What is @Linking?
@linking (also called mentions) allows you to reference any piece of content in Macro from anywhere else. Unlike simple links, @links are bidirectional: both sides know about the connection.Universal
Link documents, tasks, emails, messages, files, and more
Bidirectional
Both sides of a link know about each other for full context
Traceable
See everywhere something has been mentioned or referenced
Automatic
Permissions and access are handled automatically
How @Linking Works
What You Can @Link
Documents and Notes
Reference other documents, wikis, and notes:- Create a knowledge graph by linking related concepts
- Build a personal wiki with interconnected notes
- Reference design docs from implementation notes
Tasks and Projects
Link to tasks and projects:- Mention tasks in meeting notes
- Reference projects from strategy docs
- Connect related tasks across projects
Email Threads
Reference email conversations:- Link to important email threads from docs
- Mention customer emails in project planning
- Connect email discussions to tasks
Channel Messages
Reference specific messages and threads:- Link to important decisions made in channels
- Reference discussions from project docs
- Connect conversations to action items
Files and Media
Link to files, images, PDFs, and videos:- Reference design files from documentation
- Link to PDFs from research notes
- Connect screenshots to bug reports
People
Mention team members:- Notify people about important updates
- Assign tasks by mentioning users
- Attribute ideas and contributions
Dates
Reference dates and deadlines:@tomorrow- Quick date references@next week- Natural language dates@Dec 15- Specific date mentions
Groups
Mention groups of people:@here- Everyone currently active@team- All team members- Custom group aliases
When you @mention someone or a group, they receive a notification and can navigate directly to the context.
Bidirectional References
The key difference between @links and regular links is bidirectionality:Regular Links
- One-way: You can navigate forward, but not back
- No context: The linked item doesn’t know it was referenced
- Manual maintenance: Broken links stay broken
@Links
- Two-way: Navigate forward and backward
- Full context: See all places where something was referenced
- Automatic: Permissions and access handled automatically
When you @mention a document in a channel message, the document knows it was mentioned. You can view the document and see all the places it’s been referenced, creating a complete context graph.
Permissions and Access
One of the most powerful aspects of @linking is automatic permission handling:Automatic Access
When you @mention something to someone:- They automatically get access to view it
- Permissions inherit from the context (channel, doc, etc.)
- No manual permission management needed
Intuitive Sharing
- Send a document to someone → they can access it
- @mention a task in a channel → everyone in the channel can see it
- Reference a file in an email → recipient gets access
Permissions flow naturally based on how you share content. If you can mention it, the recipient can access it.
Use Cases
Building a Knowledge Graph
Create interconnected notes and documents:Project Context
Keep all project information connected:- Link project docs to related tasks
- Reference design files from implementation plans
- Connect customer emails to feature requests
- Mention channel discussions in decision docs
Meeting Notes
Make meeting notes actionable:- @mention attendees to notify them
- Link to discussed documents and files
- Reference related email threads
- Create tasks and link them inline
Customer Context
Keep customer information organized:- Link customer emails to their projects
- Reference support conversations from docs
- Connect contracts to implementation tasks
- Build a complete customer history
Finding References
See where things have been mentioned:Backlinks
View all places where a document, task, or file has been @mentioned:- Open the item
- Look for the “Mentioned in” or “References” section
- See the full list of backlinks
- Navigate to any reference for context
Search
Use search to find specific @mentions:- Search for content containing @mentions
- Filter by type: documents that mention tasks
- Find all mentions of a specific person
Best Practices
Link Liberally
Don’t be afraid to create lots of @links:- Link to related documents and tasks
- Reference source materials
- Mention people for attribution
- Connect ideas across your workspace
Use Descriptive Context
When @linking, add context:- “See @project-plan for the full timeline”
- “As discussed in @channel-design, we decided…”
- “@john suggested this approach in…”
Build a Knowledge Graph
Think of your workspace as a graph:- Documents are nodes
- @links are edges
- Navigation follows connections
- Insights emerge from relationships
Leverage Automatic Permissions
Trust the permission system:- Share documents by @mentioning them
- Don’t manually manage access
- Let permissions inherit naturally
Integration with Other Features
With Documents
- Create wiki-style documentation with interconnected notes
- Build Zettelkasten-style knowledge bases
- Reference source materials and citations
With Canvas
- Embed @links in diagrams
- Create visual knowledge graphs
- Connect diagram elements to real content
With AI Chat
- @mention documents to give AI context
- Reference conversations in your questions
- Build on previous chat threads
With Search
- Find content by @mentions
- Discover related materials
- Trace connections through your workspace