Aside

Private source reviewed

Aside

Side note index

Agent reply

Features

• Comment beside your notes. Add page notes to files, or attach comments to Markdown selections and Canvas cards.
• Keep track of ideas. Pin comments, add #tags and [[wikilinks]], and mark follow-ups with @todo.
• Find connections. Browse comments in 🐰 Aside Index.md, explore links and tags with Thought Trail, and see attachments and URLs in Context.
• Ask an agent. Mention @codex, @claude, @cursor, @gemini, or @deepseek for help on desktop.

See Context and connections for more detail.

For durable storage and sync across devices, use Aside with Obsidian Sync.

How to Get Started

Community directory submission is pending.

1. Open Settings → Community plugins in Obsidian, find Aside, and install and enable it.
2. Open a file and choose Add page note, or select Markdown text or a Canvas card and choose Add comment to selection.
3. Write your comment and click Add.

Workflow

1. Open a file and add a page note, or select Markdown text or a Canvas card and choose Add comment to selection.
2. Write your comment. Use [[wikilinks]] to connect notes, #tags to organize ideas, and @todo for follow-ups.
3. Click Add. Use + on a saved card to continue the thread with a reply. When editing an existing entry, click Save.

Glossary

• Thread — One Aside discussion attached to a file, a text selection, or a Canvas card. It contains a first entry and any replies.
• Entry — One message in a thread. The first saved entry creates the thread; later entries are replies.
• Page note — A thread attached to a whole file. Page notes work in supported file views, including those provided by viewer plugins. The generated Aside Index is not a page-note target.
• Anchored note — A thread attached to a Markdown text selection or a Canvas card. Selecting the comment takes you back to its target.
• Orphaned note — An anchored thread whose original text or card can no longer be found. The conversation is preserved even when its anchor is missing.
• 🐰 Aside Index.md — The generated vault-wide comment index. It helps you browse your comments; it is not their primary storage.
• Thought Trail — The relationship view that follows note links and connects files with shared note or side-note tags.

Writing in Side Notes

Commands

• Aside: Add comment to selection — Add an anchored comment to selected Markdown text or a Canvas card.

Optional agents and scripts

Install and sign in to your preferred local agent CLI, then turn on Settings → Aside → Enable agents. Mention the agent in a new comment or reply and click Add to start a conversation.

@deepseek uses the model selected in your configured OpenCode CLI. Scripts let you run and schedule trusted local commands; only run scripts you trust.

See Agents and scripts for setup and Scripts and scheduling for automation.

License

Aside is free for personal and internal workplace use under the Aside Proprietary License. Your notes remain yours. Earlier MIT-licensed releases retain their permissions.