> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/obsidianmd/obsidian-help/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Welcome to Obsidian

> A powerful, local-first knowledge management app that stores your notes as plain Markdown files — with optional sync and publishing services.

Obsidian is a note-taking and knowledge management application built around a simple idea: your notes belong to you. All data is stored as plain Markdown files on your device, giving you full ownership and portability — no proprietary formats, no cloud lock-in.

With Obsidian, you can build a personal knowledge base that grows with you — linking ideas, organizing projects, and surfacing connections you didn't know existed.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Install Obsidian" icon="download" href="/getting-started/install">
    Download and install Obsidian on your device — available for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Create your first vault" icon="vault" href="/getting-started/create-vault">
    A vault is a folder of Markdown files. Learn how to create or open one to get started.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Write your first note" icon="pen-to-square" href="/getting-started/first-note">
    Learn how to create notes and use Obsidian's Markdown editor.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Link your notes" icon="link" href="/getting-started/link-notes">
    Discover how internal links and backlinks connect your knowledge together.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Get started

<Steps>
  <Step title="Download and install Obsidian">
    Visit [obsidian.md](https://obsidian.md) and download the installer for your platform. Obsidian runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create or open a vault">
    When you first launch Obsidian, you'll be prompted to create a new vault or open an existing folder. A vault is simply a folder of Markdown files on your device.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create your first note">
    Press `Ctrl+N` (or `Cmd+N` on macOS) to create a new note. Write in Markdown — Obsidian renders headings, lists, bold, italics, and more in real time.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Link ideas together">
    Type `[[` to create an internal link to another note. Obsidian automatically tracks backlinks so you can see which notes reference each other.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Explore Obsidian

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Editing & Formatting" icon="text" href="/editing/basic-formatting">
    Learn Obsidian's Markdown syntax — from headings and lists to callouts, tables, and math.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Core Plugins" icon="puzzle-piece" href="/plugins/overview">
    Explore built-in features like Canvas, Graph View, Daily Notes, Templates, and more.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Bases" icon="database" href="/bases/introduction">
    Create database-like views of your notes using properties, filters, and multiple layouts.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Community Plugins" icon="store" href="/extending/community-plugins">
    Extend Obsidian with thousands of plugins built by the community.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Obsidian Sync" icon="arrows-rotate" href="/sync/introduction">
    Keep your notes in sync across all your devices with end-to-end encryption.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Obsidian Publish" icon="globe" href="/publish/introduction">
    Share your notes online as a wiki, knowledge base, or digital garden.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Why Obsidian?

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Your data stays yours">
    Obsidian stores everything as plain `.md` files in a folder you control. There's no proprietary format — you can open your notes in any text editor, version them with Git, or migrate to any other tool at any time.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Works offline by default">
    Obsidian runs entirely on your device. There's no account required to use the core app — sync and publish are optional add-on services.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Highly extensible">
    With over 1,000 community plugins and hundreds of themes, Obsidian adapts to your workflow — whether you're a writer, developer, researcher, or project manager.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Built for connected thinking">
    Bidirectional links, the graph view, and backlinks help you discover relationships between your notes and build a true second brain.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>