Zettelkasten explained
Instead of filing notes in folders, you link each new note to the existing notes it relates to. Over time, the links surface connections you would not have planned.
Digital tools with backlinks make the method much easier than paper cards.
Try it today
- Write one idea per note, in your own words.
- Link each new note to at least one existing note.
- When you write, start from a cluster of linked notes rather than a blank page.
Where it comes from
Sociologist Niklas Luhmann kept a slip box of about 90,000 notes between 1951 and 1996, which the Luhmann Archive at Bielefeld University describes as the centre of his theoretical work.
Frequently asked questions
- What is Zettelkasten?
- A Zettelkasten, German for slip box, is a note-taking system of short, linked notes, each holding one idea in your own words, that grows into a network you can think and write with.
- Where does Zettelkasten come from?
- Sociologist Niklas Luhmann kept a slip box of about 90,000 notes between 1951 and 1996, which the Luhmann Archive at Bielefeld University describes as the centre of his theoretical work.
- How do I start with Zettelkasten?
- Write one idea per note, in your own words. Link each new note to at least one existing note. When you write, start from a cluster of linked notes rather than a blank page.
- Which tools help with Zettelkasten?
- Tools in our directory that help include Obsidian, Logseq, Tana, Capacities. Each has its own page with pricing, pros and cons.