Get Backlinks
vault_get_backlinksFind all notes and files that link to a specific note or canvas, including wikilinks, embeds, and canvas references. Use it to assess connectivity before editing or deleting.
Instructions
Find all notes and files that link to a given note or canvas — captures [[wikilinks]], markdown, ![[embeds]], wikilinks inside frontmatter properties (e.g. related:), and canvas file-node references. 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" }) Example: vault_get_backlinks({ path: "Diagrams/architecture.canvas" })
When to use: Understanding what references a note or canvas, 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 or .canvas extension, case-sensitive.
Returns: JSON with path (the queried note or canvas), backlinks (array of { path, title, bytes } sorted by title), and count. Backlink sources may be notes (.md) or canvas files (.canvas).
Errors: Rejects paths that don't end in .md or .canvas. A non-indexed path returns an empty result (count 0), not an error — use vault_list_notes or vault_search to discover valid paths.
Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| path | Yes | Exact vault-relative path including .md or .canvas extension (e.g. "Projects/vault-cortex.md"). Case-sensitive. |