5 reasons why you should learn Markdown for taking notes in Obsidian (2024)

Over the years, many note-taking tools such as Bear, Obsidian, Roam Research, and more have adopted Markdown formatting by default. Among them, Obsidian stands out for several reasons, such as a clean UI, robust plugin store, rich theming engine, graph view, backlinks, and more.

If you are moving from a traditional app like OneNote, Evernote, or Apple Notes, the Markdown language may feel overwhelming and confusing at first. If you are still of two minds about using Markdown, check out our top reasons to learn it for taking notes in Obsidian.

5 Universal language

Markdown is a universal language. Once you learn Markdown tricks to format text, the same methods work across all the software solutions which utilize it. It is one of the biggest reasons to master Markdown. When dealing with other apps, the text formatting bar and keyboard shortcuts will vary from one tool to another. You don’t have to worry about the same variability when using Markdown.

Even if you switch from Obsidian to Bear, Roam Research, or another solution that uses Markdown, you won’t need to memorize all the tricks from scratch. The same tricks with hashtags (#), brackets ([]), and the URL in parentheses (()) are used in the same way to format text across these programs.

4 Compatible with all the major software solutions

See Also

Getting Started with R Markdown — Guide and Cheatsheet – Dataquestrmarkdown :: CheatsheetGetting Started with R Markdown — Guide and CheatsheetIntroduction to R Markdown

Since Obsidian uses a Markdown-based editor, all your files are stored in the .md extension. Most well-known software solutions and text editors support such Markdown files. This means all your Obsidian notes are future-proof, and you don’t necessarily need to rely on specific software to open and edit your Markdown files.

In comparison, Evernote uses ENEX, and OneNote relies on ONE extension to store your files. These file types are not compatible with other apps, and you need to open them using their respective software only.

3 Offers a clean user interface

As mentioned, Obsidian uses hashtag (#), an asterisk (*), brackets ([]), equal (=), dash (-), and other signs to format your notes. This approach offers a couple of advantages compared to other tools. First of all, you don’t need to lift your fingers from the keyboard for any text formatting. You can simply write your sentences and paragraphs as usual and format your text as you go, like a pro. You don’t need to use keyboard shortcuts or any toolbar to complete your formatting.

While a Markdown editor may seem like a small change at first glance, it can save you hours when you are writing a long book, blog post, or research paper. Since a Markdown-based editor doesn’t use a standard toolbar, the entire Obsidian UI also looks quite neat and minimal. You can simply focus on writing, utilize formatting using different symbols, and complete your notes in no time.

2 Export options

Most note-taking solutions only offer an option to export notes in PDF format. Thanks to the Markdown editor, you can simply copy and paste from the reading view (not from the editing one) without any formatting issues.

You can also use Obsidian notes in another Markdown editor like iA Writer, Ulysses, or Bear, and export to .docx, HTML, and other formats. By default, Obsidian lets you export notes in PDF format. You can pick page size, use landscape mode, set margin, and even set downscale percent before exporting a note to PDF. After all, Markdown was founded back in 2004 as an easy way to write in a format that can easily be converted into HTML. It was basically a boon for non-coders back then.

The community plugins store is also packed with numerous plugins to enhance export options on Obsidian. Among them, Enhancing Export is my favorite plugin to allow easy export into different formats, including ePub and Hugo.

1 Flexible and extensible

There is no shortage of customization options with Markdown. It’s quite flexible and extensible. You can try different flavors or extensions of Markdown to implement more features in the basic syntax. For example, with Obsidian, you can explore a rich plugin store to add more functionality to your Obsidian setup.

There is an option to enable calendars, create Kanban boards, mind maps, and more with the help of plugins. The possibilities are endless here. Check out our post below to find the top Obsidian plugins.

Streamline your notes with Obsidian

Markdown isn’t just syntax. It’s a superpower for note-takers. By utilizing Markdown in Obsidian, you are unlocking the gates to efficiency, readability, and portability. Whether it’s using backlinks, emphasizing text, or utilizing headers, Markdown simplifies the process without affecting flexibility. What are you waiting for? Explore Markdown to transform your plain text into a canvas of creativity. If you want to learn more about Markdown in Obsidian, read our dedicated post to learn the top tips and tricks.