Getting started

1. Open a vault. On the starter screen choose Open folder as vault to use an existing folder of Markdown files, including a vault from another app, or Create new vault to start a new folder.

2. Write a note. Press ⌘N. The note starts as Untitled.md with the title focused: type a name and it becomes the file name. Notes save automatically while you write.

3. Link it. Type [[ and a few letters of another note. Pick a suggestion with Enter. Linking to a note that does not exist yet and following the link creates it.

4. Follow the link back. Open the other note: its Backlinks panel, on the right, lists the note you came from, with the line around the link.

Opening links

In Live Preview a link shows only its text. ⌘-click it to open the note; from version 1.3.0 a plain click works too.

Good to know

• Synapse writes only one folder inside a vault, .synapse/, for vault settings and open tabs. It never modifies an existing .obsidian/ folder.
• Create new vault refuses a folder that already exists, so it never mixes with other files.
• If a recent vault was moved or deleted, it is flagged as unavailable with Locate… and Remove. Synapse never recreates a missing folder empty.

Find your way around

Action	Shortcut
Jump to a note	⌘O
Command palette	⌘P
Search all notes	⇧⌘F
Graph	⌘G
Reading / editing view	⌘E
Settings	⌘,

Next: the editor and links and backlinks.