Obsidian Markdown Cheat Sheet & Shortcuts
Markdown Syntax Basics
| Feature | Syntax Example | Result / Notes |
|---|
| Headings | # H1
## H2
### H3 | Large to smaller headers |
| Bold | **bold text** or __bold__ | bold text |
| Italic | *italic* or _italic_ | italic |
| Bold + Italic | ***bold italic*** | bold italic |
| Strikethrough | ~~strikethrough~~ | strikethrough |
| Inline code | `code` | code |
| Code block | ```language <br> code <br> ``` | Multiline code block with optional language |
| Blockquote | > quoted text | > quoted text |
| Unordered list | - item or * item | - item |
| Ordered list | 1. item | 1. item |
| Checkbox | - [ ] task / - [x] done task | - [ ] task / - [x] done task |
| Horizontal rule | --- or *** | — horizontal line |
| Link | [text](url) | text |
| Internal link | [[Note Title]] | Links to another note titled “Note Title” |
| Embed note | ![[Note Title]] | Embed the content of another note |
| Image |  | Displays an image |
Obsidian Specific Markdown & Features
| Feature | Syntax / Shortcut | Description |
|---|
| Internal links | [[Note Title]] | Create links to other notes |
| Embed notes | ![[Note Title]] | Embed another note’s full content |
| Tag | #tagname | Add tags for organization |
| Aliases in links | [[Note Title|Alias]] | Link to note but display Alias |
| Footnotes | Here is a footnote[^1]
[^1]: Footnote text | Footnotes |
| Callouts | > [!NOTE] This is a callout | Special highlighted block |
| Math block | $$ <br> math code <br> $$ | LaTeX math block |
| Inline math | $ math code $ | Inline LaTeX math |
Keyboard Shortcuts (Default)
| Action | Shortcut (Windows/Linux) | Shortcut (Mac) |
|---|
| Create new note | Ctrl + N | Cmd + N |
| Open command palette | Ctrl + P | Cmd + P |
| Search in vault | Ctrl + Shift + F | Cmd + Shift + F |
| Toggle sidebar | Ctrl + E | Cmd + E |
| Toggle preview/edit mode | Ctrl + E | Cmd + E |
| Open backlinks pane | Ctrl + Shift + B | Cmd + Shift + B |
| Create new tag | Type # then text | Type # then text |
| Bold selected text | Ctrl + B | Cmd + B |
| Italicize selected text | Ctrl + I | Cmd + I |
| Insert link | Ctrl + K | Cmd + K |
| Toggle checklist | Ctrl + Shift + C | Cmd + Shift + C |
| Toggle task done | Ctrl + Enter (while cursor on task) | Cmd + Enter |
| Open note in new pane | Ctrl + Click | Cmd + Click |
| Toggle outline pane | Ctrl + O | Cmd + O |
| Split pane vertically/horizontally | Ctrl + Shift + V / Ctrl + Shift + H | Cmd + Shift + V / Cmd + Shift + H |
Useful Tips
- Use
[[ to quickly link to existing notes or create new ones.
- Drag and drop images or files directly into notes to embed them.
- Use tags (
#tag) liberally for easy searching and filtering.
- Utilize the graph view to visualize connections between your notes.
- Use the command palette (
Ctrl+P / Cmd+P) to quickly access any command.