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Graph Search

Quickly find and highlight nodes in the relationship graph with real-time search. The search feature helps you locate specific notes in large networks without manual scanning.

Three ways to show/hide the search bar:

  1. Command: "Toggle Graph Search"
  2. Default visible: Enable in settings
  3. Hotkey: Assign a custom hotkey (Settings → Hotkeys)

Search Input​

The search bar appears at the top of the graph view:

  1. Click the search input or use the command to focus it
  2. Type your search query
  3. Results update in real-time as you type
  4. Matching nodes are highlighted
  5. Non-matching nodes are dimmed

To clear the search and show all nodes normally:

  1. Delete all text from the search input
  2. Or click the × button (if present)
  3. All nodes return to normal visibility

Search Behavior​

Real-Time Matching​

Search updates immediately as you type:

  • No need to press Enter
  • Results update with each keystroke
  • Instant feedback

Case-Insensitive​

Search is not case-sensitive:

  • project matches "Project", "PROJECT", "project"
  • TODO matches "todo", "Todo", "TODO"

Partial Matching​

Search matches partial strings:

  • proj matches "Project Overview"
  • task matches "Important Task"
  • 2024 matches "Notes 2024"

What Gets Searched​

Search looks at:

  • File names (without extension)
  • File paths (full path including folders)

Search does not look at:

  • Frontmatter properties
  • Note content
  • Tags (unless in filename)
Searching Properties

Use filtering to search based on frontmatter properties. Search is for finding notes by name/path only.

Visual Feedback​

Matching Nodes​

Nodes that match the search query:

  • Normal opacity (fully visible)
  • Normal colors (color rules still apply)
  • Stand out from non-matching nodes

Non-Matching Nodes​

Nodes that don't match:

  • Reduced opacity (dimmed to ~30%)
  • Colors desaturated
  • Still visible but clearly not matches

Source Node​

The source node (currently viewed file):

  • Always fully visible even if doesn't match
  • Never dimmed by search
  • Maintains context

Example Searches​

Find by Name​

Query: Project

Matches:

  • "Project Overview.md"
  • "Main Project.md"
  • "project-notes.md"

Find by Folder​

Query: Work/

Matches:

  • "Work/Project A.md"
  • "Work/Tasks/Task 1.md"
  • "Work/Notes/Meeting.md"

Find by Date​

Query: 2024-01

Matches:

  • "2024-01-15 Meeting.md"
  • "2024-01-20 Report.md"
  • "Jan 2024 Overview.md"

Find by Type​

Query: task

Matches:

  • "Task 1.md"
  • "Important Task.md"
  • "task-list.md"

Find by Keyword​

Query: report

Matches:

  • "Quarterly Report.md"
  • "Report Template.md"
  • "meeting-report.md"

Combining Search with Other Features​

Search + Filtering​

Use both together for precise targeting:

  1. Apply filter to show only specific types (e.g., type === 'project')
  2. Use search to find specific project by name
  3. Result: Only projects shown, matching search are highlighted

Benefit: Narrow down large graphs efficiently

Search + View Modes​

Search works in all view modes:

Hierarchical Mode:

  • Search within entire tree
  • Matching nodes and their relationships stay highlighted
  • Easy to locate specific branches

Related Mode:

  • Search among related nodes
  • Quickly find specific connections
  • Identify relevant relationships

All Related Mode:

  • Search within constellations
  • Locate nodes in large networks
  • Track down indirect connections

Search + Color Rules​

  1. Color nodes by category
  2. Search for specific names
  3. Visual categories + name matching
  4. Double benefit: See type and locate name

Search + Zoom Mode​

Workflow:

  1. Search to find node
  2. Click matching node to enter zoom mode
  3. Preview the found note
  4. Verify it's what you were looking for

Use Cases​

Finding a Specific Note​

Scenario: Locate "Q4 Report" in large project

  1. Open graph for project
  2. Open search
  3. Type "Q4"
  4. "Q4 Report" node highlighted
  5. Click to preview or navigate

Benefit: No manual scanning of hundreds of nodes

Locating Date-Based Notes​

Scenario: Find notes from January 2024

  1. Open graph
  2. Search "2024-01"
  3. All January notes highlighted
  4. Review each quickly

Benefit: Date-based filtering without custom properties

Exploring Folder Structure​

Scenario: See all "Work" folder notes

  1. Search "Work/"
  2. All nodes in Work folder highlighted
  3. Visualize work-related network
  4. Ignore personal notes

Benefit: Path-based exploration

Quick Navigation​

Scenario: Jump to specific task in hierarchy

  1. View project hierarchy
  2. Search "Task 12"
  3. Node highlighted in tree
  4. Click to navigate

Benefit: Fast navigation in deep hierarchies

Search Tips​

Use Specific Terms​

Better: Project-Alpha Less specific: Project

More specific = fewer matches = easier to find

Use Path Prefixes​

Find in folder: Work/Projects/ Find in subfolder: Projects/2024/

Paths help narrow down location

Use Dates​

Find recent: 2024-01 Find old: 2023

Date-based search for temporal notes

Incremental Refinement​

Start broad, then refine:

  1. Type task (many matches)
  2. Add task 1 (fewer matches)
  3. Add task 12 (specific match)

Benefit: See results narrow down in real-time

Limitations​

No Content Search​

Search does not look at note content:

  • Only searches filename and path
  • To search content, use Obsidian's built-in search

Search does not look at frontmatter:

  • Use filtering for property-based search
  • Example: status === 'active' filter instead

No Fuzzy Matching​

Search requires substring match:

  • task matches "task", "Task", "mytask"
  • tsk does not match "task" (no fuzzy match)

No Regex​

Search is simple substring matching only:

  • No regular expressions
  • No wildcards
  • No special patterns

Performance​

Real-Time Updates​

  • Search evaluates on every keystroke
  • Performance is excellent even with 500+ nodes
  • No noticeable lag

Large Graphs​

With 1000+ nodes:

  • Search still performs well
  • Dimming effect may be slow on very large graphs
  • Consider using filtering to reduce node count first

Troubleshooting​

Search Not Working​

Check search bar visible:

  • Use "Toggle Graph Search" command
  • Or enable default visibility in settings

Check typing in correct field:

  • Focus should be on search input
  • Click input to ensure focus

Check spelling:

  • Case-insensitive but must be correct spelling
  • Try partial match (first few letters)

No Matches Found​

Check filename:

  • Search only searches filename/path, not content
  • Verify the filename contains your search term

Check not filtered out:

  • If filtering is active, node may be hidden
  • Clear filters to see all nodes

Check in view:

  • Node must be in current view mode
  • Switch view modes if needed

Matches Not Highlighted​

Check opacity:

  • Matching nodes should be full opacity
  • Non-matching should be dimmed
  • If not, may be a visual issue

Check search is active:

  • Text must be in search input
  • Clear and retype if needed

Too Many Matches​

Refine search:

  • Add more characters for specificity
  • Add path prefix: folder/filename
  • Add date or unique identifier

Use filtering:

  • Combine with filters to narrow down
  • Example: Filter by type, then search by name

Accessibility​

Keyboard accessible:

  • Focus search input with command/hotkey
  • Type to search
  • Tab to navigate out

Screen reader:

  • Search input is labeled
  • Match count (if shown) is announced
  • Dimmed nodes may not be announced as hidden

Tips & Best Practices​

  1. Start typing as soon as graph loads - Faster than scrolling
  2. Use unique parts of filenames - Dates, IDs, specific terms
  3. Combine with filtering for powerful targeting
  4. Clear search when done to see full graph
  5. Assign hotkey for quick access
  6. Use path prefixes to narrow by location
  7. Remember: filename only - content search requires filtering

Next Steps​