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.

Objects inside in the side panel

Objects inside are now shown in a dedicated section in the side panel.

Open the side panel and go to the Objects inside section to browse linked or contained objects.

You can also use this section to jump directly to the exact position of a linked or contained object in context.

Queries from backlinks

You can turn a filtered backlinks view into a query so you do not have to browse every backlink on a page.

Save a filtered backlinks view

Open the object you care about (for example a friend’s Person page). Go to Backlinks. Filter that list (for example Object types → Image) so only the backlinks you want remain. Click + Query to save it.

You now have a saved filter of those linking objects (for example every image that links to that person) without scrolling the full backlinks section.

You can embed that query on the same page, add it to a template, or open it on its own.

Open tasks linked to a person or project

You can also build the same idea from a new query. Start from all notes:

1. Filter → Object types → Tasks.
2. Filter → Properties:
   • Status does not include done
   • click + Filter, keep and, then Backlinked (context) objects includes the person or project

That keeps open tasks whose Context (or other backlink) points at that object.

See also:

• Queries (especially Tags or backlinks and Properties)
• Unlinked mentions

FAQs

• How do I link to a person in a page?
  You can link to a person by typing @{person name}. You can do this from any note. You can also link to any of your notes the same way.
  If the person doesn't exist yet, create one by typing /person.
• How do I mention or link to another note or person?
  You can use @ to mention an existing object.
• Can I query every block that links to a specific person?
  Queries return objects (and, with some filters, blocks). For a focused list of objects that link to a person, open that person’s page, go to Backlinks, filter if needed, and save with + Query. The backlinks section still shows each link in place; unlinked mentions (Pro) show text matches that are not linked yet.
  If you refer to a person with multiple names, make use of the alias property.
• Can I find every block that mentions an object?
  Open that object and use Backlinks for explicit links. On Capacities Pro or Believer, unlinked mentions show text matches that are not linked yet. A saved backlinks query helps when you want a filtered object list (for example only images) without browsing the full section.
• Can backlinks show the exact block where a person is linked?
  Yes, this is supported out of the box.
• Can I create a query for block-level backlinks?
  Use the object’s Backlinks section to see each linking block. A + Query from that view saves the matching objects (optionally filtered by type). It does not replace the block-level backlinks list on the page.