README file from
GithubQuickAdd is a powerful combination of four tools (called choices): templates, captures, macros, and multis.
A Template is a definition of how to create a new note, and composes with Obsidian's own Templates core plugin or community template plugins. For example, it would allow you to define a quick action to create a new note in a particular location, with a templatized title, and templated content.
A Capture allows you to quickly add content to predefined files. For example, you could set up a quick action to add a link to the open file to your daily note under a specific section.
Macros will allow you to compound these two together into powerful chained workflows. Imagine pressing one hotkey to automatically create a new note to track a chess match with a specific template, while automatically adding a reference to it in your "list of matches" note and in your daily note.
Multi choices are purely organisational: folders of other choices.
Throughout your choices, you can use the QuickAdd format syntax, which is similar to the Obsidian template syntax. You could, for example, use {{DATE}} to insert the current date in a filename.
Demo video
Installation
QuickAdd can be installed through the community plugin browser in Obsidian, or through manual installation. See the installation documentation for more information.
Getting Started
For detailed instructions and examples on using QuickAdd, see the QuickAdd documentation.
Development
QuickAdd uses pnpm for local development tasks:
pnpm run testruns the unit test suite.pnpm run buildtype-checks and bundles the plugin.pnpm run test:e2eruns Obsidian-backed end-to-end tests.
The E2E suite depends on an installed Obsidian app and the obsidian CLI being
available on PATH. By default it targets the dev vault, but the target is
configurable:
pnpm run provision:e2e-vault -- --vault quickadd-my-worktree --register-via dev --print-env
export QUICKADD_E2E_VAULT='quickadd-my-worktree'
export QUICKADD_E2E_VAULT_PATH='/absolute/path/from/printed/output'
pnpm run test:e2e
provision:e2e-vault creates an isolated Obsidian vault under
.obsidian-e2e-vaults/ and symlinks QuickAdd's manifest.json, main.js, and
styles.css from the selected worktree. Pass --worktree /path/to/worktree to
provision a vault for another checkout. --register-via dev asks the running
Obsidian app to register the new vault through the already-addressable dev
vault, disables Restricted Mode for the provisioned vault, and waits until
quickadd:list works. Omit it if you only want to prepare the vault directory.
When QUICKADD_E2E_VAULT_PATH is set, the tests verify that the Obsidian CLI
resolved QUICKADD_E2E_VAULT to that exact directory before they mutate the
vault.
For worktree-local Obsidian runtime isolation, use:
pnpm run obsidian:e2e -- quickadd:list
pnpm run obsidian:e2e -- dev:errors
pnpm run obsidian:e2e -- eval code='app.vault.getName()'
obsidian:e2e prepares the worktree-local vault, starts or reuses an isolated
Obsidian app instance, disables Restricted Mode for that vault, waits until
quickadd:list succeeds, and then forwards the requested command to the
obsidian CLI with the isolated HOME and vault=<worktree vault> already
set. Use this wrapper for ad hoc Obsidian CLI work in Codex worktrees instead of
hand-exporting QUICKADD_E2E_* variables for every command.
To run the lower-level setup manually:
pnpm run start:e2e-obsidian -- --vault quickadd-my-worktree --print-env
export QUICKADD_E2E_VAULT='quickadd-my-worktree'
export QUICKADD_E2E_VAULT_PATH='/absolute/path/from/printed/output'
export QUICKADD_E2E_OBSIDIAN_HOME='/absolute/path/from/printed/output'
pnpm run test:e2e
start:e2e-obsidian creates a private Obsidian HOME under
/tmp/quickadd-obsidian-e2e/, launches a separate Obsidian app instance with
that HOME and its own Electron --user-data-dir, waits until the CLI resolves
the provisioned vault through that instance's socket, disables Restricted Mode,
and waits until quickadd:list succeeds. Set the printed
QUICKADD_E2E_OBSIDIAN_HOME when running tests so obsidian-e2e talks to that
worktree's Obsidian instance instead of the shared desktop instance.
Failed E2E runs may write artifacts to .obsidian-e2e-artifacts/.
Amp orb setup
Fresh Amp orbs run .agents/setup. It reproducibly installs
the pinned Node.js/pnpm toolchain, the checksum-verified official Obsidian Linux
package, Xvfb, and xauth; installs project dependencies; builds the plugin; and
provisions the worktree-local test vault. The setup is idempotent and caches its
downloads under ~/.cache/quickadd-orb/.
obsidian-e2e 0.10 launches isolated instances through macOS's open command.
On Linux, setup patches only this worktree's installed runner to invoke the
repository-local .agents/obsidian-open compatibility
shim and to read the installed obsidian.asar directly. It does not replace the
system /usr/bin/open. The shim launches official Obsidian on an ephemeral Xvfb
display, while ~/.local/bin/obsidian exposes the official CLI redirector.
Instances still use the runner's private HOME, user-data directory, vault
registration, readiness probe, and teardown logic.
Run the complete suite in an orb with:
pnpm run test:e2e:orb
The wrapper starts the isolated instance, points the tests at its private HOME, and traps exit and interruption so teardown always runs. A teardown failure also makes the command fail instead of silently leaking an Obsidian process.
Amp runs .agents/resume after an existing orb wakes. It only
performs fast prerequisite checks; Obsidian is intentionally started on demand
because GUI processes do not survive orb pause/resume.
Support
If you have any questions or encounter any problems while using QuickAdd, you can use the community discussions for support.