# Activate existing pane for a note rather than opening in active or new pane **URL:** \ **Category:** Feature archive\ **Created:** [September 10, 2020, 11:21pm UTC](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/activate-existing-pane-for-a-note-rather-than-opening-in-active-or-new-pane/5543 "2020-09-10T23:21:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sam.baron](https://forum.obsidian.md/user_avatar/forum.obsidian.md/sam.baron/32/20_2.png) [@sam.baron](https://forum.obsidian.md/u/sam.baron)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2020, 11:21pm UTC](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/activate-existing-pane-for-a-note-rather-than-opening-in-active-or-new-pane/5543/1 "2020-09-10T23:21:54Z")
There are several cases where I am opening or searching for a note, and since it’s already open in an existing pane, I would prefer that pane be activated rather than opening the note in the active pane or a new pane. Some examples: 1. If I already have my daily note pane open, and I’m working in a different note, when I use the daily note command, I would prefer the pane with the daily note be active rather than opening the daily note in the pane I’m working in. 2. If I’m clicking on a link in a note and that note is already open in an existing pane, I would prefer that pane be active rather than opening the linked note in the current or new pane. I know this request is confusing so please let me know if it doesn’t make sense to you, or if you have suggestions for clearer wording. ---
**Author:** ![d00b](https://forum.obsidian.md/user_avatar/forum.obsidian.md/d00b/32/1675_2.png) [@d00b](https://forum.obsidian.md/u/d00b)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2020, 12:46am UTC](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/activate-existing-pane-for-a-note-rather-than-opening-in-active-or-new-pane/5543/2 "2020-09-11T00:46:54Z")
You want to **direct all new openings** (or link followings as in Help doc; by link clicking or Ctrl/Cmd P) **to a pre-selected TARGETED pane**? … until it is de-targeted. If so, then we share the need. In fact any one would need it in their workflow and managing of panes & layout. One example is clicking thru their todo’s (on backlinks or not). My testings: Today the above is not doable via pane’s Pin or pane’s “Link with pane …” ---
**Author:** ![sam.baron](https://forum.obsidian.md/user_avatar/forum.obsidian.md/sam.baron/32/20_2.png) [@sam.baron](https://forum.obsidian.md/u/sam.baron)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2020, 12:50am UTC](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/activate-existing-pane-for-a-note-rather-than-opening-in-active-or-new-pane/5543/3 "2020-09-11T00:50:16Z")
> [@d00b](#): > > You want to **direct all new openings** (or link followings as in Help doc; by link clicking or Ctrl/Cmd P) **to a pre-identified TARGETED pane**? … until it is de-targeted. That’s a great idea, but it’s not my feature request. My request is if a note is already open in a pane, and I open it via a link or hotkey, then activate the existing pane, do not open the note in the active pane. ---
**Author:** ![d00b](https://forum.obsidian.md/user_avatar/forum.obsidian.md/d00b/32/1675_2.png) [@d00b](https://forum.obsidian.md/u/d00b)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2020, 12:58am UTC](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/activate-existing-pane-for-a-note-rather-than-opening-in-active-or-new-pane/5543/4 "2020-09-11T00:58:26Z")
> [@sam.baron](#): > > not my feature request Ok let me “refactor” my reply above into a feature request [Open all links in a targeted pane](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/open-all-links-in-a-targeted-pane/5545) ---
**Author:** ![jacklaing](https://forum.obsidian.md/user_avatar/forum.obsidian.md/jacklaing/32/2804_2.png) [@jacklaing](https://forum.obsidian.md/u/jacklaing)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2020, 12:41am UTC](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/activate-existing-pane-for-a-note-rather-than-opening-in-active-or-new-pane/5543/5 "2020-12-10T00:41:41Z")
I just submitted two feature requests that I view as related to this, because they’re all QoL improvements that would make pane navigation much more frictionless than it currently is (up to par with Roam). - [Optional default behavior to open new links in the left-most pane (replacing existing pane)](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/optional-default-behavior-to-open-new-links-in-the-left-most-pane-replacing-existing-pane/9790) - [Minimize Panes](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/minimize-panes/9791) I would love to see a concerted push to roll out all of these pane management improvements, which I view as being more important for Obsidian’s UX than more popular features like WYSIWYG. ---
**Author:** ![malecjan](https://forum.obsidian.md/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@malecjan](https://forum.obsidian.md/u/malecjan)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2021, 4:44am UTC](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/activate-existing-pane-for-a-note-rather-than-opening-in-active-or-new-pane/5543/6 "2021-02-16T04:44:03Z")
One use case, proposing some good details which could be integrated into this/single request: - [Better jumping between two notes](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/better-jumping-between-two-notes/11473) ---
**Author:** ![HTHawks](https://forum.obsidian.md/user_avatar/forum.obsidian.md/hthawks/32/1888_2.png) [@HTHawks](https://forum.obsidian.md/u/HTHawks)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2021, 5:53pm UTC](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/activate-existing-pane-for-a-note-rather-than-opening-in-active-or-new-pane/5543/7 "2021-11-15T17:53:12Z")
This is the single most frustrating thing that keeps me from onboarding Obsidian for regular use. I will have lots of notes open at once. When **searching or clicking** links I wish to → NAVIGATE to the OPEN NOTE, –NOT-- REPLACE my current work pane (open note I am currently in), AND –NOT-- OPEN NEW PANE for the already open note. I really wanted to onboard this application as a daily driver, but without this functionality, the interface/usage is way too chaotic, and a lot of time gets wasted, so I only us it for fairly banal things, and even then, not often. Not trying to bash the devs, they are great folks. It simply is what it is. ---
**Author:** ![eragose](https://forum.obsidian.md/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/f475e1/32.png) [@eragose](https://forum.obsidian.md/u/eragose)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2023, 2:38pm UTC](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/activate-existing-pane-for-a-note-rather-than-opening-in-active-or-new-pane/5543/8 "2023-11-21T14:38:22Z")
are there any news on this feature? ---
**Author:** ![WhiteNoise](https://forum.obsidian.md/user_avatar/forum.obsidian.md/whitenoise/32/11_2.png) [@WhiteNoise](https://forum.obsidian.md/u/WhiteNoise)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2023, 3:57pm UTC](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/activate-existing-pane-for-a-note-rather-than-opening-in-active-or-new-pane/5543/9 "2023-11-21T15:57:01Z")
Duplicate of > [@IDE style navigation (tab reuse on link opening, tab management, switch to already open note)](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/ide-style-navigation-tab-reuse-on-link-opening-tab-management/46671): > > MOD-EDIT: This is a reorganized FR Currently, Obsidian uses a Browser-style navigation system. You click on link, it opens it in that tab. An alternative approach is to follow IDEs (Integrated develop environment/Code Editors). IDEs generally don’t navigate within a tab. You click on a link and it either: Moves the focus to a tab where the target was already opened or A new tab with the target is opened. IDEs navigate in the current tab only if the target of the link is in current tab … ---
**Author:** ![WhiteNoise](https://forum.obsidian.md/user_avatar/forum.obsidian.md/whitenoise/32/11_2.png) [@WhiteNoise](https://forum.obsidian.md/u/WhiteNoise)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2023, 3:57pm UTC](https://forum.obsidian.md/t/activate-existing-pane-for-a-note-rather-than-opening-in-active-or-new-pane/5543/10 "2023-11-21T15:57:25Z")
Closed on November 21, 2023, 3:57pm UTC