GTDown

GTDown

A TaskPaper-style plain-text task editor for Obsidian. Opens .gtd files in a dedicated editor with filtering, tagging, and project organisation.

Features

• TaskPaper format — plain text .gtd files, readable and portable outside Obsidian
• Projects, tasks, notes — structured by indentation and line type
• @tags and #labels — contexts and categories, styled and filterable
• Sidebar — browse projects, saved searches, tags, and labels; filter by clicking
• Multiple filters — combine @tag and #label filters (AND semantics)
• Archive Done — moves @done tasks into a Done section in one click
• Smart Enter — context-aware new task/note insertion
• Keyboard shortcuts — toggle done, indent/dedent, move blocks, copy to clipboard
• Obsidian theme support — automatically adapts to any light, dark, or custom theme

File Format

GTDown uses .gtd files in TaskPaper format:

Inbox:
	- Write the spec @today
	- Review PR @high
	- Read the docs

Work:
	- Fix login bug @done
	- Deploy to staging @done
	- Update dependencies @today

Done:

• Project lines — non-indented, end with : (e.g. Work:)
• Task lines — indented with a - prefix
• Note lines — indented, no - prefix
• @tags — styled blue; @done marks a task complete
• #labels — styled purple

Installation

GTDown is not yet in the Obsidian Community Plugin registry. To install manually:

1. Download the latest release (or build from source — see below)
2. Copy main.js, manifest.json, and styles.css into your vault at .obsidian/plugins/gtdown/
3. Enable GTDown in Obsidian → Settings → Community Plugins

Usage

Creating a file

Open the command palette (Cmd+P) and run New GTDown file. A new Untitled.gtd file opens in the GTDown editor.

Importing an existing file

Run Import GTDown file from the command palette. Select a .gtd file from your filesystem — GTDown copies it into your vault and opens it in the editor.

Opening files

Any .gtd file in your vault opens automatically in the GTDown editor when clicked in the file explorer.

macOS tip: If your .gtd files open in the wrong editor, check Finder → Settings → Advanced → "Show all filename extensions". macOS can silently hide extensions like .md that follow .gtd, causing Obsidian to misidentify the file type.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Building from Source

git clone https://github.com/jonny/gtdown-obsidian
cd gtdown-obsidian
npm install --legacy-peer-deps
npm run build

Copy main.js, manifest.json, and styles.css into your vault's plugin folder.

Tech Stack

• React 19 + TypeScript
• CodeMirror 6 (via Obsidian's bundled instance)
• esbuild

License

MIT