Understanding the Graph
The graph is a map of your thinking — not something you build manually, but something that emerges from how you write and connect. Here is what each element means.
Nodes
Every node in the graph is either a note or a concept. Notes come in five types; concepts are the recurring ideas that appear across multiple notes.
Note nodes
A quick capture — raw, unprocessed.
Grounded in a specific source you've read.
A consolidated idea that stands on its own.
A map of a topic — links to other notes, not ideas itself.
Anchored to a specific goal or deliverable.
Concept nodes are distinct from note nodes. They appear as larger or differently styled nodes — the shared vocabulary of your graph. A concept node with many connections is a central idea in your thinking.
Edges
Edges are the connections between nodes. There are three kinds, and they carry different amounts of information.
Wikilink
A direct reference you created manually using [[Note Title]]. Intentional, explicit.
Typed relation
A connection with a semantic label — source, tension, illustration, etc. The richest kind of edge.
Concept mention
Both notes share a concept node. The connection is implicit — drawn through shared vocabulary.
Visual encoding
The graph uses size and colour to carry information at a glance:
Larger nodes have more connections. A big node is an idea that many other notes touch.
Indicates note type — each type has a consistent colour across the graph.
Reflects the relation type. A typed relation appears differently from an untyped wikilink.
A tight cluster of nodes indicates a domain of dense thinking — a subject you have developed extensively.