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Links & embeds

Links are what turn a folder of notes into a second brain: type [[ to link one note to another, and ![[ to embed one note inside another. Altretta autocompletes as you type and tracks every connection in both directions.

Type [[ and start typing a note's name. Altretta suggests matching notes; pick one to insert the link. In live preview and reading mode the link is clickable — click it to jump to the note (optionally opening it in a new tab or pane).

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See [[Project Ideas]] for the running list.
  • Link to a note that doesn't exist yet. Write [[New Idea]] and the note is created the moment you follow the link — a fast way to spin up a thought and fill it in later.
  • Link to a heading or block. Point a link at a specific section with [[Note#Heading]] to land the reader exactly where they need to be.

Aliases

Give a link different display text with a pipe: the part after | is what readers see, while the link still points to the real note.

markdown
Read the [[Project Ideas|running list of ideas]].

This lets your prose flow naturally while keeping links pointed at canonical note names.

Every wikilink you create also shows up as a backlink on the target note, so opening any note reveals everything that points to it — plus unlinked mentions where its name appears without a link yet. That's how ideas resurface as your vault grows.

Embeds (transclusion)

Add a ! in front of a wikilink to embed the target's content inline instead of just linking to it: ![[Note]]. The embedded note renders in place and stays in sync with its source — edit the original and the embed updates.

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![[Meeting notes 2026-07-20]]

Embeds work at any granularity:

  • A whole note![[Note]]
  • A single section![[Note#Heading]]
  • Images and attachments![[diagram.png]] displays the image inline.

Use embeds to assemble a dashboard note from pieces, quote a decision without duplicating it, or drop a figure into your writing while keeping one source of truth.

For anything on the web, use standard Markdown link syntax:

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[Apilium](https://apilium.com)

External links open in your system browser, not inside Altretta — your notes stay put while the link opens in a new window. A bare URL is auto-linked too.

Wikilinks are more than convenience: because Altretta is backed by a real semantic graph, the connections you draw between notes become queryable structure — the same foundation that powers backlinks, the graph view, and grounded AI answers.

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