Linking Items¶
Connect items to each other with links. Relationships like "these minutes are about this document" get their own axis, separate from tags.
How this differs from Obsidian
Melanite's links are not markup inside note text. They are directed references between item IDs, managed in the database like tags.
That's why any file kinds can link to each other — image → PDF, PDF → note, video → image, anything goes.
Creating links¶
From the Inspector¶
- Select an item
- Focus the "Links" field in the Inspector
- The 10 most recently imported items appear as suggestions
- Typing filters them by name, body text, and memo
- Choose one to create the link
The item itself and already-linked items are excluded from the suggestions.
Suggestions and the link list always show file extensions, so you can tell a .md
from a .pdf of the same name (independent of the
extension setting for lists).
Separate words with spaces
Space-separated words all have to match, so only items containing every word stay
in the list (minutes 2026). Word order doesn't matter
→ Finding Items
By drag & drop¶
In the grid / list, drag an item onto another item. The link is created from the dragged item to the drop target.
If you grab an item that is part of the selection, links are created from the whole selection (self-links are skipped).
Linking to an item further down the list
While dragging, move the cursor near the top or bottom edge of the list and it scrolls automatically — faster the closer you get to the edge. Hold it at the bottom and the list keeps going as more items load.
Note
Dragging is disabled in the Trash view.
From multiple items at once¶
Select multiple items and a "Links (bulk)" field appears in the Inspector. It creates links from every selected item to the same target.
Adding only. Existing links differ per item, so edit them with a single selection.
Viewing and following links¶
The Inspector has two sections.
| Section | Contents |
|---|---|
| Links | Items this one points to |
| Backlinks | Items that point here |
Each row shows a kind icon + file name.
- Click — jump to that item
- Hover and × — remove the link
Both sections are editable. The "×" in the backlinks section removes the link the other
item points here with, so there is no need to open that item to undo an accidental link.
Removals can be undone with Cmd/Ctrl+Z.
How jumping behaves¶
| Target | Action |
|---|---|
| Note | Opens in the editor |
| Anything else | Switches to the grid, showing and selecting just that item |
The target is shown via a filter, so it is visible even if it wouldn't be on the first page of the list. Clear it with the "×" on the toolbar chip (it also clears automatically on normal navigation).
From backlinks to bulk tagging¶
Press "Select N items" in the backlinks section to select all backlink sources in the grid, ready for the Inspector's bulk tag operations.
Pressing it clears any tag and search filters once, since leaving them on can leave you with zero backlink sources. After that, the "Selected by backlinks of …" chip stays put even when you click a tag — the two stack ("backlink sources that also carry this tag") and whatever is left gets selected again. The chip's "×" undoes it.
Example
Say minutes, a quote, and slides all link to a "Project A kickoff" note. From the note's backlinks, "Select N items" → apply the "Project A" tag to all of them.
Links and deletion¶
| State | Links |
|---|---|
| Moved to Trash | Kept |
| Deleted forever | Removed with the item |