AS Notes (VS Code Knowledge Management Extension)

A VS Code extension that brings wikilink-based knowledge management directly into your editor.

Install from VS Code Marketplace  |  View on GitHub

If you already live in VS Code, why manage your notes somewhere else? AS Notes brings the power of wikilink-based knowledge management - the kind you'd find in Obsidian or Logseq - directly into your editor. No Electron wrapper. No separate app. No syncing headaches. Just your markdown files, your Git repo, and the editor you already know.

Why AS Notes?

  • Your data stays local. No cloud sync, no telemetry, no accounts. Your notes are plain .md files in a folder you control.
  • Git-friendly by design. Every note is a .md file - diff them, branch them, review them. Your knowledge base gets the same versioning discipline as your code.
  • Lightweight. A local SQLite database (powered by WASM - no native dependencies) keeps everything fast without bloating your workspace.

Key Features

Type [[ to trigger page selection and autocomplete. Links resolve to .md files anywhere in your workspace - not just the current folder. If the target doesn't exist, it's created automatically, useful for forward-referencing pages you plan to write later.

Renaming a page offers to update every reference across your workspace. Hover tooltips show the target file, whether it exists, and how many other pages link to it.

The Backlinks panel shows every page that links to the file you're currently editing, with surrounding line text for context. A straightforward way to see how ideas connect across your knowledge base.

Open it with Ctrl+Alt+B - it stays in sync as you navigate between files.

AS Notes Backlinks

Task Management

A lightweight task system built on standard markdown checkboxes. Press Ctrl+Shift+Enter on any line to cycle through states (unchecked → checked → plain text). The Tasks panel in the Explorer sidebar aggregates every task across your entire knowledge base, grouped by page - filter to show only unchecked items, or toggle completion directly from the panel.

AS Notes Task Panel

Page Aliases

Define aliases in YAML front matter so multiple names resolve to the same page. [[JS]] and [[ECMAScript]] can both navigate to JavaScript.md. Backlink counts include alias references, and rename tracking updates aliases in front matter automatically.

Daily Journal

Press Ctrl+Alt+J to create or open today's journal entry. AS Notes generates a dated markdown file from a customisable template - add your own sections, prompts, or front matter to shape your daily workflow. Journal files are indexed instantly, so wikilinks and backlinks work from the moment the file is created.

Markdown Preview

AS Notes translates nested wikilinks when rendering markdown previews so links navigate correctly. Works alongside other markdown extensions - Mermaid diagrams, for example.

AS Notes Markdown Preview

Privacy First

AS Notes doesn't send your data anywhere - no telemetry, no cloud service, no account required. Your notes are plain files on your filesystem. Back them up however you like. The SQLite index is local and can be rebuilt at any time.

Get Started

  1. Install AS Notes from the VS Code Marketplace
  2. Open a folder in VS Code
  3. Run AS Notes: Initialise Workspace from the Command Palette
  4. Start typing [[ in any markdown file

No configuration required. To explore with sample content, clone the demo notes repository and follow the setup instructions.