Problem
Lost notes stall writing momentum and force expensive rewrites.
Local-first related notes for Obsidian
Smart Connections for Obsidian: related notes while you write
You know you wrote this, but cannot find it in flow. Smart Connections surfaces related notes and blocks from the note you are already working in, so you can scan, preview, drag, and keep writing before context loss turns into rework.
Turning point
Current note -> Connections. Question -> Lookup. Exact phrase -> Obsidian search.
Outcome
You reuse existing ideas faster with local-first, reviewable retrieval.
Local embeddings Local-first control Works offline after indexing Source available
Search notes by meaning with Smart Lookup
Tune Smart Connections results
Explore the Connections view
Source-available license
Built for writers, researchers, and builders who want related notes in flow without cloud lock-in.
Looking for an Obsidian Copilot alternative? See our Copilot alternative comparison.
Should you install Smart Connections?
Install Smart Connections when you want related notes to return while you write, without depending on exact filenames, folders, tags, or prior links.
Good fit
- You often remember that you wrote something, but not where.
- You want useful prior notes to surface while drafting or reviewing.
- You want to build links from relevance, not from manual organization alone.
- You prefer a local-first retrieval path for the core related-notes workflow.
Use another starting point when
- You need an exact word, heading, tag, syntax, or regex: use Obsidian search.
- You have a typed question instead of an anchor note: use Smart Lookup.
- You need topic shape, clusters, or neighborhoods: use Smart Graph.
- You already found the notes and need an AI-ready bundle: use Smart Context.
Related notes, local embeddings, and a clear search boundary
Smart Connections answers the note-first question: what else in my vault is related to the note I am writing right now?
Surface related notes while writing
Smart Connections ranks notes and blocks against the current note so useful context appears without a folder hunt.
Use the right anchor
Use Smart Connections when the note is the anchor, Smart Lookup when a typed question is the anchor, and Obsidian search when exact text matters.
Act without breaking flow
Preview, open, drag links into the note, copy a ranked list, hide noise, pin essentials, or package selected results for delegation.
Relevance beats perfect organization
You do not need a perfectly tagged, linked, and foldered vault before your notes become useful again. Smart Connections turns relevance into structure as you work.
Find the note before you re-write it
The Connections panel resurfaces prior drafts, decisions, and research the moment they become useful again.
Beat brittle keyword search
Related notes can appear even when your current wording does not match the old filename, heading, or phrase.
Stop compounding rework
Less re-researching. Less blank-page deja vu. Less time rebuilding ideas your vault already contains.
Trust your vault again
Link results, reuse context, and keep writing with local-first retrieval that supports flow instead of breaking it.
Less time organizing. Less time searching. More time on what matters most.
From "I know I wrote this" to "there it is."
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Step 1
Install
Install Smart Connections from Obsidian Community Plugins.
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Step 2
Activate
Open a meaningful note, open the Connections view, and see connections.
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Step 3
Continue
Add the useful result to the note, then use the Connections view guide for daily controls and workflows.
Already installed? Follow Getting Started to reach your first useful result.
Local-first control you can verify
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✓
For the default related-notes workflow, indexing and retrieval run locally after setup. Review sources, models, and exclusions in Smart Environment settings .
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✓
No API key is required for the default Smart Connections retrieval path. Keys only matter if you choose provider-backed workflows later.
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✓
Connections can stay useful offline after local indexing. Internet may still be needed for installation, updates, and model downloads.
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✓
Source available under the Smart Plugins License .
Smart Connections and Connections Pro
Smart Connections completes the default note-first workflow: related notes surface from the note in view, you preview a result, and you choose what enters the work. Connections Pro fits workflows that need advanced control, narrower scope, specialized ranking, Bases scoring, or larger-vault performance tooling.
Default note-first workflow
Smart Connections
Related notes from the note already in view, with a local-first retrieval path for the core workflow.
- ✓ Connections view for current-note related discovery while you write.
- ✓ Preview, open, and drag useful results into the current note.
- ✓ Footer connections for end-of-note, mobile, and no-sidebar workflows.
- ✓ Local embeddings for the default related-notes workflow, configured through Smart Environment settings .
- ✓ No API key required for the default local retrieval path.
- - When the question, not the note, is the starting point, use Smart Lookup .
Optional Pro workflows
Connections Pro
For workflows that need in-editor placement, sortable relevance in Bases, custom result scope, ranking control, or larger-vault performance tooling, Connections Pro adds surfaces and controls for those distinct jobs.
- ✓ Inline connections for related material beside the exact passage you are editing.
- ✓ Connections in Bases for sortable relevance columns and related lists inside tables.
- ✓ Path, frontmatter, link-direction, scoring, and ranking controls for recurring result-shaping needs.
- ✓ Custom scoring and ranking algorithms when a repeatable workflow needs different ordering behavior.
- ✓ Smart Graph handoff for workflows that need topic shape, clusters, or neighborhoods beyond the list.
See Smart Connections in action
Watch how Smart Connections pulls the right notes back into view so you can keep writing instead of chasing context.
Choose the right guide
After you install, use the getting started guide. Then use the feature guides for specific workflows.
Guides
Start here
Install and set up Smart Connections
Install, open a meaningful note, preview one related result, and recover if results are missing.
Connection actions
Explore the Connections view
Scan, preview, drag-to-link, pause, hide, pin, copy links, and send results to context.
Mobile view
See connections at the bottom of notes
Review related notes in the footer without the side panel.
Retrieval, settings, and trust
Question-first retrieval
Search notes by meaning with Smart Lookup
Use a written question or idea as the starting point instead of the note in view.
Result tuning
Tune Smart Connections results and display
Control Sources vs Blocks, result limits, display behavior, and available filters.
Trust
Why local embeddings matter
Understand how local semantic retrieval works and where provider-backed workflows are separate.
Settings
Smart Environment settings
Configure sources, exclusions, embeddings, and providers used across Smart Plugins.
Connections Pro workflow conditions
In-editor placement
See inline connections while you write
Surface related notes or blocks beside the exact paragraph, heading, or sentence you are editing.
Sortable relevance
Add semantic relevance to Obsidian Bases
Add similarity scores and related lists directly to your Bases tables.
Ranking control
Tune scoring and ranking algorithms
Adjust score and ranking behavior when a recurring workflow needs more specific ordering.
Topic shape
Explore related notes in Smart Graph
Use graph workflows when a list is too flat and you need clusters, neighborhoods, or bridge notes.
Ecosystem continuations
Context packaging
Build reusable context from your notes
Turn chosen notes into reviewable AI-ready context bundles.
Grounded chat
Keep AI chat attached to your notes
Use selected notes as grounded context in conversations with your chosen model.
Review repeated work
Review duplicate and near-duplicate notes
Use Smart Dedupe when similar notes or blocks need review before you change them.
Support and options
FAQ
Quick answers to the questions that block installs: search quality, privacy, setup, performance, and compatibility.
How is this different from keyword search?
Keyword search depends on exact words. Smart Connections uses local embeddings to surface notes by meaning, not just matching words. Use Smart Lookup when you start with a question, and the Connections view when you want in-flow suggestions while writing.
What is the difference between Connections and Lookup?
Connections is note-first. It uses the note in view as the starting point for related notes and blocks. Smart Lookup is question-first semantic retrieval when you want to ask a targeted question. If you want to tune result type, limits, or filters, use Connections settings.
Does Smart Connections send my notes to the cloud?
Smart Connections Core retrieval uses local embeddings by default. Provider-backed workflows are separate and explicit: if you enable a cloud provider or send selected context to another AI tool, that provider receives the context you choose to send. Review Smart Environment settings and the Privacy Policy for details.
What data does Smart Connections collect?
Your notes are used by the plugin inside your vault for local retrieval by default. Website, subscription, support, and provider-backed workflows may involve operational data or user-selected context as described in the Privacy Policy. If you enable a cloud provider, review that provider's terms too.
Do I need an API key?
Not for Smart Connections Core semantic retrieval. API keys only matter if you intentionally enable provider-backed workflows or integrations that require them.
Does Smart Connections work offline / without internet?
Connections can stay useful offline after local indexing for the local retrieval path. Internet may still be needed for installation, updates, model downloads, documentation, subscription services, or provider-backed workflows.
Does Smart Connections cost anything?
Smart Connections Core is free for Obsidian. Optional advanced workflows are available through Pro plugins. If you want to support ongoing development directly, see Community Supporters.
Are free Core plugins going away?
No. Core plugins stay free and source available. Pro plugins fund optional advanced workflows and faster iteration, while the Smart Plugins License explains the source-available model.
Will it slow down my vault?
Initial indexing can be heavier for large vaults. Day-to-day retrieval is designed to be tunable through result limits, result type, and exclusions. Use Connections settings and Smart Environment settings.
Can I use Smart Connections on mobile?
Smart Connections includes mobile-friendly workflows, and Footer connections are included for no-sidebar use. Confirm current platform notes before making workflow-critical mobile assumptions. See Smart Plugins on mobile and Connections footer.
Is Smart Connections open source?
Smart Connections is source available under the Smart Plugins License. It is not OSI open source because the license includes restrictions on direct general-purpose competing Obsidian offerings.
How do I install Smart Connections?
Install Smart Connections from Obsidian Community Plugins, enable it, then follow Getting Started to open a meaningful note, preview one result, and confirm setup if results are missing.
Ready to stop losing momentum to search and rework?