Backlinks & Knowledge Graph
Backlinks are the connective tissue of your knowledge base. Jotaid makes linking effortless and surfaces connections you didn't know existed.
Creating Backlinks
Type [[ in any note to start a backlink. Jotaid auto-completes matching titles. When you link Note A to Note B, the reverse link appears automatically in Note B's backlink panel — no manual bookkeeping.
On macOS, hovering a [[link]] shows a preview of the target without leaving your note.
Nodes vs. Tags
Jotaid distinguishes two kinds of connectors:
- Nodes — concepts that have their own content and page. A
[[node]]is something you can open, enrich, and explore. - Tags — lightweight categories for filtering. A tag groups notes but has no content of its own.
Smart Node
Smart Node is Jotaid's AI-assisted way to create a concept node — from the + menu, AI drafts a node for you instead of starting from a blank page. When Jotaid auto-discovers candidate nodes in your writing, a small red dot appears on the +, pointing you to fresh suggestions.
Smart Node creates nodes. To find missing links between existing notes, see Potential Links.
Knowledge Graph
Switch to Node view to see your entire note network as an interactive graph:
- Each note or node is a point, each backlink is an edge
- Drag nodes to rearrange the layout
- Network stats highlight structure: core nodes (highly connected), bridge nodes (linking separate clusters), and emerging nodes
Reading node details differs by platform:
- macOS: hover a node for a floating info panel; click to pin it open so it stays while you explore
- iOS: tap a node to open a bottom sheet with the same details
Backlink Panel
Open any node and its detail view shows its connections in three layers — see Potential Links for how unlinked mentions and AI suggestions fit in.
Next Steps
- Potential Links — Three ways Jotaid surfaces missing links
- Co-occurrence Matrix — See relationships as a heatmap