Advanced Word Count

Advanced Word Count plugin

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Features

1. Create multiple word count presets

Each separate preset can have its own list of metrics and methods of counting formatting elements, which makes working on multiple projects easier. You can quickly cycle between presets by clicking on the status bar, the right pane tab header or from the command palette.

The buttons in a preset's header let you duplicate it — handy for making a variant of a preset you've already set up — and choose which of its metrics appear in the status bar, so the status bar can stay short while the right pane shows everything.

2. View word counters in the right pane tab

• Counters can be viewed not only in the status bar, but also in the right pane tab. You can define whether counters are visible in both places or only one.
• Metric blocks can be arranged in one or two columns: the button in the right pane's header switches the layout for the current preset, and each preset remembers its own.
• Moreover, for any chosen metric you can set up a limit warning and/or a goal: a warning colors the metric orange at ≥90% of the limit and red at ≥100%, while a goal colors it green at ≥100% (a metric can have both at once, and a goal can't be set higher than its warning).
• The progress indication style for goals and limits in the right pane can be configured; five options are currently available: "Border and text", described above, as well as "Border progress", "Progress bar", "Progress circle" and "Progress background".
• You can also reorder the metrics in the right pane by dragging them — the new order is applied to the status bar as well (drag-and-drop on mobile devices is experimental for now).
• Every metric — built-in or community — can be renamed to your liking in Set custom labels, separately for the status bar and the right pane, or left without a label at all so only its number is shown.

3. Track many different counting metrics

• Essentials:

  • Words
  • Pages
  • Characters (with spaces)
  • Characters (without spaces)

• Additional options:

  • Lines (all lines, including blank ones)
  • Paragraphs (blocks of text, empty lines are ignored)
  • Reading time (estimated from a chosen reading speed)
  • Markdown links (url)[label] and [label](url)
  • Embeds ![[note]] or ![[file.pdf]]
  • Footnotes — complete [^1] references and inline ^[…]

• Special "academic" options:

  • Wikilinks [[wiki]] and [[wiki|label]]
  • Citekeys [@doe2020]

4. Fine-tune "Words" and "Characters…" counting methods with advanced settings

You can specify, how formatting elements will be counted:

5. Count canvases and embedded notes

• Obsidian Canvas is supported. In a canvas, the counters show metrics for the whole document, for the selected cards, and for the card being edited.
• Counting text in embedded notes. An option in the settings lets you include the notes embedded in the current one in the counts. Whole-note ![[Note]], heading ![[Note#Heading]] and block ![[Note#^block]] embeds are supported, nested embeds are counted too, as are embeds inside canvas cards. Handy for a book or a thesis assembled from embedded chapters.

6. Install community extensions: presets, metrics and advanced settings

Community extensions are small add-ons, each of which adds one metric, one advanced (word-count) setting, or a whole ready-made preset.

• The extension store opens in the plugin settings. Search by name, author or description, filter by type (metrics / advanced settings / presets), and install, update or remove any extension with a single click. Installed extensions are highlighted with your accent colour.
• Ready-made presets carry their toggle states, advanced settings, warnings/goals and connected community extensions. Installing one adds it to your presets and downloads the extensions it needs automatically. Made a preset you like? Click the Share (↗) icon in its header to export a file you can suggest for the plugin's catalogue.
• Connecting installed extensions is done separately for each of your presets — use the Community extensions… dropdown inside a preset.
• Dependencies are installed automatically: if an extension depends on another, everything it needs is downloaded with it.
• Updating extensions is available manually in the store, or automatically on Obsidian startup when the Automatically update installed community extensions setting is enabled.

The official catalogue currently includes:

Metrics

Advanced settings

Presets

Want to build your own? See the extension contributor guide.

Installation

Option 1: Obsidian plugin store

1. In Obsidian settings open the tab "Community plugins" and click "Browse" button.

2. In the search bar type Advanced Word Count, click on the result, then "Install" and "Enable" buttons.

Alternatively, you can install the plugin by following the link to the community website: https://community.obsidian.md/plugins/advanced-word-count

Option 2: BRAT plugin

If you want to test beta-versions of the plugin or use previous versions, you can do that with BRAT plugin:

1. Install BRAT plugin from the official Obsidian plugin store.

2. In the BRAT settings, find the “Beta plugin list” section and click on the “Add beta plugin” button.

3. In the window that appears, paste the link to the Advanced Word Count plugin repository: https://github.com/pan4ratte/obsidian-advanced-word-count

4. Under “Select a version” choose the desired version and click the “Add plugin” button. The plugin will be automatically installed and will be ready to use.

About the Author

My name is Mark Ingrem and I am a Religious Studies scholar. Apart from my main area of study (Protestant Political Theology in Russia), I teach a university course called "Information Technologies in Scientific Research", which is based on my own program. This plugin helps me in my research and I use it in my teaching, along with the other plugins I develop, which you can find on my GitHub profile.

Hello to every student who came across this page!