Backlinks and mentions

Every note carries, beyond what you wrote in it, the web of connections that ties it to the rest of your collection. The Connections panel gathers that web in one place: it shows who points to the current note, where it points to, and where its title is cited without a formal link. It's the most direct way to see the context of an idea without having to open the entire graph.

The Connections panel

The Connections panel opens beside the editor and follows the note you're viewing. To show or hide it, use the "Backlinks" button in the editor's top bar (the crossing-paths icon). Whenever you open another note, the panel updates to show that note's connections: the links that arrive at it, the ones that leave it, and the loose mentions of its title.

Instead of manually searching for which other notes talk about the same subject, you get this overview built automatically — the links come from the network you build while writing with [[.

The three sections

The panel splits connections into three groups, each answering a different question about the current note. Next to each section a count shows how many connections exist in that group, and clicking any entry opens the corresponding note in the editor.

Backlinks

The notes that point to this one. These are the links arriving from outside: other notes that created a link to the current note. They show in which contexts your idea is used and who depends on it.

Outgoing links

The notes this one points to. These are the links that leave the current note: everything you referenced while writing. They show which ideas this note rests on.

Unlinked mentions

The notes that cite this note's title in their text without a formal link. They are potential connections waiting to be confirmed — this section only appears when at least one mention exists.

How mentions are found

• A mention is a note whose text contains the current note's title as a whole expression — citations inside code and links that already exist don't count.
• Very short titles (fewer than 3 characters) and untitled notes are skipped, to avoid noise.
• Only your own notes are scanned; notes that already link here appear under Backlinks, not as mentions.

Turning a mention into a link

Unlinked mentions exist precisely so you can decide what to do with them. Clicking a mention opens the note that cites the title — the link itself you create there, in the text:

1. 1In the Unlinked mentions section, click the note you want to connect. It opens in the editor.
2. 2Find the passage that cites the title and turn it into a real link: type [[ and pick the note, or write the title as [[Title]] — it converts into a link chip automatically.
3. 3Back in the original note, the mention now counts as a backlink and the connection appears in the graph.

What it's for

• Discovering a note's context: seeing where it's referenced from reveals how that idea fits into the whole.
• Navigating between related ideas: the panel works as a neighborhood index, with direct jumps to the connected notes.
• Finding connections you hadn't linked: unlinked mentions point to relationships that exist in the text but haven't become links yet.

Empty states and limits

A note without connections shows "No notes point here yet." under Backlinks and, under Outgoing links, the reminder "Use [[ in the editor to link other notes." — the panel starts filling up as soon as you create the first link.