Templates
Obsidian Zettelkasten: Free Starter Vault & Setup
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Zettelkasten: Free Starter Vault & Setup Obsidian Zettelkasten Template: A Starter Vault with 14 Linked Notes Free Obsidian zettelkasten template: fleeting, literature and permanent notes with timestamp IDs, an index, and 14 linked example notes on learning. View template → -
Zettelkasten: Free Starter Vault & Setup The Zettelkasten Method: How It Works and How to Start The zettelkasten method explained in plain terms: the three note types, the numbering system, how Luhmann ran it on paper and how to run it in Obsidian with a free starter vault. Read guide →
Running a Zettelkasten in Obsidian
Obsidian is the natural home for a zettelkasten, since links between notes are the whole point of both. The download in this category, the Zettelkasten Starter Vault, gives you the structure with a working example already inside: Fleeting, Literature and Permanent folders, an index note as the entry point, timestamp IDs for permanent notes, and fourteen linked notes on learning and memory that demonstrate the pipeline from quick capture to lasting idea.
The example notes matter more than the folders. The hardest part of starting a zettelkasten is judging how big one note should be and trusting links to replace categories, and reading a worked chain of fleeting, then literature, then permanent notes answers both questions faster than any explanation. Delete the examples once the pattern is clear and the structure is yours.
If the method itself is new to you, read the zettelkasten method guide first; it covers the principles, the three note types and the numbering system that this vault implements. On the practical side, the vault runs on the core Templates plugin, with Templater optional if you want the timestamp IDs generated automatically. And if strict IDs feel heavier than you need, compare the MOC Starter Kit, which organizes notes around hub pages instead, before you decide.