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Properties let you attach structured data to a note — dates, numbers, checkboxes, links, and more. You can use properties to organize notes, power templates, and query your vault with search.

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Adding properties to a note

There are several ways to add a property:
1

Use the command palette

Run the Add file property command from the Command Palette.
2

Use the keyboard shortcut

Press Cmd/Ctrl+;.
3

Use the More actions menu

Click the three-dots icon (or right-click the tab) and choose Add file property.
4

Type YAML frontmatter directly

Type --- at the very beginning of a file to open the properties section.
Once you add a property, a row appears at the top of the note with two fields: the property name and the property value.

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Property types

Each property has a name, a value, and a type that determines what kind of values it stores. To change a property’s type, click the type icon next to the property name. Once a type is assigned to a property name, every property with that name across your vault uses the same type.
Stores a single line of text. Markdown formatting is not rendered. Hashtags do not create tags.Internal links use the [[Link]] syntax and must be surrounded with quotes.
---
title: A New Hope
link: "[[Episode IV]]"
url: https://www.example.com
---
Stores multiple values. Each value appears on its own line, preceded by a hyphen and space.
---
cast:
  - Mark Hamill
  - Harrison Ford
  - Carrie Fisher
links:
  - "[[Link]]"
  - "[[Link2]]"
---
Must be a literal number (no operators). Both integers and decimals are supported.
---
year: 1977
pie: 3.14
---
Stores true or false. Displays as a checkbox in Live Preview.
---
favorite: true
reply: false
---
Stored in YYYY-MM-DD format.
---
date: 2020-08-21
---
The date picker uses your operating system’s default date format. With the Daily notes plugin enabled, a date property also acts as an internal link to the corresponding daily note.
Includes both a date and a time, stored in ISO 8601 format.
---
time: 2020-08-21T10:30:00
---
A special property type used exclusively by the tags property. This property type cannot be assigned to other properties.
---
tags:
  - journal
  - personal
  - draft
---
See Tags for more on using tags in Obsidian.

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Property format (YAML)

Properties are stored in YAML format at the top of the file, between --- delimiters: 
---
name: value
---
Property names are separated from values by a colon and a space. Each name must be unique within a note — you can’t have two tags properties in the same file.
While you can also write properties in JSON format (between --- delimiters), Obsidian reads and saves them as YAML.

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Default properties

Obsidian includes a set of built-in properties:
PropertyTypeDescription
tagsTagsAdds tags to a note. See Tags.
aliasesListAlternative names for a note.
cssclassesListApply CSS snippet classes to style individual notes.

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Properties for Obsidian Publish

PropertyDescription
publishControls whether a note is included in auto-publish selection.
permalinkSets a custom URL path for the published page.
descriptionSets the description for social media link previews.
imageSets the image for social media link previews.
coverAlternative to image for social media previews.

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Deprecated properties

These properties were deprecated in Obsidian 1.4 and removed as defaults in 1.9:
PropertyReplacement
tagtags
aliasaliases
cssclasscssclasses

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Searching and using properties

Properties have their own search syntax that works alongside other search terms. Use [property:value] in the Search panel to filter notes by property value. You can also use properties in templates — when you insert a template, all its properties are merged into the active note.

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Display modes

Control how properties appear in a note under Settings → Editor → Properties in document:
ModeBehavior
Visible (default)Shows properties at the top of the note.
HiddenHides properties; still accessible via the Properties view in the sidebar.
SourceDisplays properties as plain YAML text.

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Keyboard shortcuts

ActionShortcut
Add new propertyCmd/Ctrl+;
Focus next propertyDown arrow or Tab
Focus previous propertyUp arrow or Shift+Tab
Jump to editorAlt+Down arrow

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Limitations

A few features are not currently supported:
  • Nested properties — use Source mode to view them.
  • Bulk-editing properties — use external tools such as VSCode, scripts, or community plugins.
  • Markdown in properties — properties are intentionally plain text so they remain both human- and machine-readable.

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