Get Backlinks
vault_get_backlinksFind all notes referencing a given note via wikilinks, markdown links, embeds, and frontmatter properties, enabling analysis of note connectivity before editing or deleting.
Instructions
Find all notes that link to a given note — captures [[wikilinks]], markdown, ![[embeds]], and wikilinks inside frontmatter properties (e.g. related:). Heading anchors ([[note#heading]]) and aliases ([[note|alias]]) resolve as backlinks to the base note. Links inside code blocks are ignored; a note linking to itself appears in its own backlinks.
Example: vault_get_backlinks({ path: "Projects/vault-cortex.md" })
When to use: Understanding what references a note, assessing its connectivity before editing or deleting, or finding related notes via the graph. For outgoing links (what a note links TO), use vault_get_outgoing_links. To find notes with no backlinks at all, use vault_find_orphans.
Parameters:
path: exact vault-relative path including .md extension, case-sensitive. A non-indexed path returns an empty result (count 0), not an error — use vault_list_notes or vault_search to discover valid paths.
Returns: JSON with path (the queried note), backlinks (array of { path, title, bytes } sorted by title), and count.
Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| path | Yes | Exact vault-relative path including .md extension (e.g. "Projects/vault-cortex.md"). Case-sensitive. |