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Obsidian Markdown Guide

Every Obsidian markdown feature in one place. 35+ features with copy-paste syntax and live previews.

35+ featuresWiki links & calloutsUpdated 2026Free forever

Quick Reference

All Obsidian markdown syntax at a glance — standard + Obsidian-specific extensions.

Feature	Syntax	Notes
Bold	`text`	Double asterisks
Italic	`text`	Single asterisks or underscores
Bold Italic	`*text*`	Triple asterisks
Strikethrough	`~~text~~`	Double tildes
Highlight	`==text==`	Double equals (Obsidian-specific)
Inline Code	`code`	Single backticks
Heading	`# H1 ... ###### H6`	Hash + space
External Link	`[text](url)`	Standard markdown link
Wiki Link	`[[Note Name]]`	Obsidian internal link
Alias Link	`[[Note\|Display]]`	Custom display text
Code Block	```lang\ncode\n```	Triple backticks + language
Unordered List	`- item`	Dash, asterisk, or plus
Task List	`- [ ] task`	Interactive checkboxes
Blockquote	`> text`	Greater-than sign
Callout	`> [!type] Title`	note, warning, tip, etc.
Embed Note	`![[Note Name]]`	Transclusion with !
Embed Image	`![[image.png]]`	From vault attachments
Table	`\| a \| b \|`	Standard markdown tables
Tag	`#tag`	Hash without space
Comment	`%%hidden%%`	Obsidian-specific comments
Footnote	`[^1]`	Define [^1]: at bottom
Math	`$inline$ $$block$$`	LaTeX / KaTeX math

Text Formatting

Standard markdown formatting plus Obsidian's highlight syntax.

Bold

Strong emphasis with double asterisks

My Note.md

bold text

Italic

Emphasis with single asterisks or underscores

My Note.md

italic text

Bold Italic

Combined emphasis

My Note.md

bold italic text

Strikethrough

Crossed-out text with double tildes

My Note.md

~~strikethrough text~~

Highlight

Highlighted text with double equals (Obsidian-specific)

My Note.md

highlighted text

Inline Code

Monospace text within a sentence

My Note.md

inline code

Headings & Links

Six heading levels, standard links, wiki links, and heading/alias variations.

Headings

Six levels from H1 (largest) to H6 (smallest)

My Note.md

Heading 1

Heading 2

Heading 3

External Link

Standard markdown link to a URL

My Note.md

Obsidian

Wiki Link

Internal link to another note in your vault

My Note.md

My Note

Wiki Link with Alias

Custom display text for internal links

My Note.md

Short name

Heading Link

Link to a specific heading in another note

My Note.md

Project Plan > Timeline

Code

Inline code, fenced blocks with syntax highlighting for 200+ languages.

Inline Code

Short code within a sentence

My Note.md

Use npm install to start

Fenced Code Block

Multi-line code with triple backticks

My Note.md

const vault = 'My Vault'\nconsole.log(vault)

Syntax Highlighting

Add language name for colored code

My Note.md

def greet(name):\n    return f"Hello, {name}!"

Lists

Unordered, ordered, nested, and interactive task lists with checkboxes.

Unordered List

Bullet points with dashes, asterisks, or plus signs

My Note.md

First item
Second item
Third item

Ordered List

Numbered items

My Note.md

First item
Second item
Third item

Nested List

Indent with tab or spaces for sub-items

My Note.md

Parent
- Child
- Child
Another parent

Task List

Interactive checkboxes — click to toggle in Live Preview

My Note.md

☑ Write the draft
☑ Add wiki links
☐ Review and publish

Blockquotes & Callouts

Standard blockquotes plus Obsidian's 12+ styled callout types with optional folding.

Blockquote

Quoted text with greater-than sign

My Note.md

This is a blockquote

Nested Blockquote

Multiple levels of quoting

My Note.md

First level
Nested quote
Deeply nested

Callout — Info & Warning

Styled callouts with type, icon, and color

My Note.md

ℹ️ Info — Good to know
This is an informational callout.

⚠️ Warning — Watch out
This action has consequences.

Foldable Callout

Collapsible with + (open) or - (collapsed)

My Note.md

❓ FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions

Click to collapse this section.
It starts expanded because of the +.

Embeds & Transclusions

Embed notes, images, and specific sections from other files — unique to Obsidian.

Embed Note

Transclude another note's content inline

My Note.md

📄 Embedded from Meeting Notes

The embedded note's content appears here, updating live when the source changes.

Embed Image

Display an image from vault attachments with optional size

My Note.md

[Image: photo.png]
Second example resized to 400px width

Embed Section

Embed only a specific heading or block from another note

My Note.md

📄 Embedded from Project Plan > Timeline

Only the Timeline section appears here — not the full note.

Tables

Standard markdown tables. Use the Advanced Tables plugin for tab navigation and auto-formatting.

Basic Table

Pipes for columns, hyphens for header separator

My Note.md

Plugin	Stars
Dataview	10K
Templater	8K

Column Alignment

Colons in separator for left, center, right

My Note.md

Left	Center	Right
A	B	C

Obsidian-Specific Features

Tags, comments, footnotes, math, and front matter — features unique to or extended by Obsidian.

Comment

Hidden text that only shows in Source Mode

My Note.md

[Hidden in preview — visible only in Source Mode]

Footnote

Reference markers that appear at the bottom

My Note.md

This has a footnote¹.

Footnote content here. ↩

Math (LaTeX)

Inline and display math with KaTeX rendering

My Note.md

Inline: E = mc²

(-b ± √(b² - 4ac)) / 2a

Front Matter

YAML metadata at the top of a note

My Note.md

title: My Note\ntags: [project, active]\naliases: [My Note Alias]\ncssclass: wide-page

Block Reference

Add ^block-id at the end of any paragraph to give it a linkable ID. Then reference it from any note with [[Note#^block-id]]. Obsidian auto-suggests block IDs as you type.

My Note.md

Some important text ^my-block

Meeting Notes > my-block

Unsupported in Obsidian

Features that require plugins or workarounds.

Underline

No native syntax — use HTML <u> tag or install a community plugin

Colored Text

No built-in color syntax — use CSS snippets or the Style Settings plugin

Video Embeds

No native video support — use the Media Extended plugin or link to external video

Custom CSS Inline

Inline style attributes are stripped — use CSS snippets in .obsidian/snippets/ instead

Mermaid (limited)

Basic mermaid diagrams work but complex features and some diagram types may not render correctly

Pro Tips

1Toggle Live Preview & Source Mode

Press Cmd/Ctrl+E to toggle between Live Preview (renders formatting as you type) and Source Mode (shows raw markdown). Reading View is a third mode for final output.

2Quick Switcher for Navigation

Press Cmd/Ctrl+O to open the Quick Switcher and jump to any note by typing part of its name. Pair this with [[wiki links]] for fast vault navigation.

3Callout Types

Obsidian supports 12+ callout types: note, abstract, info, todo, tip, success, question, warning, failure, danger, bug, example, quote. Each has a unique icon and color.

> [!warning] Be careful
> This action cannot be undone.

4Resize Embedded Images

Add a pipe and pixel width after the image name to resize it. Works for both wiki-style and markdown-style images.

![[photo.png|300]]
![alt|300](photo.png)

5Block References

Link to a specific paragraph by adding ^block-id at the end of any line, then reference it with [[Note#^block-id]]. Obsidian auto-suggests block IDs as you type.

Some important text ^my-block

See [[Note#^my-block]]

6Heading Links Across Notes

Link to a specific heading in another note with [[Note#Heading]]. Obsidian auto-completes heading names. This also works for embeds: ![[Note#Heading]].

[[Project Plan#Timeline]]
![[Meeting Notes#Action Items]]

Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know.

What markdown format does Obsidian use?

Obsidian uses standard CommonMark markdown with several extensions: wiki links ([[note]]), callouts (> [!type]), highlights (==text==), embeds/transclusions (![[note]]), comments (%%text%%), footnotes, math (LaTeX), and tags (#tag). Files are stored as plain .md files in your local vault.

What markdown format does Obsidian use?

What are wiki links in Obsidian?

Wiki links use [[double brackets]] to link between notes in your vault. Type [[ and Obsidian autocompletes note names. Use [[Note|Alias]] for custom display text, [[Note#Heading]] to link to a heading, and ![[Note]] to embed (transclude) one note inside another.

How do callouts work in Obsidian?

Callouts are styled blockquotes with a type identifier: > [!note], > [!warning], > [!tip], etc. Add a title after the type: > [!info] My Title. Make them foldable with + or -: > [!faq]+ Click to expand or > [!faq]- Collapsed by default. Obsidian supports 12+ built-in types with unique icons and colors.

How do I embed one note inside another?

Add an exclamation mark before a wiki link: ![[Note Name]]. This transcludes (embeds) the entire note's content. You can also embed specific sections (![[Note#Heading]]), blocks (![[Note#^block-id]]), or images (![[image.png]]). Embeds update live when the source changes.

Does Obsidian support tables?

Yes. Obsidian supports standard markdown tables with pipes and hyphens. For more advanced tables, install community plugins like Advanced Tables (auto-formatting, tab navigation, formulas) or Dataview (dynamic tables from note metadata).

How do tags work in Obsidian?

Type #tagname (hash without a space) anywhere in a note to create a tag. Tags can be nested: #project/active. Use the tag pane to see all tags in your vault. Tags can also be added in YAML front matter as a list under the "tags:" key. Search tags with tag:#tagname.

Can I use Obsidian markdown in other apps?

Standard markdown elements (bold, italic, links, headings, code, lists, tables) work everywhere. Obsidian-specific features like wiki links, callouts, embeds, highlights, and %%comments%% are non-standard and won't render in most other apps. To share notes externally, export to PDF or use standard [text](url) links.

How do I add math equations in Obsidian?

Use LaTeX syntax with dollar signs. Single $ for inline math: $E = mc^2$. Double $$ on separate lines for display math. Obsidian uses MathJax to render equations. Supports fractions, integrals, matrices, Greek letters, and all standard LaTeX math commands.

What's the difference between Obsidian and GitHub markdown?

Both support CommonMark basics. Key differences: Obsidian adds wiki links ([[note]]), callouts (> [!type]), highlights (==text==), embeds (![[note]]), comments (%%text%%), and block references. GitHub adds alerts (> [!NOTE]), mermaid diagrams, autolinks, and @mentions. Obsidian is for personal notes; GitHub is for collaborative docs.

How do I use front matter in Obsidian?

Add a YAML block at the top of your note between --- delimiters. Common fields: tags, aliases (alternative names for wiki link autocomplete), cssclass (custom styling), publish (for Obsidian Publish). The Properties view (Cmd/Ctrl+;) provides a visual editor for front matter.

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