> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.bowerlabs.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Linked entities

> Cross-reference notes, protocols, and collections to build connections across your workspace.

Linked entities let you connect related items in your workspace. Link a note to the protocol it follows, connect observations to the collection they belong to, or cross-reference two notes that cover the same sample.

## Why link entities

A workspace built only of folders forces you to put each item in exactly one place. Real research isn't that tidy — a single observation often relates to a protocol, a collection of samples, and another note from last week's meeting. Linking lets all of those connections coexist without duplicating content.

* **Find related work fast.** When you open a note, every linked entity is one click away — no need to search or remember where you filed it.
* **Build context for AI features.** When you ask Bird a question or start a Live session, links give the AI a richer picture of how your work fits together.
* **Surface adjacent ideas.** Bower's AI also [suggests likely links](/ai-and-search/inferred-links) between similar notes, so you don't miss connections you didn't think to make.

## How to link entities

1. Open a note, protocol, or collection.
2. Click the **+ Link** pill (next to **+ Add tags**, just above the editor).
3. The command palette opens — search for the entity you want to link to.
4. Select it. The link is created in both directions.

## What can be linked

Any entity type can be linked to any other:

* Note to note
* Note to protocol
* Note to collection
* Protocol to collection
* Any combination

Links are bidirectional — if Note A is linked to Protocol B, Protocol B also shows its link to Note A.

## Viewing linked entities

Linked entities appear as chips on the same row as your tags, just above the editor. Each chip shows:

* The entity type icon
* The entity title
* A menu with options to **open** the linked entity or **unlink** it

Click a chip to navigate directly to that entity. If you have more than three links, the row collapses with a **+N more** toggle to keep things compact.

## Inferred (AI-suggested) links

Bower also surfaces suggested links between notes that look related, drawn with a **dashed border** and a sparkle icon to set them apart from links you created yourself. Each suggestion can be **confirmed** (turning it into a regular link) or **dismissed** (so the AI won't suggest that pair again).

See [Inferred links](/ai-and-search/inferred-links) for a full walkthrough.

## Unlinking

Hover over a linked entity chip, click the menu icon, and select **Unlink**. This removes the connection in both directions. Neither entity is deleted — only the link between them.

## When to use links vs. collections

* Use **collections** when you want to group many notes under one heading (e.g., "February field samples").
* Use **links** when you want to connect two specific items that are related but don't necessarily belong in the same group (e.g., a note referencing a protocol, or two observations about the same anomaly).

Links and collections work together — a note can be in a collection and also linked to a protocol.