Start from the note in front of you

Open a project, meeting, draft, research, or decision note The note in view becomes the anchor No query or prior links required Follow the getting started guide

Open Connections

Run: Smart Connections: Open connections view Keep it beside the note you are working in Scan only the first few results Open the getting started steps

Create your first related link

Preview one promising result Drag it into the note to create a link One chosen link is enough Create links from Connections

You know it worked when...

A related note changes what you write next The current note gains an insight, source, decision, or link Progress in the note is the value Finish the first useful path

The current note is the anchor

Results update as you switch notes Pause holds one anchor steady Refresh after major edits or settings changes Learn the list controls

Weak results? Use a richer note

Empty or tiny notes provide weak anchors Open a note with project, research, meeting, or decision text Try Connections again Fix missing results

Let preparation finish

Smart Environment prepares eligible notes for local retrieval No API key is needed for Core retrieval Readiness depends on vault size and device Check Smart Milestones

Still empty? Inspect the note

Use the Smart Environment status menu Run: Inspect active note Check that should embed and vectorized are green Review Smart Environment settings

Check vault coverage

Run: Show stats Embedding coverage should be greater than zero Use Milestones when preparation is still running Open Smart Milestones docs

Choose the right starting point

Current note -> Connections Question -> Smart Lookup Exact phrase -> Obsidian search Use Smart Lookup for questions

Watch the discovery layer

See related notes appear as a note gains meaning See why empty notes produce weak results Then return to one useful link Watch the segment on YouTube

Make it routine

Leave Connections open beside your notes When the note makes you search, preview one result Apply one useful result before moving on Use the daily Connections view

Need daily list controls?

Pause one anchor while browsing Copy a clean list of links Hide noise or pin references Learn the Connections view

Full notes or precise excerpts?

Sources return whole notes for overview Blocks return smaller sections for precision Start broad, switch to Blocks when the useful part is buried Read the Blocks vs Sources FAQ

Useful but noisy?

Lower result limit for clarity Move the sidebar where it fits your layout Tune after one useful result, not before Tune Connections settings

Finish notes with related links

Footer connections appear at the end of the note Useful on mobile and no-sidebar layouts Review related notes before leaving the page Use Footer connections

Starting from a question?

Ask in plain language Search by meaning, not exact keywords Use Lookup when the query is the anchor Explore Smart Lookup

Need paragraph-level context?

Inline connections appear beside specific blocks Hover to scan related matches in the editor Use after the whole-note workflow works Learn Inline connections

Need relevance in a table?

Add a Connections score column to a Base Compare rows against a reference note Sort planning, research, or triage by relevance Explore Connections in Bases

Want link trails per row?

Use list_connections in a Bases column See related links beside each row Build review dashboards without leaving Bases Use Bases link trails

Recurring result problem?

Fix scope first Then tune scoring or ranking Change one layer at a time Tune scoring and ranking

Need the shape of a topic?

Use a graph when a list feels too flat Look for clusters, bridges, and neighborhoods Act on selected notes after the shape is useful Explore Smart Graph

Turning matches into AI context?

Use Connections to find strong candidates Review what belongs before packaging Send selected material to Smart Context when the next step needs AI Build a Smart Context bundle

Still blocked?

Check the FAQ before changing everything Use the page that matches your symptom Then return to one meaningful note Open the Connections FAQ

Get one useful related note today

Open a meaningful note Open Connections Preview and apply one result Open the getting started guide

Watch Wanderloots' Walkthrough

See Smart Connections in action after the quick path. Watch on YouTube Get onboarding links and Pro workflow notes after this walkthrough. Email Send me updates Sending... Thanks. Check your inbox for the next step. Please use the fallback link below. Explore Pro workflows Watch on YouTube