Use case or problem
Many users prefix filenames with dates for sorting and structural clarity (e.g., 2026-02-26 - Workshop 3.md).
While this is effective for organization, it makes tab navigation difficult when multiple notes are open, since all tabs start with similar prefixes.
The issue is not about note identity, linking, graph readability, or search behavior.
It is specifically about improving tab-level ergonomics during active work sessions.
Proposed solution
Introduce an optional tab display mode that affects only how note names are rendered in the tab bar.
Possible options:
Filename (default)
First H1
YAML property (e.g., tabtitle)
Smart fallback (YAML → H1 → Filename)
This setting would:
Apply only to tabs
Preserve filename as canonical identity
Not affect links, backlinks, graph, search, or file explorer
This is a UI-level enhancement rather than a global display abstraction.
Current workaround (optional)
Removing date prefixes (breaks sorting workflow)
Related feature requests (optional)
Related discussion: Use H1 or YAML property "title" instead of or in addition to filename as display name
However, that request proposes a global display abstraction (links, graph view, search, etc.).
This proposal is narrower and focuses strictly on tab rendering, without modifying global note identity behaviour.