Backlinks help you see where an object is referenced across your space.

What are backlinks?

A backlink is created when one object links to another object. You can think of it as a path back to where the link came from: if your note “Paris” links to “France”, the “France” page gets a backlink that leads back to “Paris”.

This is what makes backlinks practical: they help you retrace your thinking and quickly reopen relevant context.

Backlinks create the links in the graph view.

Where backlinks appear

All backlinks are grouped together at the bottom of your object in a section titled "Backlinks". If you see no section, there are no backlinks. To create one, open a different object and link back to the object you had open first. Use @ or [[]] to link to existing content.

Backlinks vs unlinked mentions

Backlinks are explicit links you created (for example with @ or [[]]).

Unlinked mentions are text matches where an object title appears, but no explicit link exists yet.

Unlinked mentions can help you discover potential connections, while backlinks represent confirmed connections.

If you are wondering when to promote an unlinked mention to a backlink, ask yourself if you want to see that particular block in the backlinks section of the note it will link to. If it will help develop your understanding, then it is worth it. If not, don't worry as it will remain in the unlinked mention section anyway.

As a rule of thumb, link for meaning, not for volume: add backlinks where they improve context, skip links that add noise.

Default open/collapsed behavior

Backlink and mention sections can be expanded or collapsed by default in object pages. Go to Settings > Editor to set this up.

The open/collapsed state can depend on your editor display preferences and per-object interaction, so you can keep the view focused while reviewing notes.

Backlink content view

Backlinks are shown with context so you can inspect where the reference comes from and decide whether to open the source object.

This makes backlinks useful as both a navigation aid and a review surface for connected content.

On mobile, backlink views cannot be changed.

Backlink query filtering

You can filter queries using Backlink objects to return items that link to specific objects.

This is useful for context-focused dashboards, for example collecting tasks or notes connected to a project, person, or topic.

Example (tasks linked to specific projects or team members):

• Filter: Status is not Done
• Filter: Backlink objects includes the specific project or person (search the project title or team member name)
• Group by: Backlink objects

This gives you one view of open tasks grouped by the related project or person.

See also:

• Queries
• Unlinked mentions