Zettelkasten Template: Notes, Sources, and Connections

A useful Zettelkasten template gives each note a clear title, one idea in your own words, a traceable source when needed, and links that explain the connection to other ideas. Start with the three copyable forms below and remove any field you do not use. fenbs can keep the reviewed findings and project context you want an AI assistant to carry into later work.

The template should help you retrieve and question a thought. It should not make every observation feel like a form you have to finish. A small collection with clear sources is a better starting point than an elaborate vault full of empty fields.

Which fields should you keep in every note?

Use a descriptive title, the body of the note, and a short connections section. Add a source field when a claim comes from reading, an interview, or another outside reference. Add uncertainty when the evidence is incomplete or your interpretation goes beyond what the source actually says.

Dates and tags are optional aids. Keep a creation date if it helps your review, and add a tag only when you can describe how you will use it to find something. A note about a changing policy may need a checked date; a personal observation may not.

What can you copy for a source reference?

A source reference keeps the material you read distinct from what you conclude. Copy this form once per source and point your idea notes back to it. For a book, record the edition and page; for a webpage, record the section and the date you checked it.

# Source: [descriptive title]

Creator or organization:
Publication or edition:
URL or file location:
Page, section, or timestamp:
Checked on:

## What the source says
A short summary in my own words.

## Limits and questions
What this source does not establish.

## Ideas developed from it
- [idea note]: why this source matters to that idea

Keep quotation marks around any exact wording you retain. Your own summary should say what the source supports without broadening its claim. If an assistant helps summarize a reading, verify important statements against the original before adding them to a project’s reviewed findings.

Do not fill unknown publication details by guessing. Write “not located” or leave the field empty and describe what is missing. The point of a reference is to make checking possible, including when you have not finished the check.

What can you copy for an idea you want to develop?

Use the next form for a thought you can explain without reopening the original source. Name the idea as a statement or a useful question. Give enough context for the note to stand on its own, then explain one or two relationships that make it worth revisiting.

# [A title that states the idea]

ID: [stable identifier, if needed]

## Idea
My explanation in a short paragraph.

## Example
A concrete case, labeled hypothetical if invented.

## Evidence
Source reference and exact location, or “personal observation.”

## Connections
- Supports [other note] because ...
- Challenges [other note] because ...

## Still uncertain
What would change or qualify this idea?

These headings are prompts, not mandatory boxes. Delete Example when it adds nothing, or combine Evidence and Still uncertain in a short paragraph. The essential check is whether future you can distinguish the claim, its basis, and its relationship to the rest of the collection.

For deeper guidance, see the separate pages on atomic notes, fleeting notes, daily notes, index notes, and using Apple Notes.

What does a connected starter collection look like?

Suppose you are preparing a guide to explaining technical work to new employees. Start with one source note and two idea notes. The following example uses Obsidian’s own documentation as the source, so you can check the product facts instead of trusting an invented study.

# S-001: Obsidian internal-link documentation
Source: https://obsidian.md/help/links
Location: Supported formats for internal links
Summary: Obsidian accepts wikilinks and Markdown links.
Boundary: This documents syntax, not learning outcomes.

# I-001: Choose link syntax for the destination
Idea: A shared guide should use links its readers can open.
Evidence: S-001 documents the available Obsidian formats.
Connection: Supports I-002 by making references followable.

# I-002: A useful handoff explains why a reference matters
Idea: Put a reason beside an important source link.
Evidence: Proposed working practice; not a research finding.
Connection: Extends I-001 beyond the choice of syntax.
Open question: Will a new reader know what to check first?

The feature statement comes from Obsidian’s internal-link documentation↗ (opens in a new tab). The recommendations are your proposed practices, clearly labeled as such. Keeping those different kinds of statements visible prevents a reasonable suggestion from acquiring the appearance of documented evidence.

Open the notes as if you had forgotten the project. Can you reach the source, understand each idea, and explain the connection? If you cannot, improve the wording before adding more metadata. A starter collection should demonstrate the path from evidence to thought to use.

How do you reuse the templates in a notes app?

Plain text is enough: keep a clean copy and duplicate it when needed. In Obsidian, the built-in Templates plugin↗ (opens in a new tab) inserts saved template text into a note and supports title, date, and time variables. Put your forms in a template folder and choose it in the plugin settings.

If you prefer structured fields, Obsidian properties↗ (opens in a new tab) can hold information such as dates, text, and links. Use that option for fields you actually search or review. You do not need properties, a community plugin, or an automated workflow to use the examples above.

Keep actions in a place where you will act on them. A reading note can link to a task-list template when it creates work; a repeatable procedure belongs in a standard operating procedure. The note itself should preserve the reasoning that led you there.

How to do this with fenbs

Once you choose an idea for a real project, make a short selection record: the finding, its source, why it matters, and what still needs checking. Keep speculative notes in your collection. Record a human decision separately when you actually adopt a recommendation.

For the starter collection above, your project summary might say: “We are testing whether a reason beside each source link makes the guide easier to review. The link formats are documented; the effect on readers is untested.” That gives the next assistant a clear boundary. It can help prepare the test without describing the proposed benefit as something you have already measured.

1. Create a free account and add the project that will use the selected findings.
2. Add a context note containing the reviewed summary, source references, and any unresolved questions. Keep the detailed source notes in their existing home.
3. Record the choices you approved in Decisions and rules. If a finding creates work, add a task with a clear next action.
4. Ask your connected assistant to read the project context before helping. Before stopping, have it save what was reviewed and where the next session should begin.

fenbs does not import an Obsidian vault or automatically verify your sources. If you only want a private collection of linked reading notes, your notes app may be the right place for the whole workflow. Browse the second-brain topic hub for related approaches.