diff --git a/apps/obsidian/src/components/NodeTypeModal.tsx b/apps/obsidian/src/components/NodeTypeModal.tsx
index bcb8aac07..6e91d65d1 100644
--- a/apps/obsidian/src/components/NodeTypeModal.tsx
+++ b/apps/obsidian/src/components/NodeTypeModal.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { App, Editor, SuggestModal, TFile, Notice } from "obsidian";
-import { DiscourseNode } from "../types";
-import { getDiscourseNodeFormatExpression } from "../utils/getDiscourseNodeFormatExpression";
+import { DiscourseNode } from "~/types";
+import { getDiscourseNodeFormatExpression } from "~/utils/getDiscourseNodeFormatExpression";
+import { checkInvalidChars } from "~/utils/validateNodeType";
 
 export class NodeTypeModal extends SuggestModal<DiscourseNode> {
   constructor(
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@ export class NodeTypeModal extends SuggestModal<DiscourseNode> {
   renderSuggestion(nodeType: DiscourseNode, el: HTMLElement) {
     el.createEl("div", { text: nodeType.name });
   }
+
   async createDiscourseNode(
     title: string,
     nodeType: DiscourseNode,
@@ -67,7 +69,12 @@ export class NodeTypeModal extends SuggestModal<DiscourseNode> {
       nodeFormat[1]?.replace(/\\/g, "") +
       selectedText +
       nodeFormat[2]?.replace(/\\/g, "");
-    if (!nodeFormat) return;
+
+    const isFilenameValid = checkInvalidChars(formattedNodeName);
+    if (!isFilenameValid.isValid) {
+      new Notice(`${isFilenameValid.error}`, 5000);
+      return;
+    }
 
     const newFile = await this.createDiscourseNode(formattedNodeName, nodeType);
     if (newFile) {
diff --git a/apps/obsidian/src/components/NodeTypeSettings.tsx b/apps/obsidian/src/components/NodeTypeSettings.tsx
index f6cf97d9a..c81c967c1 100644
--- a/apps/obsidian/src/components/NodeTypeSettings.tsx
+++ b/apps/obsidian/src/components/NodeTypeSettings.tsx
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ const NodeTypeSettings = () => {
               />
               <input
                 type="text"
-                placeholder="Format (e.g., [CLM] - {content})"
+                placeholder="Format (e.g., CLM - {content})"
                 value={nodeType.format}
                 onChange={(e) =>
                   handleNodeTypeChange(index, "format", e.target.value)
diff --git a/apps/obsidian/src/utils/validateNodeType.ts b/apps/obsidian/src/utils/validateNodeType.ts
index 816cb9874..d7fbc84d8 100644
--- a/apps/obsidian/src/utils/validateNodeType.ts
+++ b/apps/obsidian/src/utils/validateNodeType.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 import { DiscourseNode } from "~/types";
 
+type ValidationResult = {
+  isValid: boolean;
+  error?: string;
+};
+
 export function validateNodeFormat(
   format: string,
   nodeTypes: DiscourseNode[],
-): {
-  isValid: boolean;
-  error?: string;
-} {
+): ValidationResult {
   if (!format) {
     return {
       isValid: false,
@@ -28,17 +30,35 @@ export function validateNodeFormat(
     };
   }
 
-  const { isValid, error } = validateFormatUniqueness(nodeTypes);
-  if (!isValid) {
-    return { isValid: false, error };
+  const invalidCharsResult = checkInvalidChars(format);
+  if (!invalidCharsResult.isValid) {
+    return invalidCharsResult;
+  }
+
+  const uniquenessResult = validateFormatUniqueness(nodeTypes);
+  if (!uniquenessResult.isValid) {
+    return uniquenessResult;
   }
 
   return { isValid: true };
 }
 
+export const checkInvalidChars = (format: string): ValidationResult => {
+  const INVALID_FILENAME_CHARS_REGEX = /[#^\[\]|]/;
+  const invalidCharMatch = format.match(INVALID_FILENAME_CHARS_REGEX);
+  if (invalidCharMatch) {
+    return {
+      isValid: false,
+      error: `Node contains invalid character: ${invalidCharMatch[0]}. Characters #, ^, [, ], | cannot be used in filenames.`,
+    };
+  }
+
+  return { isValid: true };
+};
+
 const validateFormatUniqueness = (
   nodeTypes: DiscourseNode[],
-): { isValid: boolean; error?: string } => {
+): ValidationResult => {
   const isDuplicate =
     new Set(nodeTypes.map((nodeType) => nodeType.format)).size !==
     nodeTypes.length;
@@ -53,7 +73,7 @@ const validateFormatUniqueness = (
 export const validateNodeName = (
   name: string,
   nodeTypes: DiscourseNode[],
-): { isValid: boolean; error?: string } => {
+): ValidationResult => {
   if (!name || name.trim() === "") {
     return { isValid: false, error: "Name is required" };
   }