# Obsidian Aliases Aliases give a note alternative names. They are defined in the note's frontmatter (see [[Obsidian Properties]]) and picked up everywhere [[Obsidian]] resolves names: [[Obsidian Wikilinks|wikilink]] autocomplete, the [[Obsidian Quick Switcher]], and [[Obsidian Unlinked Mentions|unlinked mentions]]. ```yaml --- aliases: - PKM - Personal Knowledge Management --- ``` Linking via an alias produces `[[Note name|Alias]]` automatically, so the link reads naturally while still pointing at the canonical note. ## When aliases earn their place - **Acronyms**: `PKM` for "Personal Knowledge Management" - **Alternate spellings and translations**: `Zettelkasten` / `slip-box` - **Singular/plural variants** so mid-sentence links read well - **Suffixed filenames**: when a naming convention adds a suffix (e.g., `Some Tool (Article)`), add the bare name as an alias so `[[Some Tool]]` still resolves. This is how I keep wikilinks clean in this vault despite type suffixes. - **Old titles** after a rename, so external references and muscle memory keep working ## Good to know - Aliases only resolve inside Obsidian; external tools that parse raw Markdown see the canonical name. - Too many aliases pollute autocomplete. Add the ones you'll actually type, not every conceivable synonym. ## References - Aliases: https://help.obsidian.md/Linking+notes+and+files/Aliases ## Related - [[Obsidian]] - [[Obsidian Properties]] - [[Obsidian Wikilinks]] - [[Obsidian Quick Switcher]] - [[Obsidian Unlinked Mentions]]