My simple note-taking setup | Zettelkasten in Obsidian | Step-by-step guide

In this video I show you my simple yet powerful setup in Obsidian for taking Zettelkasten notes (which plugins I recommend using, my tagging system, etc)
I also show a step-by-step guide how to set it up yourself
OUTLINE:
00:00 Introduction
2:14 How Obsidian works and main definitions
4:00 My 4-folder organisation
5:13 How to set everything up from scratch
7:55 Sliding Panes & Admonition plugins
8:28 Templates
10:08 Creating notes
12:25 Tagging & classifying notes
13:16 - Maps of content (MOCs)
14:40 - Final words
16:07 - Outro
Socials:
VK: atpsynthase
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B-roll footage by: pexels.com
Music by: pixabay.com
Iconds by: flaticon.com

[@andrewiglinski148]

Bud I haven’t watched the video yet… but before I even got here your thumbnail just screamed ‘I have a mysterious European accent’

[@DezziexLollygag]

Just to save future people some time, this is by far the SIMPLEST and easiest video to follow to get started with Obsidian and building your own Zettlekasten. I started with this video, and nothing else I've watched all day really compares. A very practical place to start! I also deeply recommend Nick Milo (Linking Your Thinking) and his videos for amazing videos that get you onboarded fast. The only reason I rate this video above Milo's is that his vids are more instructional guides to using Obsidian efficiently, not about crafting an ideal workflow. Don't waste your day like me watching other videos, Artem and Nick's videos are all you need!

[@slasher42vs]

Thank you for saving my time Dezziex!

[@anhtien-doan]

True. I only watch this video, proceed to clean my vault, setup again, start taking note. I have seen significant changes on how I used it now compared to before as I focusing more on writing note while templates and hotkeys handle most of the work. The references to the “fake note” is better than the tags imo since it will helps linking every related notes into one single node, and you can instantly see it in the graph view.

[@upsydaysy3042]

This is what I needed to hear :) thanks!

[@thgeremilrivera-thorsen9556]

I have seen a lot of Zettelkasten how-to videos at this point. This is one of the best. I like how it is made by a guy that has actually used it for more than a couple weeks, and how it emphasizes keeping it simple and friction-free rather than showcasing a bunch of super refined, predefined "workflows" which I always found defied the purpose of the Zettelkasten. Great work!

[@LinkEX]

Agreed, this was a nice and organic rundown on a "living system".

[@chefkero]

Yeah i found this is more practical

[@SoHawful]

I just started with obsidian and I started in a very traditional way of creating a bunch of useless folders, tags, structure that I didn't need. This is such a great video and I'm glad I caught it early.

[@QT2789]

You must turn on Templates under Core Plugins before you can specify Hotkeys for Templates. Took me a bit to figure out why I didn't have that option following the order it is presented in the video.

[@igormartins2701]

Thank you! I was going trough this exact problem just now.

[@caseys6536]

God bless you Larry

[@PhilHaqeeqa]

Thank you, thank you!

[@TheMarcoBoscolo]

I was about to go nuts finding templates under hotkeys until I found your directions. Thank you.

[@AzurePain]

Thank you :) .

[@JanChec]

Update 2023-05: templates and tags are on by default, the sliding tabs are built-in now. You also need to disable the extra title to use the template from the video, otherwise you get basically 3 titles - one small on the tab, one extra and one from the template. Disable by: Menu (left bottom corner) > [Appearance] tab > toggle [Show inline title]. The safe mode toggle looks different now, there's more explanation there. Looks like they've heard you Artem with these changes :) Thanks for the video! Just what I needed to start - couldn't wait to finish reading the whole "How to Take Smart Notes", had to start using it! This video helped. A lot :) The "do not complicate things" force should be strong with us - almost everywhere I look the examples of, say, templates for Zettelkasten are so overcomplicated, bringing friction to the system. However, I still need to get those sweet gradient titles :) Then it'll be a direct upgrade from Nuclino that I've been using while gravitating towards something like Zettelkasten before even knowing it exists (where have you been all these years?). There's one thing in this video that I can't handle as a programmer though: "Status:". That's a "Type:"! :) I've also added a type "question" as an experiment because keeping track of questions is essential for me (here "status: question" → "status: idea" would make sense though). So far I've been keeping them in my GTD system, but they belong here. Putting questions in titles requires to work around the limitation that "?" can't be a part of a title, but I wrote an AutoHotkey that inserts an almost identical, allowed character: #IfWinActive ahk_exe Obsidian.exe ^+?::Send {U+FF1F} ; [Ctrl]+[Shift]+[?] → "？" (FULLWIDTH QUESTION MARK) ^!/::Send {U+3033} ; [Ctrl]+[Alt]+[/] → "〳" (VERTICAL KANA REPEAT MARK UPPER HALF) ^+;::Send {U+A789} ; [Ctrl]+[Shift]+[;] → "꞉" (MODIFIER LETTER COLON) #IfWinActive I've seen glimpses of extremely interesting insight in your notes. Any hope you'll publish some of it via Obsidian Publish? That would be helpful to others (the drawback is probably that it'll bring some friction to your writing unless you're comfortable with adding to/changing something that's public).

[@nighttraveler9993]

Thanks for your comment! I don't get the idea behind status either, plus I not sure if everything stats as an idea, I know I can use other templates, but anyway I still dont get the status

[@mihazaletel2779]

thanks!

[@meganmoses4314]

This is fantastic! The first video of this kind where I actually understood the setup. Thank you so much, I look forward to more videos from you. Great job!!

[@oskarpalma723]

After watching like 20 videos on youtube about zettelkasten in Obsidian, I can confirm this is by far the best one. You covered most of the topics to start with Obsidian in very simple terms. Congrats!

[@PhongNguyen-rp7zw]

Love to view more videos of you. It help me overcome my stuck in Zettelkasten notes. The writing becomes easier and more fun after watching this video. Thank you so much.

[@jasonmichaelblair2545]

Love the details in your outline and description of various functions! Thanks👍🏼

[@soulninjadev]

I think this is the best video to send someone who's starting out with obsidian and note taking you go through everything and give enough fundamentals to start from! incredible!

[@victorarantes]

Artem, congratulations on the video! You’re able to make simple what most have made complicated. Your video opened my mind on how simple the system can be. I would also like to understand how is the decision making on when a new folder (Out of the Zettelkasten) needs to be created.

[@lcw0303]

Thanks Artem for this and your first Zettelkasten video. You really demystified it, gave super clear examples that showed me what to do. I found it really helpful to see full examples of one of your Notes, with the links embedded into the normal text. That was a game changer. It was so helpful to see your setup, I could follow it and in ten minutes I was on my way. I've just spent 3 days putting in my first 100 notes and you're the one that helped me get there 🙂

[@alexsausl]

Big thumbs up - concise and to the point. Just what I expected from a fellow bassist. ;-) Thank you so much - instead of watching a 4 hour course you gave me a great starting point to act now.

[@ArtemKirsanov]

Thank you! Though I'm sorry to disappoint you, the background is my girlfriend's apartment - she is the one who plays bass, not me ;)

[@roniesantoscardoso8167]

Thanks for making this content. you've take n me out out such rabbit holes of finding the best setup. which program to use, etc... Im truly grateful

[@gnostie]

Наконец-то. Человек в своём уме.

[@itsdavidmora]

Really helpful, thank you Artem! In particular, I like the way you treated categories as an emergent property, & showed how to do that practically with ghost tags.

[@yoannete3349]

I ended up looking into Zettelkasten because trying to make future-proof structure always got in my way, and just like you say, the premade Zettelkasten setups presented the same problem. Thank you for the great video!

[@romanmunar]

Thank you for making videos. Your way explaining just instantly clicks for me.

[@matiasrichetta728]

This is by far the simplest and most valuable video I've found on this matter. Congrats Artem! 👏👏👏

[@CitizenAyellowblue]

This is the only video I have seen so far that adequately explains what underpins this app and how it can be used. Well done, and thank you. Something for me to practice with while recovering from the floods in Australia.

[@karansomaiah3513]

This was really concise and informative. I've been using Obsidian for a couple years now and realized I haven't been utilizing it's features completely. The Zettlekasten system was also eye-opening. Might give it a go! Thanks Artem!

[@ashcar6903]

This is probably this best video to show some one that is new to Zettelkasten but still wants to get some power out of Obsidian. It's simple to get into and build on. Amazing video!

[@zenceLde]

Thank you Artem. You showed me the entry to Obsidian easy, simple and with a system I can follow.

[@AJay-vy8fq]

Thank you Artem! I am just starting a PhD and looking to set up a Zettelkasten workflow. This is the most helpful, practical and entertaining video on the subject I have seen to date. Please keep up the good work. 😃

[@smpee_]

Just what I was looking for-a simple Obsidian note-taking system based around Zettelkasten, suitable for beginners, and explained by someone with actual experience using it. Excellent work! Didn’t have to think twice about subscribing🙌🏼

[@Alan_Duval]

I had to come back to this video to set up ZK on my new work laptop. This is still the best and clearest 'getting started' video on the topic. Thank you.

[@luvinfunvan]

That is a pretty clever way of using Obsidian and a Zettlekasten. In particular the "ghost notes" concept and the iterative growth of an idea one keeps thinking about as well as using the Command Palette to create new notes. I had to watch this a couple of times to understand the power of your workflow. To anyone finding this video that may be as equally dismissive as I was, I encourage you to re-watch and possibly write your ideas about it down :) Thanks for sharing, peace.

[@discobacon5160]

Agree that the ghost note idea is cool and works great. However, do you know how he uses the Reference notes folder and the Files folder for that matter too?

[@luvinfunvan]

@@discobacon5160 he has another video where he talks about Reference note in more depth. My interpretation is as follows: first Files is simply the location where attachments are stored. When you insert an image into a note in Obsidian it will store that image file in your vault. You can choose this location in settings. Reference notes are used to store a reference to something you are consuming (book, paper, video). These are linked to an idea you may have had from that consumption.

[@luvinfunvan]

@@discobacon5160 Adding more detail for Reference: 1. Use for organization and leave blank to link ideas related to the source (leverage local graph view). 2. Use as journal for notes as you consume input

[@kyriehale6368]

Super appreciative of the explanation of how Obsidian works under the hood. That removed some of the anxiety of diving into yet another productivity tool.

[@mixxemadjija370]

Great video! Finding your channel was like finding a gold vein. Keep it up!

[@velomeister]

I was struggling on organizing information that came from courses or similarly massive content. This organization scheme was just what I needed. It converts Zettelkasten in a personal encyclopedia and does not have repeated content. It build upon itself!

[@ryankreager3065]

Clear, concise, and practical. Thank you for sharing!

[@Jesussaft]

Thank you so much for this video. Your initial description was just too fitting to how I felt. I saw so many videos where people presented these very intricate workflows but I could not help then to feel overwhelmed. Your focus on simplicity was really refreshing.

[@seancarroll1005]

This was actually a great video…perfect balance of detail and brevity. 👍

[@daniellimaribeiro7387]

Hey Artem. Thank you so much for your time and effort in making this video.

[@alekdaniels]

You saved me from losing my wits. This just works, I can already tell. Other creators seem to just show off their complicated systems.

[@sertee9412]

I am a complete beginninger in this. This the best video I seen so far on the subject. Thank you!

[@jaybestnz]

I do think that it is important to be simple, frictionless and also, fun. Im glad to see this and its similar to my beliefs.

[@Raketensofa1]

Thank you for this! I know I'm just adding to what everyone else already said, but this was exactly the kind of concise, no-boilerplate video I was looking for. Excited to try this out!

[@ConradCarriker]

The 'reference' folder is a great idea for what I am using Obsidian for. I am glad you mentioned that. Bam!

[@BloomByCC]

overwhelmed here. Omg, love your x10 dump.

[@LawrenceCarriere]

Excellent! I'm the "completely lost, don't know where to start" guy who has spent a week bouncing between Obsidian and Logseq putzing around with plugins and themes instead of getting my system started. This video just popped up on my KZbin home page this morning and you may have just saved me! Doing this, I can just get started.

[@SaschKrassBass]

Spot on! Simplicity is one of the main resistances people feel. Most probably, by the urge for control.

[@williamrgrant]

The intro scene on the absurd and hilarious complexity of some of these 'systems' people have made is sooo on point.

[@frld4239]

Superb video! Concise and substantive. Also, thank you for actually showing examples of permanent notes/zettels.

[@injeolmi6]

Artem, this is incredible. As soon as you mentioned the MOC it all made sense to me. I thought making individual folders would make my workflow easier, but in reality it made it more convoluted. Thank you lots. Cheers!

[@Later_Nerd]

Same, I've watched a few videos trying to figure out Obsidian and kept seeing MOC all around. Didn't really grasp the concept but it's making sense thanks to this video. This man has an excellent way of explaining things.

[@Hawkoo]

Thank you!! Your explanation is really simple and straight forward compared to the other videos on the topic :)

[@karynp2744]

Thank you very much for this video Artem. I went back to school to work towards an undergraduate degree, but my research work is clustered around conceptualizations that I may bring into graduate studies. This will help me collect and build on my ideas as I progress.

[@diegochertoff]

This video by Artem was very practical in its recommendations (and it is not the first one I have seen). Is clear that he is a serious user, and not one who put it to use for a week to make only a review. It seems to me very sincere and judicious. Thanks

[@clairetong3479]

thanks for a simply explanation of an abstract concept (Zettlekasten) and a somewhat complex tool. By far the best on KZbin for this topic!

[@AllyWhistler]

Thank you! When I first heard about Obsidian I also thought that I just need to write notes and eventually the app will connect those ideas for me as I link to other notes. But upon watching tutorials and saw how they use many folders etc, Obsidian doesn't feel that different from other note-taking app. Now that I saw your video, I can really focus on building my knowledge wiki instead of worrying about the setup.

[@AustinArto]

Likely the most useful and accessible Zettelkasten / Obsidian video I've seen. Oh, and great-looking bass, there.

[@CherylHulseapple]

I'm glad your video showed up in my feed. I just started using Obsidian. I stopped everything I was doing and recreated my system to match yours. It makes sense and the simplification brings relief. Thanks.

[@mithujannati2439]

Hands down the best video for zettelkasten I've ever seen

[@janley6004]

I just stumbled upon Obsidian yesterday and was really frustrated that there was no video from someone who actually used it for more that a couple of weeks. Today I randomly watched your video on the logarithmic nature of the brain and by luck saw this video on obsidian. By far the best advice to use it productivly! Thanks.

[@alandrelle]

Thank you. yes, thank you to be clear and objective. Even if you are not speaking in my native language, you gave me the tools to start Obsidian and Zettelkasten without being overwhelmed.

[@RaptorT1V]

Спасибо большое за видео! Я могу даже без перевода смотреть видео, благодаря твоему акценту!))

[@simoneparvizi775]

I'd like to tell you something: if think you are one of the youtuer with the biggest potential I know....you have less than 6k subscribers and yet thank to you I discovered Research Rabbit, Obsidian and One amazing concept about neuroscience....THANK YOU. And I'd also like to point out that all my friends and colleagues that saw your channels and video (after I showed them eheh) think the same... so pls, PLEASE don't give up and keep sharing great content and advices. We believe in you

[@thefomest6843]

Incredible video!! The best and most understandable ZK explanation.

[@bakdiabderrahmane8009]

Thank you very much I've been drowning in random ideas and notes on paper and on the computer this will hopefully make my life better.

[@HeatherTuynman]

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I've tried to use Obsidian in the past but found it overwhelming and essentially gave up on it. After watching your tutorial and setting my vault up in this way I feel like there is some structure to my notes and I feel that I can make this work for me.

[@bobr2837]

Thank you for this video! It really helped me set up and organize my own system. Even 2 years later it's still really helpful ^^

[@christinabehnke8739]

I know you posted this a while ago, but I found this very helpful, starting my new college adventure. I needed a comprehensive, and note-taking system that worked better. I found this very easy to follow and set-up using your guide, with a few modifications in the app. I have started using your four folder system currently and can't wait to start taking notes and learning new things.

[@BrazenNL]

Finally something I can grasp and gels with me. Thank you.

[@RodneyDaut]

Thank you for this video. I'm implementing what you are teaching as I watch. This was a great presentation.

[@FilipeDonadio]

Great video Artem. Happy to see you also like Obsidian!

[@christ.4977]

Great vid! Thank you for taking the time to put this info out there.

[@aleksandr861]

This is the most useful video about zettelkasten i ever see. As well as the rest of the channel

[@NickForDays]

Solid content, definitely one of the channels that'll blow up soon.

[@AKB...]

Thank you! I've played around with an analog zettelkasten recently -- and it was very similar to what I intuitively did nearly 3 decades ago! But I couldn't figure out how to get my analog notes into a usable digital format. A friend recommended Obsidian, but I was intimidated by markdown. Between your video and another one this week, I have my Obsidian / Smart Notes / Zettelkasten ready. Now I'm figuring out my workflow. . .

[@StefanKRV]

This has been really helpful. Спасибо Артем!

[@mattgiaro]

Great Video Artem. Totally agree: All those videos with complicated workflows just created a bunch of nods in my brain... So sticking with SIMPLICITY is king. Not only with the Plugins, but also with the folders and the templates. As Sonke Ahrens puts it, in "How to take smart notes": "Most people try to reduce complexity by separating what they have into smaller stacks, piles or separate folders. They sort their notes by topics and sub-topics, which makes it look less complex, but quickly becomes very complicated. Plus, it reduces the likelihood of building and finding surprising connections between the notes themselves, which means a trade-off between its usability and usefulness." Keep up the great work!

[@rvanzijderveld]

Compliments for the explanation of the clear setup!

[@paoloose]

Very interesting and useful concepts, I'm excited about this new way of taking notes, also the hotkeys are gold

[@kiron84]

Absolutely to the point. Very well done!

[@pedrosoares8821]

Hey artem! for me you were the best discovery of this second half of 2021. I am a phd student from brazil, and i'm sooo happy to have found your channel. you are so smart and speak about stuff in a way that is so easy to follow. Keep up the amazing job dude, your video on neuron manifolds was a fucking bop. amazing.

[@Malicos]

please share the best discovery for the first half of 2021... don't leave us hanging!

[@pedrosoares8821]

@Malicos omg ahahaha I just saw your reply. Based on my commentary history the best discovery on the first half of that year was a sci-channel called KORANOS. Also Arca was a musician that i was pretty into at that time of the year ahahahahahah

[@joaopedrorocha5693]

The best part is that the graph view is beautiful and useful!

[@BroskiXP]

Good video, I been trying out new systems for my Obsidian. Love the way you create notes!

[@MicheleGargiulo]

I would call this the most reasonable Obsidian video on YT. Clear practical examples of both how to set up the environment and how to use it, keeping everything simple! Moreover, you nention how to adapt to personal needs.

[@colineckert]

Best Zettelkasten video. Period.

[@AA-gl1dr]

Wow. I’m so glad I found this. It looks like it’s such a compatible note system for how I approach learning and life in general. Thank you for this!

[@eduduazzolin]

I took some ideas from the video and adapted them to my workflow and it's much better for me now, thank you very much for the video!

[@ismailm123]

Brilliant, just recently been introduced to Obsidian some really useful tips here many thanks for sharing.

[@ignaciodamiang]

The best video I've seen in this topic, thank you!

[@TonyLouis9345]

Thank you for this video. It clarified a lot of basic information and I found it very useful.

[@Krmiby]

Thanks for the video. This system feels more convenient for my workflow.

[@thekiwiSA]

Thank you for this simple explanation. Really helped me out

[@lettucechips3711]

Learned a lot, even if I'm only using Obsidian as a Bullet journal (Ryder Carrol System). Thank you for sharing !

[@joncaine2627]

Great video. Really useful. Many thanks Artem!

[@gamewrit0058]

13:40 I am so excited about emergent organization! Haven't downloaded Obsidian yet, but it looks like it would be a good tool for me. Excellent intro!

[@seedublancaster9755]

Familiar with obsidian and looking to implement zettlekasten in my note taking… loved your video and system, certainly will draw on this as I start my system.

[@geraldlilienthal2452]

Nicely done! I'll give the workflow a try. Thank you.

[@arn.karnia5524]

Useful, entertaining, to the point and dang... do I feel better now.. simplify, simplify, simplify. Thank you!

[@josephnguyen5109]

Love this. Followed your guide exactly! Thanks

[@rbpompeu1]

Great video! You've hit the nail on the head!

[@itzelouise8714]

Finally Obsidian starts to make sense for me... thank you! :)

[@Jeff-66]

New to Obisidian, and Admonition is awesome! many thanks

[@matthewgreen9119]

Fantastic video, thanks so much Artem!

[@alpeiros]

Just another guy that didn't use the Zettelkasten method as the other tutorials on youtube were not clear enough for me... Until now. Thank you very much, I will amend my obsidian structure to give this method a try

[@howardoneal598]

I was browsing around to see how other people setup their Zettelkasten workflow (they really suck). Among all Zettelkasten videos, yours is the only making thing simple and practical. You setup is exactly like mine (im also a researcher). The core idea is to let the knowledges emerge naturally into clusters or sub-clusters around specific topic (MOC in this case). Keeping track of linking between MOCs make it much much easier to overviewing and developing new ideas. Much love ❤