# What Obsidian Flavored Markdown Syntax Is Supported by obsidian-skills > Discover the Obsidian Flavored Markdown syntax supported by obsidian-skills. Explore wikilinks, YAML front-matter, LaTeX, Mermaid diagrams, and more for enhanced note-taking. - Repository: [Steph Ango/obsidian-skills](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills) - Tags: api-reference - Published: 2026-03-24 --- **The obsidian-skills repository implements the complete Obsidian-flavored Markdown specification, extending CommonMark with YAML front-matter, wikilinks, block IDs, embeds, callouts, tags, comments, highlights, LaTeX math, Mermaid diagrams, and footnotes.** The `kepano/obsidian-skills` repository provides a comprehensive reference implementation for **Obsidian flavored Markdown syntax**, extending standard CommonMark and GitHub Flavored Markdown (GFM) with Obsidian-specific constructs. This skill, documented in [`skills/obsidian-markdown/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/skills/obsidian-markdown/SKILL.md), enables parsing and generation of all proprietary Obsidian extensions. Understanding these syntax elements is essential for developing tools that interact with Obsidian vaults programmatically. ## Front-matter Properties and YAML Metadata According to [`skills/obsidian-markdown/references/PROPERTIES.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/skills/obsidian-markdown/references/PROPERTIES.md), the repository supports full **YAML front-matter** parsing for note metadata. The front-matter block appears at the very beginning of a note delimited by triple dashes and supports multiple property types including strings, dates, numbers, booleans, lists, and nested objects. ```yaml --- title: Project Alpha date: 2024-01-15 tags: - project - active aliases: - Alpha Project cssclasses: - custom-note rating: 4.5 completed: false due: 2024-02-01T14:30:00 --- ``` This metadata drives Obsidian's graph view, search filters, and CSS styling through the `cssclasses` property. ## Wikilinks and Block IDs The repository supports **wikilinks** (internal links) as implemented in [`skills/obsidian-markdown/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/skills/obsidian-markdown/SKILL.md). These use double square brackets to link to other notes within the vault, with several variation syntaxes for precision navigation. ```markdown [[Meeting Notes]] [[Meeting Notes|Notes from Jan]] [[Meeting Notes#Agenda]] [[Meeting Notes#^agenda-id]] This paragraph can be referenced later. ^my-block-id ``` **Block IDs** allow linking to specific paragraphs or list items by appending `^block-id` to the end of any block, enabling granular references beyond heading-level navigation. ## Rich Media Embeds As documented in [`skills/obsidian-markdown/references/EMBEDS.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/skills/obsidian-markdown/references/EMBEDS.md), the repository supports **transclusion** (embedding) of notes, media, and external content using the exclamation mark prefix before wikilinks. ```markdown ![[Architecture Diagram.png|600]] ![[Project Plan#Overview]] ![[audio.mp3]] ![[document.pdf#page=3]] ![[search result|query]] ``` This syntax supports images, PDFs, audio files, video files, external images via URL, and even search result queries, with optional parameters for dimensions or page numbers. ## Callouts for Visual Organization The **callout** syntax documented in [`skills/obsidian-markdown/references/CALLOUTS.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/skills/obsidian-markdown/references/CALLOUTS.md) creates visually distinct content blocks for warnings, notes, questions, and other semantic categories. ```markdown > [!note] > This is a simple note callout. > [!warning] Important Notice > Please back up your data. > [!faq]- Frequently Asked Question (collapsed) > The answer is hidden until you click. > [!faq]+ Expanded FAQ (expanded by default) > This answer is visible immediately. ``` Callouts support custom titles, multiple type aliases (like `info`, `tip`, or `danger`), and foldable states using `+` (expanded) or `-` (collapsed) modifiers after the type declaration. ## Tags, Comments, and Highlights ### Tags **Tags** in Obsidian use the hash symbol for inline categorization, supporting nested hierarchies via forward slashes. ```markdown #tag #project/phase1 ``` Tags can also be defined within front-matter YAML lists for cleaner metadata management. ### Comments **Comments** allow hidden annotations that render only in editing view, not in reading view or exports. ```markdown Visible text %%This is a hidden comment%% continues visible. %% This whole block is hidden in reading view. %% ``` ### Highlights **Highlight** syntax uses double equals signs to mark text for visual emphasis. ```markdown ==Important phrase== will appear highlighted. ``` ## Math, Diagrams, and Footnotes ### LaTeX Math The repository supports **LaTeX math** rendering for both inline and block equations, as specified in [`skills/obsidian-markdown/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/skills/obsidian-markdown/SKILL.md). ```markdown Inline math: $e^{i\pi} + 1 = 0$ Block math: $$ \int_{-\infty}^{\infty} e^{-x^2} dx = \sqrt{\pi} $$ ``` ### Mermaid Diagrams **Mermaid** syntax enables creation of flowcharts, sequence diagrams, and other visualizations within code fences. ```mermaid graph TD A[Start] --> B{Decision} B -->|Yes| C[Do this] B -->|No| D[Do that] ``` ### Footnotes Standard and inline **footnote** syntax provide reference capabilities without cluttering the main text. ```markdown Text with a footnote[^1]. [^1]: This is the footnote content. Inline footnote.^[This appears right after the sentence.] ``` ## Summary - The **obsidian-skills** repository at `kepano/obsidian-skills` provides a complete reference for Obsidian-specific Markdown extensions. - **Front-matter properties** are documented in [`references/PROPERTIES.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/references/PROPERTIES.md) with full YAML type support. - **Wikilinks** and **block IDs** enable sophisticated internal linking beyond standard Markdown hyperlinks. - **Embeds** ([`references/EMBEDS.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/references/EMBEDS.md)) support transclusion of notes, media, PDFs, and search results. - **Callouts** ([`references/CALLOUTS.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/references/CALLOUTS.md)) provide collapsible, semantic content containers with multiple type variants. - Additional syntax includes **tags**, **comments**, **highlights**, **LaTeX math**, **Mermaid diagrams**, and **footnotes**. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is the difference between Obsidian Flavored Markdown and standard Markdown? Obsidian Flavored Markdown extends CommonMark and GFM with vault-specific features like **wikilinks** (`[[Note]]`), **block IDs** for paragraph-level linking, **callouts** for visual alerts, and **embeds** for transcluding content, none of which exist in standard Markdown syntax. ### How do you create collapsible callouts in Obsidian Markdown? Append `+` for expanded or `-` for collapsed states to the callout type declaration, such as `> [!warning]-` for a collapsed warning or `> [!faq]+` for an expanded FAQ, as documented in [`skills/obsidian-markdown/references/CALLOUTS.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/skills/obsidian-markdown/references/CALLOUTS.md). ### Can you embed external content like PDFs and audio in Obsidian notes? Yes, using the exclamation mark prefix with wikilinks: `![[document.pdf]]` for PDFs, `![[audio.mp3]]` for audio files, and `![[video.mp4]]` for video, with optional page parameters like `#page=3` for PDFs, according to [`skills/obsidian-markdown/references/EMBEDS.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/skills/obsidian-markdown/references/EMBEDS.md). ### How do you link to a specific paragraph or block in Obsidian? Add a **block ID** (e.g., `^my-id`) to the end of any paragraph or list item, then reference it using `[[Note Title#^my-id]]` or `[[#^my-id]]` for same-note references, enabling precision linking beyond headings.