What is a Reference in Tana?

A reference in Tana is a mirror copy of a node. It's a node that lives in many places all at once. If you edit one of them, the change reflects in all copies, everywhere.

References are handy because it makes digital objects work a bit more like reality.

Example:

Spinach doesn't only belong in your pantry, it also belongs as an ingredient in your quiche #recipe, an item at a local #vendor, or as a source of iron #nutrient.

What's really helpful here is that all references to Spinach refer to the same node, so the node Spinach becomes an index for all things spinach in your life, whether it be in recipes, found in shops, or a nutrient source. As you encounter spinach more in your life, and connect it to more things in your graph, your knowledge about spinach will just keep on growing.

Just like knowledge does in real life.

For more on nodes vs. references, go here.