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Node Creation

Create parent, child, or related nodes instantly from commands using a clean modal interface. New nodes inherit properties, establish bidirectional relationships, and open for editing.

Commands​

Create Parent Node: Opens modal to name parent, creates it with bidirectional relationship

Create Child Node: Opens modal to name child, creates it with bidirectional relationship

Create Related Node: Opens modal to name related node, creates it with bidirectional relationship

Availability: Only when viewing a file in an indexed directory

How It Works​

  1. Modal appears with pre-filled naming pattern
  2. Type the name (cursor positioned optimally for each node type)
  3. Press Enter to create or Escape to cancel
  4. File is created in same folder as current file
  5. Inherits frontmatter (except excluded properties)
  6. Sets bidirectional relationship automatically
  7. Generates unique Zettel ID (if configured)
  8. Opens file for editing

Property Inheritance​

Inherited: All frontmatter properties except excluded ones

Excluded by default:

  • Parent, Child, Related (relationship properties)
  • _ZettelID (each note needs unique ID)

New Zettel ID: Generated in format YYYYMMDDHHmmss (e.g., 20240125143022)

Learn more about exclusion →

Automatic Relationships​

Create Child:

  • New file: Parent: "[[source-file]]"
  • Source file: Adds to Child array

Create Parent:

  • New file: Child: ["[[source-file]]"]
  • Source file: Sets Parent: "[[new-file]]"

Create Related:

  • New file: Related: ["[[source-file]]"]
  • Source file: Adds to Related array

Clean Dialog: A centered modal dialog appears when you trigger any node creation command.

Pre-filled Naming: The input field is pre-filled with an intelligent pattern based on the node type you're creating.

Keyboard Shortcuts:

  • Enter: Create the node with the entered name
  • Escape: Cancel and close the modal

Create Child Node​

  • Pre-filled: Project Overview -
  • Cursor: Positioned at the end (ready to type child name)
  • You type: Implementation Plan
  • Result: Project Overview - Implementation Plan.md

Create Parent Node​

  • Pre-filled: - Task List
  • Cursor: Positioned at the beginning (ready to type parent name)
  • You type: Q1 Goals
  • Result: Q1 Goals - Task List.md
  • Pre-filled: Meeting Notes
  • Cursor: Positioned at the end (ready to type related name)
  • You type: Action Items
  • Result: Meeting Notes Action Items.md

Duplicate Handling: If a file with the same name exists, a number is automatically appended (Name 1.md, Name 2.md, etc.)

Configuration​

Zettel ID property: Settings (default: _ZettelID, set empty to disable)

Excluded properties: Settings (default: Parent, Child, Related, _ZettelID)

Path-based exclusion: Learn more

Next Steps​