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Exploring Obsidian Plugins and Extensions

Obsidian is a powerful and extensible knowledge base that works on top of your local folder of plain text files.

Extensions / Plugins​

2024 Gems of the year winners - Obsidian

Extensions that helps make obsidian better

LearnKit - Spaced Repetition (Flashcards)​

Key features​

  • FSRS scheduling — adaptive spaced repetition so every review counts.
  • Rich flashcard types — cloze, basic, reversed, multiple choice, image occlusion, and more.
  • Text-to-speech & audio — built-in playback for language learning and listening practice.
  • Study analytics — charts, heatmaps, and retention trends at a glance.
  • Markdown-first — flashcards live inside your notes, linked to the knowledge they came from.
  • Reading view customisation — keep notes clean and distraction-free while studying.
  • Note review mode — spaced repetition for your notes, not just flashcards.
  • Study coach — personalised study plans and coaching for your exams.
  • Test mode — AI-generated quizzes straight from your notes.

Companion — AI learning assistant​

Companion is LearnKit's built-in AI study assistant for working directly with the notes you already have.

  • Ask anything — get instant answers grounded in the note you're reading.
  • Generate flashcards and tests — turn any note into study-ready material in seconds.
  • Review and improve — get targeted feedback that makes your notes clearer and more complete.
  • Edit with AI — Companion can rewrite, restructure, and refine your notes for you, right where you work.

Turn notes into study-ready material without leaving Obsidian.

Settings / Preferences

  • Templates - Date Format - ddd, DD MMM YYYY

Themes​

Obsidian MCP Servers​

npm install -g obsidian-hybrid-search
obsidian-hybrid-search reindex
obsidian-hybrid-search "zettelkasten"

claude mcp add-json obsidian-hybrid-search '{"command":"npx","args":["-y","-p","obsidian-hybrid-search@latest","obsidian-hybrid-search-mcp"],"env":{"OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH":"/path/to/your/vault"}}'

GitHub - flowing-abyss/obsidian-hybrid-search: Hybrid search over your Obsidian vault – CLI and MCP server · GitHub ⭐ 77

Hybrid Search — hybrid search MCP server + CLI for AI assistants (BM25 + semantic, Obsidian-native) - #2 by WhiteNoise - Share & showcase - Obsidian Forum

Alternatives -

Obsidian Shortcuts​

TodoShortcut
Search in all filesCmd+Shift+F
Search in specific path/folderpath:technologies/flink checkpoint
Toggle edit/preview modeCtrl/Cmd E
Insert External linkCtrl/Cmd-K
IndentCtrl/Cmd-]
UnindentCmd-[
Jump into selected backlinkAlt/Opt-Enter
Navigate forwardcmd+ctrl + ->
Naviagte backcmd+ctrl + <-
Add current dateInsert current date (cmd + y)
Add checkboxcmd + L
Delete the line
Insert Current Datecmd + D
Strikethroughcmd + shift + x

Some basics​

  • Make new note - Cmd-n
  • Create note in new pane - Cmd-shift-n
  • Open the link you're hovering over in a new pane (while in edit mode)- Cmd-click
  • Toggle edit/preview mode - Cmd-e
  • Open quick switcher - Cmd-o
  • Close active pane - Cmd-w
  • Formatting basics
  • Undo, cut, copy, paste, bold, italicize - Cmd-z,x,c,v,b,i

Intermediate​

  • Open command palette - Cmd-p
  • Search and replace in current file - Cmd-f
  • Search in all files - Cmd-shift-f
  • Some faves for outlining
  • Swap line up - I mapped this to:Cmd-1
  • Swap line down - I mapped this to:Cmd-2
  • Toggle fold on current line - I mapped this toCmd-3
  • Toggle line to bulleted of numbered list† - I mapped this toCmd-4
  • †: Requires the plugin "Hotkeys++"
  • Formatting intermediate
  • Insert template - I mapped this to:Cmd-t

Advanced​

  • Changing the view
  • Load workspace - I mapped this to:Shift-Esc
  • Manage workspaces - I mapped this to:Control-Esc
  • Toggle left sidebar - I mapped this to:Cmd-LeftArrow
  • Toggle right sidebar - I mapped this to:Cmd-RightArrow
  • Some secret weapons
  • Navigate back - I mapped this to:Opt-a
  • Navigate forward - I mapped this to:Opt-s
  • Programmed to my mouse
  • Open previous daily note - extra mouse button back
  • Open next daily note - extra mouse button forward
  • Open my Home note - When I click this mouse button, it typesCmd-o, 000, Enter
  • Setup and File Management
  • Open settings - Cmd-,
  • Show in system explorer - I mapped this to:Cmd-ctrl-opt-i
  • Reveal active file in navigation - I mapped this to:Cmd-ctrl-i
  • Move file to another folder - I mapped this to:Cmd-shift-i
  • Open another vault - I mapped this to:Cmd-ctrl-opt-o
  • Note Management
  • Toggle pin - I mapped this to:Cmd-shift-e
  • Note Refactor: Extract selection to new note - first line as file name†† - I mapped this to:Cmd-shift-r
  • Edit file title - I mapped this to:Cmd-l(then hitenterto return to the note)
  • Calendar: Open Weekly Note - I mapped this to:Cmd-shift-m
  • ††: Requires the plugin "Note Refactor"
  • †††: Requires the plugin "Calendar"

image

  • line:(old school)
  • line:("old school")
  • line:("old school") -path:Readwise (can be saved in a new note using native query)

Custom​

Toggle side bars

  • Left - ctrl + [
  • Right - ctrl + ]

LYT - Linking Your Thinking​

Publish Free​

Publish / Examples / Showcases / Codex​

Blogs example templates​

Company Knowledge Base​

Open Source Alternatives​

Obsidian Automated Metadata: Core Learnings​

Generating Dynamic Frontmatter​

To automatically inject metadata (properties) into new notes, use the Templater community plugin.

  • Standard Obsidian templates insert static text, which hardcodes a single date.
  • Templater tags dynamically evaluate variables at the exact millisecond of file creation.
  • The Evergreen Blueprint: Place this block at the very top of your master template file:
---
slug: obsidian-new-note-template
title: Obsidian Simple New Note Template
description: Obsidian Simple New Note Template for creating a new note.
created: 2026-06-29
updated: 2026-06-29
---

Tracking File Modifications (The updated Key)​

Because template engines only run once at file birth, tracking ongoing file updates requires a continuous background process.

If you choose the multi-purpose Linter plugin to manage timestamps, you must explicitly connect text modifications to the frontmatter parser.

  • The "Never" Pitfall: By default, Linter ignores text changes and only looks at property shifts.
  • The Fix: You must change Update YAML Timestamp on File Contents Update from Never to On Lint.
  • The Trigger: Combine this with Lint on Save or Lint on Change so the plugin actively runs its checks as you work.

Note: Tags vs. Keywords in Documentation Systems​

Core Concept​

While tags and keywords both classify content, they serve entirely different systems. Tags build the public architecture for human navigation, whereas keywords inject invisible metadata intended for machine parsing.

Structural Comparison​

AttributeTagsKeywords
Primary AudienceHuman Users (site visitors)Search Crawlers / Internal Indexers
VisibilityVisible: Stamped as clickable UI badges on the pageHidden: Buried entirely within the HTML source header
System ActionProgrammatically generates unique index pages grouping related filesInjects a static <meta name="keywords" content="..."> string

Behavior and Impact​

Tags (Human-Centric Navigation)​

  • How it works: When a user clicks a tag badge, the system dynamically generates a collection route displaying all files matching that metadata parameter.
  • SEO Risk: If left unmanaged, search engines crawl these thin collection pages, treating them as duplicate content. This can exhaust your website's crawl budget.

Keywords (Machine-Centric Metadata)​

  • How it works: Designed historically to summarize page context directly for automated web crawlers.
  • SEO Reality: Modern search engines (like Google) completely ignore the <meta name="keywords"> tag because it was historically abused for search manipulation.
  • Current Value: Only useful if your system relies on an isolated internal search plugin (e.g., localized tools requiring strict meta-tag definitions to surface site results).

Others​