Obsidian is a powerful note-taking tool that allows for extensive customization through its core plugins. In this guide, we will explore the essential Obsidian core plugins available in version 1.6.7. This will help you harness the full potential of Obsidian without getting lost in the myriad of community plugins available. By understanding the core plugins, you can streamline your note-taking process and enhance your productivity.
Useful / Download
- Tutorial: YouTube
- Part 2: Post, YouTube
- Download: FREE Lean Starter Vault
- Wiki: Lean Starter Vault
- More Obsidian Video Tutorials
- Discord
What's happening?
With that out of the way, let’s look at what core plugins are and why you might want to use them. Core plugins are pre-packaged features included with Obsidian that enhance basic functionality and provide foundational concepts on which to build. They ensure Obsidian has everything you need to take notes effectively before giving you additional feature options via community plugins.
Audio Recorder
Capture audio directly in your notes using the Audio Recorder plugin. To start recording, create a note and click on the icon that resembles a microphone or use the command palette. The recording will appear in the note itself, so you can keep all your info in one place and record your thoughts during meetings or lectures.
Furthermore, the audio file is kept in a dedicated folder inside your vault, where you can access it at any time. You can easily rename and manage these recordings, just like a note attachment.
Backlinks
The Backlinks plugin works by showing you the full picture – you can now see a web of interlinking notes that will help you create a more holistic knowledge base. While you’re writing the note currently open in your workspace, every time you mention another note, a link that also shows up in the backlinks panel is automatically created.
Beyond assisting you in navigating your notes, it also helps you understand how all the ideas you‘re working with fit together in context. You can activate the panel via the command palette and configure the display settings to your preference.
Bookmarks
Using the Bookmarks plugin will make you find frequently used notes faster. Mark your notes as bookmarks and jump to the necessary resources right away. Simply find the note you need and add it as a bookmark using the context menu or pressing the respective hotkey.
Bookmarks can be organized into groups, providing a more structured way of managing your notes and benefiting any user with many notes.
Canvas
Canvas is a visual workspace plugin that allows you to create diagrams and organize ideas visually. This is really good for brainstorming or working on a complex diagram. You can also add notes and media to your canvas area, as well as a website that you are working on, so it’s all in one place.
With the right snap-to-grid and alignment settings, you can ensure that your layout looks good and is sensible for your workflow.
Command Palette
The Command Palette is your gateway to all functionalities within Obsidian. By pressing CTRL + P, you can quickly access commands, making navigating through the application’s various features easier. You can also pin frequently used commands for quicker access, enhancing productivity.
Daily Notes
If you want to take daily notes, create a template that would save you time in formatting.
Having it automatically create a new daily note each day means you never have to worry about query syntax or accidentally skip a day.
File Recovery
Accidentally deleting notes is a real pain! The File Recovery plug-in ensures that you can restore a deleted note. The maximum number of snapshots taken is configurable, so you can decide how recent you want the retrievable versions.
This is necessary to restore your notes in case you accidentally delete them.
Files
Files displays the notes and folders in a tree view, giving you an overview of your entire vault. You can create, rename, move, and delete notes right from the panel.
You can also make bookmarks for notes and share their Obsidian URLs via the context menu.
Format Converter
Format Converter plugin that converts your notes into the Markdown Obsidian supports. This is useful if you’re importing another note-taking app into Obsidian and want to preserve your existing notes.
While it doesn’t import notes directly from other tools, it allows you to copy and paste your existing Markdown notes and tweak their formatting.
Graph View
The Graph View plugin helps you visualize your node relationships in a network-like flow. It enables you to see the clusters of your ideas visually, moving them into or out of the central eye-catching zone of the graph view and forming new relationships with other nodes. You can customize the graph’s look and feel according to your taste and preferences. Visual learners will surely find it helpful.
This fluidity extends to the graphs – you can see what’s happening locally, around a note, and zoom out to a global view of your entire vault.
Note Composer
The Note Composer plugin extracts text from one note and creates a new note from it. It helps split large notes into smaller pieces or merge notes together.
This plugin can streamline your note organization and ensure your ideas are structured effectively.
Outgoing Links
The Backlinks plugin, in turn, complements the Outgoing Links plugin, offering you a directory of the links from your current note to all other notes. You can quickly see where your current note fits into the network of ideas in your vault. You get this information in a list format.
Unique Note Creator
For users who follow the Zettelkasten method, the Unique Note Creator plugin is a must-have. It automatically generates note titles based on a timestamp, ensuring each note is unique and easily identifiable. This feature streamlines the creation of new notes and helps maintain organization within the vault.
How to get help
The official documentation is an excellent resource if you need assistance with any of these plugins or have questions about using Obsidian. The Core plugins – Obsidian Help page provides detailed information on each plugin, including setup and functionality. Additionally, engaging with the community through forums or social media can also yield helpful tips and advice.
For more productivity and practical note-taking resources, visit – and perhaps subscribe to – the #LeanProductivity YouTube Channel and explore various tools to help you be productive rather than busy.
If you are interested in more #LeanProductivity tips and tools, take a look at this growing playlist.
FAQ
Core plugins are built-in features that come with Obsidian, offering essential functionalities for note-taking and organization.
You can turn on the core plugins by going to the settings menu > core plugins > toggle the plugins.
Yes, you can, but you should know your core plugins first to avoid having a wonky workflow.
With the File Recovery plugin activated, you can specify how frequently you want snapshots taken and bring back deleted notes through the recovery menu.
Obsidian comes with a plugin called Graph View that shows you how your notes connect to each other in a network form, thus giving you a glimpse into the structure of your knowledge.