Automatically recognizing words that are also tags

Use case or problem

While using Obsidian for note-taking, I often mention key concepts and terms that are already established as tags or tag links in my notes. However, manually converting these mentions into tags or links each time is time-consuming and sometimes I forget to do it, leading to inconsistencies in my graph view and tag pane. I need a streamlined way to ensure that all instances of these key terms are consistently tagged and linked across my notes.

Proposed solution

Implement a feature where Obsidian scans the text as I type or upon saving the note, identifying words or phrases that match existing tags or tag links. These identified terms should then automatically convert into tags or tag links. This process could be manual (triggered by a command) or automatic. Additionally, a setting could be provided to enable/disable this auto-tagging/linking feature, or to customize it by specifying which tags to auto-convert.

Current workaround (optional)

Currently, I manually review my notes to find and convert relevant terms into tags or links. Sometimes, I use the search function to find instances of specific words and then manually link or tag them across notes, which is inefficient and error-prone.

Related feature requests (optional)

I have not found an exact feature request related to this, but any feature that enhances tagging automation or link recognition could be related. Integration of advanced text analysis tools or plugins that assist in auto-tagging based on content recognition could also be somewhat related.

1 Like

Note that you should be sufficiently aware of where you want a word to be a link, and where this is not useful. Just linking everything automatically can result in many superfluous links and thus dilution and noise in your graph. Linking your thinking cannot be an automated process. Linking must be done consciously to maintain relevant connections.

Of course, this could be a useful function for a plugin, but I am not of the opinion that explicitly applying the link should be core functionality. Note that you already can see which files contain terms that are potential links to the current note through the “Unlinked mentions” section in the Backlinks.