---
title: "Tags and frontmatter"
description: "Two ways to add structure that aren't folders."
source: "Obsidian Academy"
source_url: https://obsidian-academy.pages.dev/basics/04-tags-and-frontmatter/
saved: 2026-05-16
tags: [obsidian-academy, saved-from-web, basics]
---

Folders give one place to a note. Tags and frontmatter let a note belong to many things at once.

## Tags — quick and casual

Drop a `#tag` anywhere in a note:

```md
Some thoughts about agents. #ai #learn

#project/whittech
```

Tags can be nested with slashes: `#project/whittech`, `#person/alice`, `#mood/anxious`.

Click any tag in Obsidian → see every note that uses it. The tag pane (left sidebar → tag icon) shows your whole tag tree.

## Frontmatter — structured metadata

YAML block at the top of a note:

```md
---
title: Q2 launch plan
status: active
owner: me
target_date: 2026-06-15
priority: high
tags: [project, q2]
---

# Q2 launch plan
```

Frontmatter is **machine-readable**. Plugins like Dataview can query it. Claude Code reads it. You can build dashboards from it.

## Tags vs frontmatter — when to use which

| Use tags when | Use frontmatter when |
|---|---|
| You want to **categorize** | You want to **describe** |
| Casual, inline | Structured, queryable |
| Examples: `#idea`, `#learn` | Examples: `status: draft`, `due: 2026-06-01` |

Use both. They don't conflict.

## Tags this site uses

The 10 workflows reference these tags in your vault:

- `#learn` — flagged for spaced-repetition card generation
- `#idea` — fleeting ideas in inbox; gets routed to `40-Resources/ideas/`
- `#project/[slug]` — explicit project tagging if folder isn't enough

## Frontmatter the skills look for

| Field | Used by | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| `date:` | Daily Driver | Note date |
| `mood:`, `energy:`, `event:`, `weather:` | Visual Journal | Image prompt building |
| `status:` | MOC Maintainer | Filter active vs done |
| `tags:` | Multiple | Cross-cutting categorization |
| `aliases:` | Prep-for, Inbox Zero | Match a note by other names |
| `archived:`, `outcome:` | When moving to `50-Archive/` | Searchable archive context |

## Don't go nuts

You'll see Obsidian forum posts about elaborate tag taxonomies with 50 tags and 8 nesting levels. Resist. Start simple:

- 5–10 top-level tags max
- Add nesting only when you have ≥5 notes that need the distinction
- Reuse existing tags before inventing new ones
- Periodically prune (the MOC Maintainer flags stale ones)

## Next

[Plugins and the mobile app](/basics/05-plugins-and-mobile/) — extending Obsidian and using it on your phone.