Split-View Navigation
Navigate notes side-by-side with split-view panes for comparing and cross-referencing content.
Split-View Navigation
Split-view navigation lets you open multiple notes side-by-side, making it easy to compare content, follow citation chains, and build context without losing your place.
How It Works
Click any wiki-link to open it in a split pane alongside your current note. The original note stays visible on the left while the linked content appears on the right.
Split-view is perfect for when you're reading a note and want to quickly check a referenced concept without navigating away.
Opening Panes
| Action | Result |
|---|---|
| Click a wiki-link | Opens in new pane on the right |
| Click another link | Replaces the rightmost pane |
| Click a link in a pane | Opens in that pane |
The system keeps track of which pane you're interacting with and updates accordingly.
Pane Controls
Each pane has a toolbar with these actions:
| Control | Description |
|---|---|
| Close (×) | Dismiss the pane |
| Open Full (⤢) | Navigate to the note as a full page |
| Duplicate (⧉) | Open another copy of the same note |
Deep Linking
Share or bookmark specific pane configurations using URL parameters:
/notes/origin-note?pane=linked-note
Multiple panes can be chained:
/notes/a?pane=b&pane=c
Note slugs in URL parameters use forward slashes: ?pane=notes/another-note. Special characters are URL-encoded.
Anchor Scrolling in Split-View
When you click an anchor link like [[Note#Section]], the split pane opens and automatically scrolls to that section. This works for both heading anchors and block IDs.
Example: Embeds and Anchors opens the combined syntax reference.
Use Cases
Following Citation Chains
When reading Building a Second Brain, you might click through to Knowledge Graph Basics, then to Welcome to Rhizome — each opening in a new pane while preserving your reading history.
Comparing Related Notes
Open multiple notes on similar topics to compare approaches, definitions, or code examples side-by-side.
Reference While Writing
Keep a reference note open in one pane while writing in another, making it easy to copy terminology, verify facts, or maintain consistency.
Cross-Checking Backlinks
When a note has multiple backlinks, open several of them in split view to understand how different contexts reference the same concept.
Limitations
- Panes are read-only in split view (no editing)
- Complex interactive components may have reduced functionality
- Very long notes may impact performance with many panes open
Related Features
- Knowledge Graph Basics - Visualize connections between notes
- Welcome to Rhizome - Overview of all Rhizome features