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description: "Two kinds of link in a Jotaid note: plain Markdown links out to the web, and [[backlinks]] to concept nodes in your own library."
---
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# Insert Links

Jotaid notes carry two kinds of link. They look similar and do entirely different jobs.

| | Syntax | Points to |
|---|--------|-----------|
| **Plain link** | `[text](https://example.com)` | A page on the web |
| **Backlink** | `[[node name]]` | A concept inside your own library |

## Plain Links

Select some text and press **⌘K**: Jotaid wraps it as `[text](url)` and puts the cursor inside the parentheses, ready for the address. With nothing selected it inserts an empty template.

You can also just type it out. Both the text and the address accept any language.

## Backlinks

Type `[[` anywhere in the body and node autocomplete appears immediately, narrowing as you type:

- **macOS**: the candidate popover follows your cursor — ↑↓ to move, Return to accept, Esc to dismiss
- **iOS**: the candidates sit in a bar above the keyboard; tap to accept. The part you have typed is bolded so you can see where you are

Accepting a candidate completes it to `[[node name]]`. If the node does not exist yet, write it anyway — it comes into being the moment you do.

> **Hover to preview (macOS)**
>
> Rest the pointer on a backlink and Jotaid floats that node's preview panel, so you need not actually navigate there. Move away and it retracts; move onto the panel and it stays, so you can keep clicking inside it.

Backlinks are the raw material for the knowledge graph and the co-occurrence matrix — **both of which see only `[[ ]]`, never plain links**. See [Backlinks](https://docs.jotaid.com/en/guide/backlinks).

## Which One

One question decides it: **will you ever want to open it and see what else relates to it?**

Yes — use a backlink. It becomes a node with content, backlinks and a place in the graph. No, you are just citing a source — use a plain link.

The same test applies to [tags](https://docs.jotaid.com/en/guide/tags): a tag classifies, a backlink is a concept.

## Next Steps

- [Backlinks](https://docs.jotaid.com/en/guide/backlinks) — The network your links form
- [Insert Images](https://docs.jotaid.com/en/guide/insert-images) — Pasting and the file picker