Tags in Obsidian work like hashtags — you type them into your notes, and Obsidian indexes them so you can search and filter by tag later

The simplest way to add a tag is to type a hash symbol followed by a word: #project, #urgent, or #2024-goals. Obsidian recognizes the tag immediately and turns it into a clickable link. You can add as many tags as you want to a single note, and they can appear anywhere — in the body text, in a metadata section at the top, or mixed into your sentences.

Tags don't require any setup or configuration. You start using them the moment you type the hash symbol. Obsidian stores them in its index and makes them searchable through the tag pane on the left sidebar, through search, or through the graph view. Unlike folders, which force each note into one location, tags let you organize the same note under multiple categories at once.

Key Takeaways

  • Type a hash symbol followed by a word to create a tag — #tagname — and Obsidian indexes it automatically with no setup required.
  • Nested tags use forward slashes to create hierarchies: #project/client/2024 appears under the project tag in the tag pane.
  • Click any tag to see all notes with that tag, or use the tag pane on the left sidebar to browse your entire tag structure.
  • Tags must be a single word or use hyphens and underscores to connect words — spaces break the tag, so #my project only tags #my.

Creating and naming tags

A tag starts with # and continues until you hit a space, punctuation, or line break. #urgent, #client-name, and #2024 all work. If you need multiple words, connect them with hyphens or underscores: #project-alpha or #client_meeting. Spaces don't work — if you type #my project, Obsidian treats only #my as the tag.

Tag names are case-insensitive, so #Project, #project, and #PROJECT all refer to the same tag. Obsidian displays them in the case you first used, but searching for any variation finds the same notes. You can use numbers and special characters like hyphens and underscores, but avoid symbols that have meaning in Obsidian syntax — brackets, parentheses, and colons can cause unexpected behavior.

There is no limit to how many tags you can create or how many you can add to a single note. Start simple with broad categories, then add more specific tags as your vault grows. You can always rename or reorganize tags later without breaking your notes.

Nested tags and hierarchies

Nested tags use forward slashes to create a hierarchy: #project/client/2024 creates three levels. In the tag pane, this tag appears under #project, which contains #client, which contains #2024. You can click any level to see all notes tagged at that level or deeper.

Nesting is purely organizational — it does not change how tags work or how Obsidian searches them. #project/client/2024 and #project are separate tags, so a note tagged only with #project/client/2024 will not appear when you click #project alone. If you want a note to show up at multiple levels, add multiple tags: #project, #project/client, and #project/client/2024.

Use nesting when you have many related tags and want to keep the tag pane readable. For a small vault with ten or fifteen tags, flat tags work fine. For a vault with dozens of tags, nesting prevents the pane from becoming overwhelming.

Finding and viewing tagged notes

The tag pane appears on the left sidebar by default. Click the tag icon (it looks like a hash symbol) to open it, and you will see every tag in your vault organized alphabetically. Click any tag to see a list of all notes with that tag. Click the tag name again to close the list.

You can also search for tags using the search box. Press Ctrl+Shift+F (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+F (Mac) to open search, then type tag:#tagname to find all notes with that tag. This method is faster if you know the exact tag you want and do not want to browse the tag pane.

The graph view also shows tags. Open the graph view (usually on the right sidebar), and you will see your notes as nodes connected by links. Tags appear as nodes too, connected to every note that uses them. This view is useful for seeing which tags are most used and how your notes cluster around them, but it is less practical for actually opening notes than the tag pane or search.

Placing tags in your notes

Tags can go anywhere in a note — at the top, at the bottom, inline with text, or in a dedicated metadata section. The placement does not affect how Obsidian indexes or searches them. #urgent at the beginning of a note works exactly the same as #urgent at the end.

Many people create a metadata section at the top of their notes using YAML frontmatter, which looks like this:

--- tags: [#project, #client, #2024] ---

This keeps tags organized and separate from the note content, making the note easier to read. However, it is not required — you can type tags directly into your text and Obsidian will find them. Some people use both: metadata tags for broad categories and inline tags for specific mentions within the note.

Renaming and managing tags

To rename a tag across your entire vault, right-click the tag in the tag pane and select "Rename tag". Obsidian updates every note that uses that tag automatically. You do not have to edit each note individually.

There is no built-in way to delete all instances of a tag at once, but you can search for the tag, open each note, and remove it manually. For a tag used in many notes, this can be tedious — consider renaming it to something you will not use again, or merging it into an existing tag by renaming it to match.

Obsidian does not warn you if you create a tag you have never used before, so typos can create orphan tags that clutter the tag pane. Check the tag pane occasionally and delete tags you no longer need by removing them from all notes.

Common tag strategies

Many people use tags for status: #todo, #done, #in-progress. Others use them for context: #work, #personal, #health. Some combine both: #work/urgent, #personal/someday. The best strategy depends on how you think about your notes.

A common pattern is to tag by project, then by type within that project: #project-alpha/design, #project-alpha/research, #project-beta/design. This lets you see all design work across projects or all work within a single project.

Another approach is to tag by date or time period: #2024-q1, #2024-q2. This works well if you review notes by quarter or year. You can combine this with other tags: a note might be tagged #project-alpha, #design, and #2024-q1 all at once.

Start with a few broad tags and add more specific ones as you work. You can always reorganize later — Obsidian makes it easy to rename tags across your entire vault, so do not worry about getting the structure perfect from the start.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use spaces in tag names?

No. Obsidian stops reading a tag at the first space, so #my project only tags #my. Use hyphens or underscores instead: #my-project or #my_project. Both work equally well.

Do tags work the same way as folders?

No. A note can only be in one folder, but it can have unlimited tags. Tags are searchable and clickable; folders are just organizational containers. Many people use both — folders for broad structure and tags for flexible cross-cutting categories.

What happens if I rename a tag?

Obsidian updates every note that uses that tag automatically. Right-click the tag in the tag pane and select "Rename tag", then type the new name. All instances change at once.

Can I see all my tags at once?

Yes. Open the tag pane on the left sidebar and you will see every tag in your vault listed alphabetically. Nested tags appear in a tree structure. Click any tag to see the notes that use it.

Do I need to set up tags before I use them?

No. Type a hash symbol and a word anywhere in your note, and Obsidian recognizes it as a tag immediately. There is no configuration, no settings to change, and no list to maintain — just start tagging.