Rethinking My Obsidian Tagging System
For a long time, my tagging strategy in Obsidian involved assigning topic-related tags to every note. If a note touched on philosophy, mathematics, or writing, I would tag it accordingly. I also gave myself a rule: no more than three tags per note.
But over time, this approach became unsustainable. As my notes multiplied, so did the number of tags. Maintaining them turned into a chore. I spent more time worrying about what to tag than actually writing or thinking. Even with the “three tags” rule, the system was spiraling into chaos.
Why Tags Don’t Need to Handle Topics
Obsidian already gives us folders and backlinks—two powerful tools for organizing content by theme and connection. If I want to group notes by subject, I can rely on:
- Folders for structural organization (e.g., books, projects, journals).
- Backlinks and graph view for knowledge relationships across topics.
That means tags don’t need to do the same job. Trying to make them handle both themes and states only dilutes their usefulness.
A New Purpose for Tags: States, Not Topics
So I decided to redefine my tagging system. Instead of marking what a note is about, tags now mark where a note is in its lifecycle.
For example:
#todo— a note that needs attention#processing— something I’m currently working on or reading#finished— a completed note or project
Previously, I used folders for this purpose. For instance, my “reading” folder held book notes I was still working on, and my “readed” folder contained notes on books I had finished. But this meant constantly moving files around, which felt clunky.
Now, I let folders hold permanent homes, while tags handle the shifting states. Once a note moves out of inbox into its rightful folder, it can stay there forever. Its progress is tracked with lightweight, flexible tags.
Final Thought
This change makes my Obsidian setup simpler and more sustainable. Folders take care of what a note is about, backlinks take care of how notes connect, and tags take care of the note’s state.
It feels like each system is finally doing the job it’s best at.