TiddlyWiki User Archetypes: Who Uses It and What They Need to Know
What subsets of functionality can TiddlyWiki be split into?
SuperMemo has different user interfaces for different users, which can be switched.
This article was done in collaboration with DeepSeek
Edited May 2025
Casual Note-Takers
“I just want to jot down ideas and find them later.”
Goals: Simple note organization, basic search, portability.
Knowledge Involved:
Create and save documents.
Basic wiki markup (headings, links, lists)
Use tags to organize notes
Enable backlinks to see connections between notes
Markdown Users
Install the markdown plugin.
Setting the document type to markdown
Setting up backlinks for wiki links
Install relink/markdown plugin
Learn the nodejs version of tiddlywiki or use tiddlywiki-app
Plugin Users
“I want to extend TiddlyWiki without coding.”
Goals: Enhanced functionality via plugins.
Knowledge Involved:
Install some plugins you need. TiddlyMap(graphically display relationships between documents), Locator(organize notes in fields), Shiraz(lists and tables).
Knowledge Managers
“I need a structured system for projects or research.”
Goals: Backlinks, queries, and cross-referencing.
Knowledge Involved:
Basic document queries
Learn filters to search and sort notes
Use the List Widget to display filtered results.
Advanced document creation, modification, viewing, and querying
Learning the button widget
Learning about input widgets
Learning about the action widget
Automation
Use Macros to reuse code snippets
Customizers
“I want my wiki to look and behave uniquely.”
Goals: Tailored themes, layouts, or interactions.
Knowledge Involved:
Learn basic CSS to tweak themes
Modify templates
Other related customization knowledge
Educators & Technical Writers
“I need tutorials, documentation, or interactive guides.”
Goals: Create embedded tutorials or interactive content.
Knowledge Involved:
Transclusion ({{ }}
) for reusable content.
Advanced macros.
Custom widgets for quizzes/forms.
Develop small interactive programs following tutorials
Developers
Learn more widgets
Learn to write modules
Learning plugin development
Learning basic data structures, architecture of tiddlywiki
Final remarks
Users of tiddlywiki have a high probability of eventually learning all the points step by step. This is because TiddlyWiki users are basically deep software enthusiasts.
What other user groups do you have in mind that can be categorized into different knowledge radii?