The best Obsidian.md keyboard shortcuts
1827 sats \ 8 comments \ @nout 18 Jun 2023 tech
I really enjoy using obsidian.md, espcially since it let's do many things fast. Here are some of the top shortcuts I like to use, some standard, but a bunch of them custom. I'm using 2 plugins to enable those: Shortcuts Extender, and Code Editor Shortcuts.

Standard and really useful shortcuts
  • Use tab to indent the item in the list more, use shift+tab to un-indent.
  • Use cmd+I to make the text italics
  • Use cmd+B to make the text bold
  • Use cmd+K to add a link or make existing text into a link
  • Use cmd+, to open Settings (works in any app on MacOS)
  • Use cmd+shift+8 to create a bullet list (if you use it on existing text it makes it bulleted)

Obsidian Custom Keyboard Shortcuts
  • cmd+P - Open Command Pallete to issue any command (matched with VSCode)
  • cmd+shift+P - Open Quick Picker to pick files (matched with VSCode)
  • cmd+return - toggle a checkbox (this used to be default, but now needs custom)
  • cmd+R - Navigate Back (to previous document)
  • cmd+shift+B - Toggle left sidebar
  • cmd+shift+H - Toggle right sidebar
  • cmd+shift+M - Move current file to another folder
  • cmd+shift+R - Reveal the current file in the browser on the left
  • cmd+shift+9 - Create a checkbox list
  • cmd+shift+T - Insert template (either Templater or default)
  • cmd+shift+N - Split view to the right
  • cmd+D - Select word occurence with multiline editing cursor (using Code Editor Shortcuts)
  • cmd+shift+UP - Move line up (using Code Editor Shortcuts)
  • cmd+shift+DOWN - Move line down (using Code Editor Shortcuts)
  • cmd+shift+D - Duplicate the current line (using Code Editor Shortcuts)
  • option+cmd+1 - Heading 1 (using Shortcuts Extender)
  • option+cmd+2 - Heading 2 (using Shortcuts Extender)
  • option+cmd+3 - Heading 3 (using Shortcuts Extender)
  • cmd+shift+F - Omnisearch (needs Omnisearch plugin)
  • cmd+W - Close active pane

Combos
  • cmd+shift+B+H - hide both sidebars (using above shortcuts)
  • hold cmd, hit D, hit K, hit V - highlight just written word, linkify it and paste URL from clipboard
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0 sats \ 2 replies \ @zuspotirko 20 Jun 2023
I'd love to start migrating all my notes to Obsidian. I could see myself OBSESSED by the idea of a "second brain". Then to ctrl+F through it. Or feed an onprem AI with it to talk to myself lol.
But I can't do it, I would waste my whole life writing and journaling my whole brain into it. I also read the exact same sentiment here on SN before, so I'm probably not the only one.
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10 sats \ 0 replies \ @anon 15 Sep 2023
I have a 2nd brain with Obsidian, loving it! You start learning so much... Having a journal with the calendar plugin, then I use the PARA Method to organize (Journal ends up as a folder inside of 2 Areas folder). The graph view I hardly use though. 1 Projects 2 Areas 3 Resources 4 Archive
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @nout OP 20 Jun 2023
My 2 sats: I would say ignore the second brain stuff. Just take whatever notes you need to take and you don't need to care about structure or whatever. Obsidian is just a great tool to edit markdown files, the UI looks good and it has a great set of shortcuts to make that effective.
For example I don't think I have ever used the Graph visualization of your notes that they sell everywhere...
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0 sats \ 1 reply \ @OneOneSeven 19 Jun 2023
Nice, was just about to start using Obsidian again, any other good plugins you use?
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10 sats \ 0 replies \ @nout OP 19 Jun 2023
Yeah, there's couple I like
  • Advanced Tables
  • Dataview
  • File Diff (since I'm using syncthing to sync files, sometimes there's a conflict - this makes it super easy to merge)
  • Hider (to get rid of the left ribbon, scrollbars and sidebar icons)
  • Natural language dates (essentially I just use it to write @today and it replaces it with like 2023-06-19)
  • Remember Cursor Position
  • Templater
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0 sats \ 2 replies \ @ek 19 Jun 2023
Interesting, can this be an alternative to notion?
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0 sats \ 1 reply \ @final 19 Jun 2023
Used Obsidian a lot, really cool stuff.
Notion is project management / productivity overall while Obsidian is oriented around note taking with Markdown, kinda like an own personal Wiki.
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @ek 19 Jun 2023
kinda like an own personal Wiki.
Well, I also use Notion like my own personal wiki haha
Will give Obsidian a shot
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