Obsidian Workflow Setup |

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The features learned so far are like scattered tools in a toolbox—you know how to use a hammer or a screwdriver, but haven’t yet learned how to build a table.

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This chapter connects core features and plugins into 5 practical workflows, helping you upgrade from “knowing how to use tools” to “having a system.”

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Reading Notes Workflow

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Reading is the primary way of knowledge input. This workflow helps turn a book into a long-term, searchable, and linkable asset.

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Workflow Overview

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Create a book home note: Use a template to quickly create a note and record the book’s metadata.
Record excerpts and annotations while reading: Use Callouts to distinguish between quoted text and personal thoughts.
Extract core concept notes: Turn important concepts from the book into atomic notes.
Establish links between concepts: Connect new concepts to your existing knowledge network.

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Book Home Template

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---\\ntitle: "Book Title"\\nauthor: "Author Name"\\ntags:\\n  - Reading\\n  - Type/Technology\\nrating: 4\\ndate_started: 2026-05-01\\ndate_finished: 2026-05-20\\nstatus: Finished Reading\\n---\\n

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Body Structure

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Example

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# 《Book Title》\\n\\n## 3-Sentence Summary\\n\\n1. What is the book’s core idea?\\n\\n2. What is the most valuable insight?\\n\\n3. Who is it for, and what problem does it solve?\\n\\n## Core Concepts\\n\\n- []: One-sentence explanation\\n\\n- []: One-sentence explanation\\n\\n- []: One-sentence explanation\\n\\n## Excerpts & Annotations\\n\\n> [!quote] Excerpt\\n\\n> This is an important passage from the book.\\n\\nMy understanding: This passage means... It reminds me of [].\\n\\n> [!quote] Excerpt\\n\\n> Another important passage.\\n\\nMy understanding: This conflicts with Author A’s view because...\\n\\n## Action Checklist\\n\\n-  Try applying Concept A\\n-  Apply Concept B to my project\\n-  Reread Chapter 3 and add more notes\\n

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Dataview Aid: Book Dashboard

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On your homepage or a dedicated dashboard note, use Dataview to summarize all books:

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Example

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```dataview\\nTABLE author, rating, date_finished, status\\nFROM "Reading"\\nWHERE type = "book"\\nSORT date_finished DESC\\n\\n

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Daily Workflow (Simplified GTD)

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This workflow doesn’t require formal GTD training—it only adopts the most practical parts.

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Daily Process

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Morning: Open today’s daily note and list 3 daily goals.
Daytime: Record ideas, add tasks, or update progress anytime in the daily note.
Evening: Review the day, check off completed tasks, and write a brief summary.

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Daily Note Template (Templater Version)

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Example

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---\\ntags: \\ncreated: <% tp.date.now("YYYY-MM-DD")%>\\n---\\n\\n# <% tp.date.now("YYYY-MM-DD dddd") %>\\n\\n## Today’s Goals\\n\\n-  Goal 1\\n-  Goal 2\\n-  Goal 3\\n\\n## Notes & Ideas\\n\\n(Record ideas, inspirations, or temporary tasks anytime)\\n\\n## Today’s Summary\\n\\n### What Was Accomplished\\n\\n### Difficulties Encountered\\n\\n### One Key Focus for Tomorrow\\n\\n<% tp.date.tomorrow("YYYY-MM-DD dddd")%>\\n

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Summarize Incomplete Tasks with Dataview

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Place a Dataview query block on your homepage note to automatically collect all incomplete tasks from daily notes:

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Example

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```dataview\\nTASK\\nFROM "00-Diary"\\nWHERE !completed\\nSORT file.day DESC\\nLIMIT 20\\n\\n

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Weekly Review (Optional)

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Every Sunday, spend 15 minutes writing a weekly review note containing:

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Example

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# 2026-W21 Weekly Review\\n\\n## This Week’s Accomplishments\\n\\n- Completed X\\n- Progressed Y\\n\\n## Incomplete Tasks\\n\\n```dataview\\nTASK\\nFROM "00-Diary"\\nWHERE !completed AND file.day >= date(2026-05-18) AND file.day <= date(2026-05-24)\\n\\n## Next Week’s Focus\\n\\n1. Focus 1\\n2. Focus 2\\n

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Learning Notes Workflow (Simplified Zettelkasten)

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This is a practical adaptation of the Zettelkasten methodology, tailored for technical professionals and students.

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Three Types of Notes

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Type	Source	Features	Storage Location
Scratch Notes	Ideas or inspirations that pop up anytime	No formatting required; quick capture	Daily Note or inbox folder
Literature Notes	Notes taken while reading books, articles, or tutorials	Paraphrased in your own words, with original source cited	Resource folder for the relevant domain
Permanent Notes	Refined versions of scratch and literature notes	Atomic, one concept per note, linked via bidirectional links	Scattered across the vault; discovered via links, not folders

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Practical Steps

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When learning something new, first record it in your daily note or temporary note (scratch note).
DuringOrganization, rewrite core concepts as independent notes (literature notes → permanent notes).
Add bidirectional links to each concept note, connecting it to existing knowledge.
Open the backlinks panel to check whether your new note is naturally referenced elsewhere.

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Concept Note Template

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Example

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---\\ntags:\\n  - Concept\\n  - Programming\\ncreated: 2026-05-21\\naliases:\\n  - Concept Alias\\n---\\n\\n# Concept Name\\n\\n## One-Sentence Definition\\n\\nClearly define the concept in one sentence.\\n\\n## Detailed Explanation\\n\\nExplain the concept in your own words—avoid copying textbook content.\\n\\n## Why It Matters\\n\\nIn what scenarios is it useful? What problem does it solve?\\n\\n## Related Concepts\\n\\n- []: Prerequisite knowledge\\n- []: Further reading\\n- []: Contrasting or opposing concept\\n\\n## Code Example (Optional)\\n\\n```python\\n# A minimal runnable example\\n\\n

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The core idea of Zettelkasten is “write your own understanding,” not “copy others’ words.” If you onlyCopy-paste (Copy-paste meansCopy-pasteTransfer—Copy-paste porter =Copy-pasteTransfer worker) textbook content into Obsidian, you’re just aCopy-pasteTransfer worker—not truly internalizing knowledge.
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Writing Workflow

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From idea to publication—everything happens inside Obsidian.

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Four-Stage Workflow

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Stage	Note Type	Tools
Material Collection	Scratch notes, excerpt cards	Daily Note + Quick Capture
Outline Planning	Outline note	Outline panel + Canvas drag-and-drop
Draft Writing	Draft note	Editor area + Focus Mode
Publishing & Export	Final version	Export PDF / Obsidian Publish / Pandoc to other formats

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Material Collection Stage

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Whenever you encounter content related to your writing topic during daily reading or thinking, record it immediately.

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For each writing project, create a “material pool” note and use Dataview to query content tagged with #Writing/Project Name.

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Outline Planning Stage

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Create outline cards in Canvas and drag them to reorder. Use connections to indicate logical relationships.

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Alternatively, write an outline note directly, using heading hierarchy to represent chapter structure, and use the outline panel for a global view.

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Draft Writing Stage

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Press Cmd+P → “Focus Mode” to hide all sidebars.

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After writing each section, use %%comment%% (Obsidian’s comment syntax) below to mark revisions. These comments are visible only in edit mode and hidden in preview mode.

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Publishing & Export

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Export PDF: Use Obsidian’s built-in export feature.
Export Word/HTML: Install the Pandoc plugin to convert Markdown to various formats.
Build a Digital Garden: Use Obsidian Publish to publish your entire vault as a website.

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Project Management Workflow

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Use Obsidian to track progress across multiple projects—not as a replacement for Jira, but as a personal project dashboard.

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Project Note Template

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Example

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---\\ntags:\\n  - Project\\nstatus: In Progress\\ndeadline: 2026-06-15\\npriority: High\\n---\\n\\n# Project Name\\n\\n## Goal\\n\\nOne-sentence description of the desired outcome.\\n\\n## Key Milestones\\n\\n-  Milestone 1: Specific deliverable — Deadline: 2026-05-30\\n-  Milestone 2: Specific deliverable — Deadline: 2026-06-10\\n-  Milestone 3: Specific deliverable — Deadline: 2026-06-15\\n\\n## In-Progress Tasks\\n\\n-  Task 1\\n-  Task 2\\n\\n## Project Notes\\n\\n- []\\n- []\\n\\n## Blockers\\n\\n(Record current issues blocking progress)\\n

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Create a Project Dashboard with Dataview

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Example

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```dataview\\nTABLE deadline, priority, status\\nFROM "10-Projects"\\nWHERE status != "Archived"\\nSORT priority ASC, deadline ASC\\n\\n

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Place all project notes on your homepage or dashboard note for a clear overview of overall progress.

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Homepage Design Suggestions

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A well-designed homepage (Home Note) is the first interface you see every time you open Obsidian.

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Recommended structure:

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Example

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# Welcome back ?\\n\\n## Quick Links\\n\\n- [[00-Journal/{{date}}|Today’s Diary]]\\n- []\\n- []\\n\\n## Current Projects\\n\\n```dataview\\nTABLE status, deadline\\nFROM "10-Projects"\\nWHERE status = "In Progress"\\n\\n## Incomplete Tasks\\n\\n```dataview\\nTASK\\nFROM "00-Diary"\\nWHERE !completed\\nLIMIT 10\\n\\n## Recently Updated Notes\\n\\n```dataview\\nTABLE file.mtime as "Last Modified"\\nFROM ""\\nSORT file.mtime DESC\\nLIMIT 5\\n\\n

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The homepage’s purpose is not “to look nice,” but “to be useful.” Put the information you most need to see every time you open Obsidian—such as today’s to-dos, ongoing projects, or recently modified notes—on your homepage. Keep refining it until it truly becomes your main entry point.
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Workflow Selection Recommendations

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You don’t need to adopt all five workflows at once. Build them progressively, following this priority:

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Phase	Start With	Reason
Week 1	Daily Workflow + Homepage	Establish the habit of opening Obsidian daily; other workflows naturally extend from this.
Week 2	Learning Notes Workflow	Most directly applicable if you’re currently learning new material.
Month 1	Reading Notes Workflow	Apply the template when starting your next book.
As Needed	Writing / Project Management Workflow	Build only when you have concrete writing or project tasks—avoid building empty frameworks in advance.

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