ClingNote

Notes that follow your work. Attach Obsidian notes to the Windows files, folders, apps and web pages you work in, and ClingNote brings the right note back when you return to that work.

Windows only. ClingNote needs a small separate Windows program, the ClingNote companion, to know which file, app or web page is in front. The plugin never downloads, installs or starts it for you.

What it does

• Contexts: a context is a Windows file, folder, app window or browser page (Chrome, Edge, Brave, Vivaldi). Each context can have a Main note and any number of secondary notes. One note can belong to several contexts, and notes can stay unattached.
• A native sidebar lists every context with its notes. Rename contexts, give them an icon, search, collapse, and drag and drop notes to attach, move, re-order or promote a note to Main.
• Automatic switching (Pro): when you switch to an attached context, ClingNote opens its Main note. Pause or resume following any time; private/incognito browser windows pause it automatically.
• Your notes are never changed. Attaching only stores a link inside the plugin's own data. Detaching, or an expired license, never deletes or edits a note.

Pro is a $20 one-time payment with lifetime access and no subscription (existing monthly and annual licenses keep working). One license also unlocks ClingNote for Windows and works on up to four activations shared across both apps. A 14-day free trial of Pro is available, one per computer (shared with ClingNote for Windows); it starts only when you press Start trial. No card needed.

Requirements

• Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit) and Obsidian 1.14.4 or newer (desktop only; mobile is not supported).
• The ClingNote companion for Windows (free). It installs for your user only, needs no administrator rights, and runs quietly in the notification area.

Install and connect

1. Install the plugin: Settings, Community plugins, Browse, search ClingNote, Install, then Enable.
2. Install the companion: download the setup from https://clingnote.com/obsidian and run it (its publisher shows as Troy Burch; the file is code-signed). Leave Start the ClingNote companion ticked.
3. Connect: the plugin connects by itself (Settings, ClingNote shows Connected, and the status bar stops saying Disconnected). If the sidebar says Companion not installed, use the Download companion link in the sidebar; if it says installed but not running, start ClingNote for Obsidian from the Start menu and press Retry.
4. Use it: open a file, app or web page, open an Obsidian note, then use the note's link icon (or the sidebar + button) to attach it. The first note you attach becomes Main.

License and trial

Open Settings, ClingNote, License & Pro. There you can Start 14-day trial, paste your license key and Activate, Deactivate (frees one of your four activations), and Refresh. License keys are never stored in your vault; the companion keeps a signed license in Windows-protected storage. An active license keeps working offline until its signed period ends and renews itself when you are online.

Privacy, network use and disclosures

• No telemetry, no analytics, no ads, no account.
• The plugin talks only to the companion on 127.0.0.1 (your own computer). It also opens a link in your browser when you click Download companion or Get ClingNote Pro, and opens attached files, folders or web pages when you ask it to.
• The companion (separate Windows program) reads the title, path or address of the window you are using to recognise contexts. This stays on your computer; it is not sent anywhere. Private browsing windows are not recorded.
• Licensing network access: only the companion contacts the ClingNote licensing service over HTTPS, and only when you start a trial, activate or deactivate a license, press Refresh, or (automatically) to renew a license close to expiry. It sends a one-way hash of your computer identifier (trial), a random per-installation ID, and your license key (activation only). It never sends note contents, file names, paths, URLs, window titles or context identifiers.
• Files outside your vault: the plugin reads the companion's connection file in %LOCALAPPDATA%\ClingNote.Context and file attributes of attached files (to open or reveal them safely). Your notes and vault stay where they are.
• Closed-source component: the companion is proprietary freeware and is not part of this repository. This plugin is open source (MIT, see LICENSE). Payment is optional: the plugin works for free as described above.

Troubleshooting

• Not connected / "Companion not installed": install the companion, then Retry.
• "Installed but not running": start ClingNote for Obsidian from the Start menu.
• "Connection interrupted": the companion was closed or restarted; the plugin reconnects by itself, or press Retry.
• "Not compatible": install the latest companion.
• Excel, Word and Power BI contexts are recognised by window title, so two files with the same title can be confused. Windows Explorer, Notepad, other apps and browser pages are matched more precisely.

Support

Questions or problems: [email protected], or open an issue in this repository.

Building from source

npm ci, npm test, npm run build produce main.js (tests use Node's built-in runner; no network access is needed). Release assets are main.js, manifest.json and styles.css.

License

Plugin source: MIT (see LICENSE). The ClingNote companion and ClingNote for Windows are separate proprietary products.