.
In a more realistic scenario, you could use Obsidianto take notes during Zoom meetings like a pro.
You’ll then be able to query them based on particular keys, as we’ll see right next.
You embed those in existing notes.
Their results appear immediately if you left the Live Preview mode turned on as we suggested.
If not, you have to manually switch to Preview Mode to see the output of your queries.
That’s because other Obsidian plugins allow you to embed data in your notes in the same way.
When you switch to preview, you’ll see an actual list of those notes instead of the query.
Would you prefer to see your notes as a table instead, with some of their metadata content?
They then present them in two tables, one with all pasta-related recipes, the other with everything sweet.
Here’s a killer use for the Obsidian & Dataview combination: task management.
The list in our screenshot also displayed completed tasks, though.
Using it creatively, the sky’s the limit.
What will you build with Obsidian and Dataview?
