> ## 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.

# Aliases

> Give a note alternative names to make it easier to link and search for it across your vault.

An alias is an alternative name for a note. Aliases let you reference the same note using multiple names — useful for acronyms, abbreviations, nicknames, or alternate spellings.

For example, you might add `AI` and `Machine learning` as aliases for a note titled `Artificial intelligence`.

<Note>
  If you only want to change how a link looks in one specific place, use [display text](/linking/internal-links#change-the-display-text) instead. Aliases are for when you want to reuse the same alternate name throughout your vault.
</Note>

## Add an alias to a note

Add an `aliases` property to the note's [frontmatter](https://help.obsidian.md/Editing+and+formatting/Properties). Aliases must be formatted as a YAML list:

```md theme={null}
---
aliases:
  - Doggo
  - Woofer
  - Yapper
---

# Dog
```

You can add as many aliases as you need. Each entry becomes an alternative name you can search for and link to.

## Link to a note using an alias

When you type an internal link with `[[`, aliases appear in the autocomplete suggestions alongside note titles, marked with a curved arrow icon.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Start typing the alias">
    Type `[[` and begin entering the alias name. It appears in the suggestions list.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select the alias">
    Press `Enter` to select it.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Obsidian creates the link using the full `[[Note title|alias]]` format to maintain interoperability with other apps that support Wikilinks:

```md theme={null}
[[Artificial intelligence|AI]]
```

<Note>
  Obsidian uses `[[Artificial Intelligence|AI]]` rather than just `[[AI]]` to ensure the link resolves correctly in other Wikilink-compatible applications.
</Note>

## Find unlinked mentions for an alias

If other notes mention an alias as plain text without linking to it, you can find those mentions using Backlinks.

For example, after setting `AI` as an alias for `Artificial intelligence`, the Backlinks panel shows unlinked mentions of `AI` across your vault.

When you link an unlinked mention, Obsidian converts the plain text into an internal link with the alias as the display text:

```md theme={null}
<!-- Before -->
This note discusses AI in depth.

<!-- After linking the unlinked mention -->
This note discusses [[Artificial intelligence|AI]] in depth.
```

## Aliases in link suggestions

Aliases appear alongside note titles in the `[[` autocomplete suggestions, with a curved arrow icon next to them. Select an alias to create a link using it as the display text.