#1

If I am creating a new note and naming it to something very close to some internal link I’ve in any existing note but without an actual note, it should suggest me that name so I can pick the proper name and therefore avoid duplicate notes.

Obsidian already does this when I’ve created a link once, it suggests typing that same link name anywhere else, except in the filename.

15 Likes
How to find links without notes?
List notes that have not been created yet
#2

This is an interesting idea. I’m not sure about a note title auto-complete, but I would definitely like a warning if I create notes with duplicate filenames.

2 Likes
#3

Curious. I’m sure duplicate files in the same folder would throw some error. Do you mean to say avoiding duplicates at the vault level?

#4

Yes, at the vault-level, although on second thought, that’s not going to happen with the way my notes are organized now.

#5

Yeah! Anyone who uses projects and templates for certain notes will need duplicate file names in subfolders. There might be other use cases too where it’s preferable but I can’t think of many right now.

#6

Interesting, I may be not be understanding correctly though.

In Obsidian you can make a link without making a note file.

So lets say you have the link [[Note Philosophy]]. I have this in a few different notes, but I’ve never actually clicked on the link to create the file.

(this is a limitation to not being able to toggle an auto create file for new links, I have lots of links that don’t have files & I can’t find my blank ones)

But you’re suggesting that when you make a new file - say you’re about to call it “Note Philosophies” - it’ll suggest the link [[Note Philosophy]] (again, is a blank link that occurs in multiple places) as the title of the note in order to have those links become utilized and thus minimize the chance of them becoming duplicates (or just really similar notes) or forgotten?

This example as happened to me a couple of times, I forget that I never clicked into a [[link ideas]] and then later I create a [[ideas for links]] note.

Then much later I come cross [[link idea]] and click into it, which now means I have two separate notes that really should have been the same thing.

There’s a decent amount of cognitive load in recalling or having the foresight to search (or cross reference) for existing links. Whereas if the blank links also appeared in the link suggestion box or if links created files without clicking into them, then the chance the link suggestion box actually helps me increases.

3 Likes
#7

Yes, you’ve got it exactly right. The thing of note is the suggestion box that shows up when writing a new link in the body of a note already lists these blank notes if the match the text we type. So obsidian already has those note names without an actual file in its index. It’s only logical that this is extended to naming new notes.

1 Like
#8

This would solve my use case as well: How to find lots of orphaned mention? :slight_smile:

#9

Thanks. Just coming back from reading your thread, I realised I’ve also had the same thought at times. But I always thought for your use case, it’d make more sense to have that under search. Many apps these days show a suggested search when you’ve not typed anything but have focused the search field. I always imagined something like “Links without notes” in that list.

1 Like
#10

Search would work as well - to be blunt, I just want that list, I don’t really mind how :-). I do really like your “Links without notes” idea though.

1 Like
#11

+1 for this feature.

while naming the new file, a drop down should suggest similar names in the vault. This can be similar to the way it is done when inserting [[internal links]] inside our notes.

#12

Seems like an important feature to me as well. I suspect I’ll be having many orphaned links and/or duplicate notes once I really get going.

#13

+1 for this feature

#14

This feature has been implemented in Obsidian Release v0.12.4 so the request can be archived IMHO.

  • Quick switcher now has an option to show links to files that haven’t been created yet.

Alternative workaround: Always start creating note from some context, i.e. by writing a link, during which suggestions are shown. This will reduce number of orphan notes and increase their retrievability in the future.