Is there a way to see backlinks without creating a markdown document?

[bleedingsaber]

Hi, maybe a silly question. In my vault I have a lot of empty markdown documents, which are created in order to see the backlinks.

So is there a way to see backlinks without creating a new page, or should I just write something in that page not just see backlinks.

Any ideas about this case? Many thanks.

[austin]

If a page links to another page, you’ll see both pages in the graph, even if the second page hasn’t been created. So you could see all the notes that link to a note in the graph without creating that note.

But if you want to see the links in the back links panel, you’ll need to create the note.

Side note: it’s ok to have an empty note if it’s purpose is to have someplace other notes link to. That’s essentially how tags function, except they never have a source note. And some people purposely use links instead of tags.

[JLDiaz]

You can get that info using a dataviewjs query, as the following one:

```dataviewjs
let d = {}
function process(k, v) {
  Object.keys(v).forEach(function (x) {
    x = dv.fileLink(x);
    if (d[x]==undefined) { d[x] = []; }
	d[x].push(dv.fileLink(k));
  });
}
Object.entries(dv.app.metadataCache.unresolvedLinks)
	.filter(([k,v])=>Object.keys(v).length)
	.forEach(([k,v]) => process(k, v));
dv.table(["Non existing notes", "Linked from"],
         Object.entries(d).map(([k,v])=> [k, v.join(" • ")]))
```

This will generate a table with two columns, and as many rows as “non existing notes” in your vault.

In each row, the first cell will be the name of one of those “non existing note” (it is a link, so if you click on it the note will be created). The second cell in the row contains a list of elements concatenated (separated by the • symbol), each one being one note which references that “non existing note”. These elements are also links, so clicking on them the corresponding note will be open.

[bleedingsaber]

@JLDiaz

```dataviewjs
let d = {}
function process(k, v) {
  Object.keys(v).forEach(function (x) {
    x = dv.fileLink(x);
    if (d[x]==undefined) { d[x] = []; }
	d[x].push(dv.fileLink(k));
  });
}
Object.entries(dv.app.metadataCache.unresolvedLinks)
	.filter(([k,v])=>Object.keys(v).length)
	.forEach(([k,v]) => process(k, v));
dv.table(["Non existing notes", "Linked from"],
         Object.entries(d).map(([k,v])=> [k, v.join(" • ")]))

Wow…thanks for your query. Now I know I have much more non existing notes than empty notes. This is a good way to see backlinks of non-existing notes. I will keep it in my "jewelry " box.

[bleedingsaber]

Graph view can see links but can not see contexts. I think I will get used to empty notes until some plugins coming out.