When using Obsidian with Zettelkasten, there are multiple search options: File Search, Keyword Search, Tag Search, Bookmark Search, Graph View, Local Graph, Dataview and more. .
By understanding these use cases, you can make the most of Obsidian’s search features to efficiently navigate your Zettelkasten, retrieve information, and gain insights.
What are your favorite use cases and strategies for searching?
My Zettelkasten only uses very view folders. The three most important folders are for “Permanent Notes”, “Reference Notes” and “Projekt Notes” for my output. Searching with Graph View benefits from this clear structure. Color coding, here with yellow, blue and red, makes it easy to understand the connections. Surely, it take a little time to enter these paths and color data into the groups section of Graph View, but I can store the result as a bookmark for further use.
path:3_Permanent
path:4_References
path:5_Structures
path:6_Project Notes
In my sketchnote example the filter in Graph View is set to “socratic” as a single search term. For a repeated use of this Graph View template I have to:
Select the template from the Obsidian Bookmarks
Replace “socratic” by a new search term
Easy to use, with great results.
Some more posts about Graph View here in this forum:
That’s a nice breakdown of the methods for searching. When I am looking for a specific note and can’t find it using tags, keywords search, or title search, I look to my structure notes. I’ve found it important to make sure each note in the “bottom layer” has a link to at least one structure note.
This discussion reminds me of something I heard a while back. Sadly, I forgot the source. If you struggle to find a note and - finally! - you find it, ask yourself: “What happened?” What I find is that I need to add a keyword to the body of the note, adjust the tags, make a link in another structure note, create a new structure note, or tweak the title.