Unable to get even the basic backlink to work when I download obsidian

I have downloaded the app; started as per NIck Milo’s video for the complete beginner and the backlink does not work. Deleted file, reloaded and still no-go. Did this twice. Frustrated +++
any advice gratefully received

Hi, @pdg.

You’ll have to be more specific about what this means. And maybe include a screenshot.

Based on the information you provide, there’s a million things that may be happening.

Sure
I am a complete novice, so was following the video step-by-step. Nick shows how he created 2 notes in a new vault and then using the two brackets, he created a backlink between them and showed how it worked. Voila.
I tried to do exactly the same but when i clicked on the back link for my notes … nada. So, as he described this being ‘the magic’ of obsidian. it seems to me I have no magic

Maybe I am expecting the wrong thing but I had assumed the back-linking was a critical function and if I can’t seem to get it to work for two brand new and fresh notes, then I’m a bit stumped

cheers

Sorry, what about back links isn’t working for you? I don’t see the backlinks pane open in that screenshot.

It is pictured here:

https://help.obsidian.md/How+to/Working+with+backlinks

I think I’ve pinned down the source of confusion.

Like @ryanjamurphy pointed out, you don’t have the backlinks pane open, so there are no backlinks visible.

What you refer to as a backlink ([[note 1]]) is simply a link (or a wikilink). You can click it (in preview mode) or cmd+click it (in edit mode) to jump to the linked note.

Backlinks show on the backlinks panel, and they point to any note that links to the active one. So, in your case, you might try the following:

  1. open the backlinks panel: cmd+p → Show backlinks pane
  2. open note 2
  3. in edit mode, cmd+click on the [[note 1]] link
  4. check the backlinks panel. “Note 2” should show up there.
1 Like

thanks; I’ll give that a go

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