7 Simple Steps: How To Edit Note Properties In Metadata In Obsidian

Editing the properties of a note in Obsidian can be helpful for adding additional context and information to your notes and ensuring that they are properly organized within your vault. By accessing the metadata of a note, you can add or modify the note’s title, tags, creation date, and more. These properties can then be used for filtering, searching, and organizing your notes, making it easier to find and manage them.

To edit the properties of a note in Obsidian, right-click on the note and select “Edit MetaData” from the context menu. This will open the “Note Properties” dialog box, where you can view and modify the note’s properties. From here, you can change the note’s title, tags, and other properties. You can also add or remove custom properties by clicking on the “Add Custom Property” button. Once you have finished making changes, click on the “OK” button to save your changes.

Accessing Note Properties

Note properties are an essential aspect of Obsidian, providing a structured way to organize and retrieve information. To access note properties, you can use the following methods:

Through the Graph View

The Graph View offers a visual representation of all notes and their connections. To view note properties in the Graph View, hover your mouse over any note. A tooltip will appear, displaying the note’s title, tags, date of modification, and other properties. You can click on the note title to open it and edit its properties.

Through the Note Editor

When editing a note, you can access its properties by opening the sidebar. Click on the “Note Properties” tab to view and edit the note’s title, aliases, tags, date of creation and modification, and other settings. The “Note Properties” sidebar also allows you to add custom properties and link the note to external resources.

Through the Command Palette

The Command Palette is a quick access menu that allows you to perform various actions and search for commands. To access note properties through the Command Palette, type “Edit Note Properties” in the search bar. A list of options will appear, including “Edit Note Properties” and “Edit Note Properties in YAML.” Selecting either option will open the “Note Properties” sidebar.

Through the Backlinks Panel

The Backlinks Panel provides a list of all notes that link to the current note. To view note properties in the Backlinks Panel, hover your mouse over any note. A tooltip will appear, displaying the note’s title, tags, and other properties. You can click on the note title to open it and edit its properties.

Viewing Metadata Panel

To open the metadata panel in Obsidian, there are two primary methods, and we will cover each in detail below:

Method 1: Keyboard Shortcut

For this method, you will utilize the following keyboard shortcut:

Operating System	Shortcut
Windows	Ctrl + Shift + P
Mac	Cmd + Shift + P

After pressing the shortcut, type “Show Metadata” in the command palette that appears. Select the option that corresponds to “Show Metadata.” This action will open the Metadata Panel on the right-hand side of your Obsidian window.

Method 2: Command Bar

Alternatively, you can use the command bar to open the Metadata Panel. Follow these steps:

Click on the command bar located at the top of the Obsidian window.
Type “/metadata” (without the quotes) in the command bar.
Select the option that corresponds to “Show Metadata.”

Editing Note Title

In Obsidian, the note title is determined by the text in the first unindented line of the note. To edit the note title, simply edit the text in this line.

Here is an example:

Original note title: My Note

Edited note title: My Edited Note

After editing the text in the first unindented line, the note title will automatically update.

Using the Graph View

You can also edit the note title using the Graph View.

To do this, open the Graph View and select the note you want to edit.

In the right-hand panel, you will see a field called “Title”.

Edit the text in this field to change the note title.

Using Keyboard Shortcuts

There are also a few keyboard shortcuts that you can use to edit the note title:

Keyboard Shortcut	Action
Ctrl/Cmd + B	Toggles the first line to/from bold
Ctrl/Cmd + H	Toggles the first line to/from a heading
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + [ or ]	Moves the first line up or down by one line

Modifying Creation and Modification Dates

Obsidian allows you to modify the creation and modification dates of your notes, which can be useful for organizing and managing your workflow. To do this:

Open the note you want to edit.
Right-click on the note’s title in the left sidebar.
Select “Edit Metadata.”
In the Metadata Editor, scroll down to the “Dates” section.
Edit the “Created” and “Modified” fields as needed.
Click “OK” to save your changes.

You can also use a keyboard shortcut to open the Metadata Editor: Ctrl + Shift + E (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + Shift + E (Mac).

Additional Tips for Modifying Dates

Here are some additional tips for modifying dates in Obsidian:

You can use the following syntax to set a specific date and time:

YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS

For example, to set the creation date to January 1, 2023 at 12:00 PM, you would enter: 2023-01-01 12:00:00
You can also use relative dates, such as:

+1d (add one day)

-5m (subtract five minutes)

For example, to set the creation date to one day ago, you would enter: -1d

Date Format	Example
Absolute date and time	2023-01-01 12:00:00
Relative date	+1d

Customizing Author and Tags

Metadata Obsidian offers flexibility in customizing the author of a note. To edit the author:

Navigate to the note you wish to modify.
In the sidebar, locate the “Author” section.
Click on the existing author’s name.
A “Set Author” modal will appear. Enter the desired author’s name.
Click “Set” to confirm the change.

Likewise, you can customize the tags associated with a note. To edit tags:

Navigate to the note you wish to modify.
In the sidebar, locate the “Tags” section.
Click on the “Edit Tags” pencil icon.
A “Edit Tags” modal will appear. Add new tags or modify existing tags as needed.
Click “Save” to confirm the changes.

Adding Backlinks

Adding backlinks to your notes allows you to effortlessly connect related information. Here’s a detailed guide on how to do it:

Open the Note: Select the note you want to link from.
Access Note Properties: Press “Ctrl + /” (Windows) or “Cmd + /” (Mac) to open the note properties.
Locate the Backlinks Section: In the note properties panel, scroll down to the “Backlinks” section.
Type the Link: Enter the title or filename of the note you want to link to in the text input field.
Use Autocomplete: As you type, Obsidian will suggest matching notes; select the correct one.
Create a New Backlink: Click on the “Create” button to add the backlink. The linked note will be present in the note properties panel.
Add Multiple Backlinks: To link to multiple notes, enter their titles or filenames separated by commas. Obsidian will create individual backlinks for each.
Remove Backlinks: Hover over a backlink and click on the “Remove” button to delete it.
Preview Backlinks: Click on the “Preview” button to see a preview of the linked note.

Here’s a table summarizing the steps:

Step	Action
1	Open the note you want to link from.
2	Press “Ctrl + /” (Windows) or “Cmd + /” (Mac) to open the note properties.
3	Scroll down to the “Backlinks” section.
4	Enter the title or filename of the note you want to link to.
5	Click on the “Create” button to add the backlink.
6	(Optional) Add multiple backlinks by entering their titles or filenames separated by commas.
7	(Optional) Remove backlinks by hovering over them and clicking on the “Remove” button.
8	(Optional) Preview backlinks by clicking on the “Preview” button.

Adjusting Modularity and Visibility

Obsidian allows you to edit the properties of your notes to control their appearance and behavior. This includes adjusting their modularity and visibility.

Modularity

Modularity determines whether a note can be split into multiple, smaller notes. By default, notes are modular. You can change this by clicking the "Toggle Modularity" button in the note header.

Benefits of Modularity:

Organization: Allows you to break down complex topics into smaller, more manageable chunks.
Collaboration: Makes it easier to share and collaborate on notes with others.

Visibility

Visibility determines whether a note is visible in the sidebar and search results. You can choose from three visibility options:

Selecting Visibility:

To select a visibility option, click the "Toggle Visibility" button in the note header. Note that hidden notes can still be accessed by linking to them from other notes or using the Quick Switcher.

Applying Templates to Notes

Obsidian allows you to apply templates to notes, providing a consistent structure and format. To create a template:

1. Create a new note and enter the desired content.

2. Navigate to the “Templates” section of the Obsidian settings.

3. Click the “New Template” button.

4. Enter a name for the template.

5. Under “Type,” select “Content Template.”

6. Paste the content of the note into the editor.

7. Click “Save.”

To apply a template to a note:

1. Open the note.

2. Navigate to the “…” menu in the top-right corner.

3. Select “Change Template.”

4. Choose the desired template from the list.

5. Click “Apply.”

The template will be applied to the note, replacing the existing content.

Customizing Template Options

When creating a template, you can customize the following options:

Option	Description
Template Parameters	Allows you to specify placeholder variables that can be filled in when the template is applied.
Prompt for Template Parameters	Displays a dialog box asking for values to fill in the template parameters.
Automatically Apply Parameters	Automatically fills in the template parameters based on the current file name or other metadata.

Using YAML Front Matter for Metadata

YAML Front Matter is a standardized way of adding metadata to your notes. This metadata can then be used to filter, sort, and group your notes. YAML Front Matter is a key-value pair format that is placed at the top of your note.

Customizing Metadata with YAML Front Matter

YAML Front Matter lets you customize your metadata, such as:

Title
Author
Date
Tags
Categories
Status
Priority
Completion date
Due date

YAML Front Matter Syntax

The YAML Front Matter syntax follows specific rules:

The front matter should start with three dashes (—)
Each metadata key-value pair should be on its own line
Keys should be followed by a colon (:)
Values should be enclosed in quotes
The front matter should end with three dashes (—)

Example of YAML Front Matter

Here is an example of a YAML Front Matter block:


---
title: My Note
author: John Doe
date: 2023-03-08
tags: [note, obsidian]
---

Additional Notes

It’s important to note that YAML Front Matter is case-sensitive. Additionally, YAML Front Matter is not required for notes to be saved in Obsidian. However, using YAML Front Matter can greatly enhance the organization and discoverability of your notes.

Best Practices for Metadata Management

1. Plan Metadata Structure

Establish a logical and consistent metadata hierarchy that aligns with your data requirements.

2. Define Metadata Standards

Set clear guidelines for data entry, including format, value ranges, and use of controlled vocabularies.

3. Encourage Data Stewardship

Empower users or designated individuals to oversee the accuracy and quality of metadata.

4. Implement Data Validation

Employ automated tools to check metadata integrity, identify errors, and ensure compliance with standards.

5. Use Metadata Templates

Create reusable templates to help users input metadata consistently and efficiently.

6. Provide Metadata Documentation

Provide clear documentation explaining metadata definitions, usage scenarios, and maintenance procedures.

7. Monitor Metadata Usage

Track and analyze metadata usage patterns to identify potential issues, areas for improvement, and opportunities for optimization.

8. Encourage Metadata Reuse

Share and reuse metadata across projects and systems to reduce duplication and ensure consistency.

9. Leverage Metadata for Data Management

Utilize metadata to enhance data discovery, improve search and retrieval functionality, and support automated data processing.

10. Consider Metadata Interoperability

Explore metadata interchange standards and best practices to facilitate seamless data exchange and integration with other systems.

How to Edit Note Properties in Metadata Obsidian

Note properties in Obsidian are a powerful way to organize and manage your notes. They allow you to add additional data to your notes, such as tags, authors, dates, and more. This data can then be used to filter, sort, and search your notes. To edit note properties in Metadata Obsidian, follow these steps:

Open the note you want to edit.
Click on the “Edit” menu.
Select “Properties”.
The Properties panel will appear on the right side of the screen.
Make the changes you want to the note properties.
Click on the “Save” button.