What is the syntax for an Obsidian callout?
Write a blockquote and put the callout type in square brackets with an exclamation mark on the first line: > [!note]. Everything on the following > lines becomes the callout body.
Obsidian Callouts
Quick answer
Create an Obsidian callout by writing a blockquote with the callout type in brackets on the first line: > [!note]. Add - after the type for a collapsible callout, and text after it for a custom title.
Try a callout
Load an example
Rendered callout
Save time
Type "callout" in the command palette to insert one.
Callouts take any Markdown: lists, code, links.
Rendered in your browser with Obsidian's default-theme colours and icons. A community theme or CSS snippet can change both, so treat the colours here as the out-of-the-box appearance rather than a fixed rule.
Obsidian Callout Types
| Type | Aliases | Use for |
|---|---|---|
[!note] | — | General information (default blue) |
[!abstract] | summary, tldr | A short summary |
[!info] | — | Neutral information |
[!todo] | — | Task or to-do item |
[!tip] | hint, important | Helpful advice |
[!success] | check, done | A completed or positive result |
[!question] | help, faq | A question or FAQ |
[!warning] | caution, attention | Something to be careful about |
[!failure] | fail, missing | A failed step or missing item |
[!danger] | error | A critical warning |
[!bug] | — | A known bug or issue |
[!example] | — | An example block |
[!quote] | cite | A quotation |
Type names are case-insensitive. Aliases render with the same icon and color as the primary type.
All 13 callout types, rendered
Every built-in type as Obsidian's default theme draws it — icon, accent color and default title — beside the syntax that produces it. A community theme or CSS snippet can change the colors and icons, so read these as the out-of-the-box appearance.
[!note]
Pencil icon · rgb(8, 109, 221) · default theme
Note
The default type. Anything you would write in the margin of a page.
> [!note] > The default type. Anything you would write in the margin of a page.
[!abstract]
ClipboardList icon · rgb(0, 191, 188) · default theme
Abstract
A one-paragraph summary at the top of a long note.
> [!abstract] > A one-paragraph summary at the top of a long note.
[!info]
Info icon · rgb(8, 109, 221) · default theme
Info
Neutral context the reader needs but did not ask for.
> [!info] > Neutral context the reader needs but did not ask for.
[!todo]
CheckCircle2 icon · rgb(8, 109, 221) · default theme
Todo
Work this note has left over.
> [!todo] > Work this note has left over.
[!tip]
Flame icon · rgb(0, 191, 188) · default theme
Tip
The shortcut you wish someone had told you first.
> [!tip] > The shortcut you wish someone had told you first.
[!success]
Check icon · rgb(8, 185, 78) · default theme
Success
The step worked. Move on.
> [!success] > The step worked. Move on.
[!question]
HelpCircle icon · rgb(236, 117, 0) · default theme
Question
A question the note has not answered yet.
> [!question] > A question the note has not answered yet.
[!warning]
AlertTriangle icon · rgb(236, 117, 0) · default theme
Warning
Something that will bite you if you skip it.
> [!warning] > Something that will bite you if you skip it.
[!failure]
X icon · rgb(233, 49, 71) · default theme
Failure
The approach that did not work, and why.
> [!failure] > The approach that did not work, and why.
[!danger]
Zap icon · rgb(233, 49, 71) · default theme
Danger
Data loss, money, or something else you cannot undo.
> [!danger] > Data loss, money, or something else you cannot undo.
[!bug]
Bug icon · rgb(233, 49, 71) · default theme
Bug
A known defect, with its issue number.
> [!bug] > A known defect, with its issue number.
[!example]
List icon · rgb(120, 82, 238) · default theme
Example
A worked example of the thing above.
> [!example] > A worked example of the thing above.
[!quote]
Quote icon · rgb(158, 158, 158) · default theme
Quote
Someone else said it better.
> [!quote] > Someone else said it better.
Callout Examples
Basic callout
> [!note] > This is a note callout in Obsidian.
Start a blockquote, then put the callout type in [!brackets] on the first line.
Callout with a custom title
> [!tip] Save time > Type "/callout" to insert one from the command palette.
Add text after the [!type] to override the default heading.
Collapsible callout (folded)
> [!summary]- Research notes > Hidden until you expand it.
A minus sign after the type collapses the callout by default. A plus sign starts it expanded.
Callout with no title
> [!info] > A callout with only its icon and content, no heading text.
Leave the title empty to show just the colored bar and icon.
Nested callouts
> [!question] Can callouts be nested? > > [!success] Yes! > > Just add more > characters.
Stack blockquote markers to nest one callout inside another.
Rich content inside a callout
> [!example] Checklist > - [ ] Draft outline > - [x] Collect sources > > Callouts support **lists**, `code`, and [[wikilinks]].
Any Markdown works inside a callout, including task lists, code, and links.
Need GitHub or GitLab syntax too? Build it in the callout generator.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make a collapsible callout?
Add a minus sign right after the type to fold it by default, for example > [!tip]- Title. Use a plus sign, > [!tip]+ Title, to make it expandable but open by default.
What callout types does Obsidian support?
Obsidian has 13 built-in types: note, abstract (summary, tldr), info, todo, tip (hint, important), success (check, done), question (help, faq), warning (caution, attention), failure (fail, missing), danger (error), bug, example, and quote (cite). Type names are case-insensitive.
Can I give a callout a custom title?
Yes. Add your title text after the type, like > [!warning] Read this first. Leave it blank to show only the icon and default styling.
Do Obsidian callouts work on GitHub?
Not directly. GitHub uses its own alert syntax (> [!NOTE], > [!TIP], > [!IMPORTANT], > [!WARNING], > [!CAUTION]) with uppercase types and a smaller set. Obsidian supports many more types and collapsible callouts.
Can I change a callout colour or icon?
Yes, through CSS. An unrecognised type falls back to note styling and keeps the name you typed, so a snippet targeting .callout[data-callout="custom"] can set --callout-color (as an R, G, B triplet) and --callout-icon (a Lucide icon id) for it. The exact property names come from the theme you use, so check yours before copying a snippet.
Do callouts work in Reading view and Live Preview?
Yes, both. Callouts render in Reading view and in Live Preview, and a folded callout can be expanded in either. In source mode you see the raw blockquote, which is what the file actually contains.
Can I nest callouts inside each other?
Yes. Add another > for each level, so a callout inside a callout starts with > > [!type]. There is no fixed depth limit, but more than two levels is hard to read in a note.