Welcome to Your Personal Knowledge Base
This app uses the Zettelkasten method — a powerful system for organizing knowledge developed by the prolific German sociologist Niklas Luhmann, who wrote over 70 books using this method.
🧠 What is a Zettelkasten?
Unlike traditional folders or notebooks, a Zettelkasten ("slip box" in German) is a network of interconnected notes. Instead of organizing by category, you link related ideas together, creating a web of knowledge that grows smarter over time.
🚀 Quick Start
- Create a note — Click "✨ New Note" and choose a template (or start blank)
- Write in Markdown — Use simple formatting (see Markdown tab)
- Link to other notes — Type
[[Note Title]] to connect ideas
- Add tags — Use
#tag to categorize
- View your graph — Click 🕸️ to see your knowledge network
📖 View vs Edit Mode
When you open a note, you see the rendered view (pretty formatting). Click "✏️ Edit" to modify the note, then "💾 Save" when done. Use "⊞ Split" to see both side-by-side.
💡 Key Insight: Don't worry about organizing perfectly. Just create notes and link them. The structure emerges naturally!
Linking Notes Together
Links are the heart of your knowledge base. They connect ideas and help you discover relationships.
🔗 How to Create a Link
Type double square brackets around a note title:
[[Note Title]]
When you save, this becomes a clickable link. If the note exists, clicking opens it. If not, clicking creates a new note with that title!
📝 Example
Imagine you have three notes:
Note: "Productivity"
# Productivity
Getting things done requires focus.
I use [[Time Blocking]] to structure my day.
I also practice [[Deep Work]] for complex tasks.
#productivity
Note: "Deep Work"
# Deep Work
Coined by Cal Newport. Focused, uninterrupted
work on cognitively demanding tasks.
Essential for [[Productivity]].
Schedule it using [[Time Blocking]].
#concept
↔️ Bi-directional Links
Links work both ways automatically!
- Outgoing Links (right panel) — Notes THIS note links to
- Backlinks (right panel) — Notes that link TO this note
When viewing "Deep Work", you'll see "Productivity" in the backlinks because Productivity mentions [[Deep Work]].
💡 Tip: Backlinks help you discover "What ideas reference this concept?" — often revealing unexpected connections!
Organizing with Tags
Tags provide another way to group related notes without rigid folder structures.
🏷️ How to Add Tags
Type a hashtag followed by the tag name (no spaces):
#productivity
#book-notes
#project/work
📂 Hierarchical Tags
Use slashes to create nested tags:
#project/work#project/personal#reading/fiction#reading/non-fiction/science
🔍 Filtering by Tag
Click any tag in the left sidebar to filter your notes. Click again (or the ✕ button) to clear the filter.
📋 Suggested Tags
| Tag | Use For |
|---|
#inbox | New ideas to process later |
#evergreen | Timeless, well-developed notes |
#question | Open questions to explore |
#project/NAME | Project-specific notes |
#source/book | Book notes and highlights |
#daily-note | Journal entries (auto-added) |
💡 Tip: Don't over-tag! 2-3 tags per note is usually enough. Links are often more valuable than tags.
The Knowledge Graph
The graph visualizes your entire knowledge network. Click the 🕸️ button in the header anytime to view it.
🎨 What the Colors Mean
|
Blue |
Connected notes (have links to/from other notes) |
|
Green |
Orphan notes (no connections yet) |
|
Gold |
Daily notes (journal entries) |
📏 Node Size
Bigger nodes = more connections. These are your "hub" notes — important concepts that tie many ideas together.
🖱️ Interacting with the Graph
- Click a node — Opens that note
- Drag — Pan around the graph
- Scroll — Zoom in/out
- + / − buttons — Zoom controls
- ⊡ button — Fit entire graph in view
🎯 What to Look For
- Clusters — Groups of related ideas
- Bridges — Notes connecting different clusters
- Orphans — Green notes that could be linked
- Hubs — Large nodes that might need splitting
💡 Tip: Review your graph weekly. Look for orphan notes and find ways to connect them!
Markdown Formatting
Markdown is a simple way to format text. What you type on the left appears formatted on the right.
📝 Basic Formatting
| Type This | To Get |
|---|
# Heading 1 | Large heading |
## Heading 2 | Medium heading |
### Heading 3 | Small heading |
**bold text** | bold text |
*italic text* | italic text |
~~strikethrough~~ | strikethrough |
`inline code` | inline code |
[link text](url) | Clickable link |
📋 Lists
- Item one
- Item two
- Nested item
1. First
2. Second
3. Third
- [ ] Unchecked task
- [x] Completed task
💬 Quotes & Code
> This is a blockquote.
> Great for highlighting ideas.
```
Code blocks use
triple backticks
```
📊 Tables
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|----------|----------|
| Cell 1 | Cell 2 |
| Cell 3 | Cell 4 |
🖼️ Images
Use the 🖼️ button in the editor to insert images easily.
💡 Tip: Use Split view (⊞) to see your formatting as you type!
Tips & Best Practices
✍️ Writing Good Notes
- One idea per note — Keep notes atomic and focused
- Use your own words — Rephrase ideas to understand them
- Link liberally — When in doubt, create a link
- Descriptive titles — "How Compound Interest Works" not "Finance Note 3"
📅 Daily Notes
Click the 📅 button (or press Ctrl+D) to create today's daily note. Use it for:
- Quick capture throughout the day
- Journal entries and reflections
- Meeting notes
- Links to notes you worked on today
🎲 Random Discovery
Click the 🎲 button to open a random note. This helps you:
- Rediscover forgotten ideas
- Find notes that need updating
- Create unexpected connections
☁️ Cloud Sync
Click the ☁️ button to enable sync across devices. Choose a memorable passphrase — you'll need the same one on other devices.
💾 Backup Your Notes
Regularly export your notes (📤 button) as:
- JSON — Complete backup, can be re-imported
- Markdown — Works with other apps (Obsidian, etc.)
- HTML — Readable in any browser
⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts
Ctrl+N | New note |
Ctrl+S | Save note |
Ctrl+F | Search |
Ctrl+E | Toggle Edit/View |
Ctrl+G | Open graph |
Ctrl+D | Daily note |
Ctrl+Shift+R | Random note |
Ctrl+Shift+S | Sync now |
Esc | Close dialogs |
💡 Final Tip: The best knowledge base is the one you actually use. Start small, be consistent, and let your network grow naturally!
