Bring to Front
rockbenben42 downloadsAutomatically brings the window to front when modals or notices appear in the background.
- Overview
- Scorecard
- Updates13
English | 中文
Description
When Obsidian is in the background and a modal or notice appears, this plugin automatically brings the window to the foreground. Zero configuration needed — install, enable, and it just works. Optionally filter by keywords and watch scope to trigger only on specific content.
Desktop only (Windows / macOS / Linux). Requires Electron APIs for window management.
Key features
- Auto bring-to-front: When Obsidian is in the background, automatically brings the window to front on new modals or notices
- Keyword filtering: Optional comma-separated keywords to trigger only on specific content
- Flexible watch scope: Monitor modals, notices, both, or custom CSS selectors
- Cooldown protection: Configurable minimum focus interval to avoid focus thrashing
- Bilingual UI: Full English/Chinese support with auto detection
Installation
Method 1: Obsidian community plugins (recommended)
- Open Settings -> Community plugins
- Make sure Restricted mode is off, then click Browse
- Search for "Bring to Front" and click Install
- Click Enable
Or install directly from the community plugin page.
Method 2: Manual installation
Download the latest release from GitHub Releases
Extract the downloaded files
Copy the plugin folder to your vault's plugins directory:
YourVault/.obsidian/plugins/bring-to-front/Restart Obsidian or reload plugins
Enable the plugin in Settings -> Community plugins
Configuration
Open Settings -> Community plugins -> Bring to Front.
Settings
| Setting | Description | Default | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Language | Interface language | Auto-detect | Auto / English / 中文 |
| Keywords | Comma-separated keywords to filter triggers, case-insensitive (empty = match all) | Empty | Any text |
| Watch scope | Which DOM elements to monitor | Modals & notices | Modals / Notices / Both / Custom |
| Custom CSS selector | Custom selector (only when scope = Custom) | Empty | Valid CSS selector |
| Focus cooldown | Minimum seconds between focus actions (0 = no cooldown) | 5 seconds | >= 0 |
| Debug mode | Log matching details to console | Disabled | On / Off |
Usage examples
| Use case | Keywords | Watch scope |
|---|---|---|
| Any modal/notice | (leave empty) | Both |
| Reminder popup | Snooze, Done |
Modals |
| Error alerts | error, failed |
Notices |
| Specific plugin | (leave empty) | Custom: [data-type="my-plugin"] |
Tips
- Shorter focus cooldown (1-30 s) = for frequent triggers
- Longer focus cooldown (>= 120 s) = less intrusive
How it works
- MutationObserver: Watches the DOM in real time for new elements matching the configured scope
- Keyword matching: If keywords are configured, the element's text content is checked against them
- Cooldown check: Ensures minimum interval between consecutive focus actions
- Bring to front: Raises the Obsidian window via Electron APIs (restore, show, alwaysOnTop trick, focus)
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Possible Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Too frequent focusing | Focus cooldown too short | Increase focus cooldown |
| Not detecting | Wrong scope or keywords | Check settings; try empty keywords with "Both" scope |
| Language not switching | Cache/reload issue | Restart Obsidian after changing language |
Debug steps
- Enable debug mode in settings
- Open devtools console (Ctrl+Shift+I)
- Trigger the condition you expect to match
- Check console for
[Bring to Front]log messages - Verify the CSS selector matches by running
document.querySelector("your-selector")in console
Development
git clone https://github.com/rockbenben/bring-obsidian-to-front.git
cd bring-obsidian-to-front
npm install
npm run dev # Dev build with hot reload
npm run build # Production build
License
MIT
Support
If you encounter any issues or have suggestions, please open an issue on GitHub.