Note Name Generator
Robert Graf5 downloadsCreate or rename notes with a generated name: a random GUID, or the output of any external program that can read the note.
- Overview
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- Updates1
An Obsidian plugin that creates or renames notes with a generated name. Out of the box the name is a random GUID. Optionally, any external program can produce the name instead, reading the note's path and content, so the naming scheme is swappable without touching the plugin.
Why
Timestamp-named notes and GUID-renamers exist, but each hard-codes one scheme. This plugin separates when a name is needed (new note, rename) from how it is produced, and lets you delegate the "how" to a script of your choice.
Commands
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
| Create new note with generated name | Creates an empty note in Obsidian's default new-note location and opens it. |
| Rename current note with generated name | Runs the generator on the active note and renames it. Links to the note are updated. |
Bind them to hotkeys under Settings → Hotkeys.
How the name is produced
- If no generator command is configured, or the note is empty and Random GUID when note is empty is on,
a random UUID v4 is used (e.g.
3f1c9e2a-7b4d-4c8e-9a1f-2d6e8b0c4a7e). - Otherwise the configured shell command runs. Its first non-empty line of stdout becomes the name.
Characters not allowed in file names are stripped and a trailing
.mdis removed.
New notes are always empty, so with the default settings they always receive a GUID. Turn Random GUID when note is empty off if your generator should run even without content (for example a timestamp generator).
What the generator receives
| Channel | Content |
|---|---|
{{file}} placeholder |
absolute path of the note, quoted (empty for a new note) |
{{vaultPath}} placeholder |
vault-relative path, quoted (empty for a new note) |
NNG_FILE env var |
absolute path |
NNG_VAULT_PATH env var |
vault-relative path |
| stdin | note content (can be disabled in settings) |
The command runs through cmd.exe on Windows and /bin/sh elsewhere, so pipes and quoting work as in a terminal.
A non-zero exit code, a timeout, or empty output aborts the operation and shows the error as a notice.
Examples
Name the note after its first heading (PowerShell):
powershell -NoProfile -Command "$t=[Console]::In.ReadToEnd(); if($t -match '(?m)^#\s+(.+)$'){$Matches[1]}"
Zettelkasten timestamp (PowerShell, turn off Random GUID when note is empty):
powershell -NoProfile -Command "Get-Date -Format yyyyMMddHHmmss"
Python script that gets the path as an argument and the content on stdin:
python C:\tools\note_namer.py {{file}}
Taking over Obsidian's own "New note"
Obsidian's file explorer button, Ctrl+N, and plugins such as Tray's
global quick note all create notes through the same internal method. The plugin can hook it so every new note
gets a generated name, no matter where it was created from. The hook is removed when the plugin unloads.
| Mode | Behaviour |
|---|---|
| Off (default) | Only this plugin's own commands and ribbon icon generate names. |
| Untitled only | Replaces the name when none was given or it matches the Untitled pattern (Obsidian's localized default, e.g. Untitled 3, Unbenannt). Names chosen by other plugins are kept. |
| All | Always replaces the base name. Tray's quick note then gets a generated name instead of a date; its folder setting is still honoured. |
Daily notes are protected. The core Daily Notes plugin creates its notes through the same method, but their names follow a fixed scheme, so by default the hook leaves any note alone that lands in the daily-notes folder and whose name parses with the daily-notes date format. Turn Leave daily notes alone off if you really want them renamed. Note that a Tray quick note can only be told apart from a daily note if folder or date format differ.
If the generator fails, the originally requested name is used and the error is logged to the developer console.
Settings
| Setting | Default | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Name generator command | (empty) | Shell command; empty means built-in GUID |
| Pipe note content to stdin | on | Send note text to the generator |
| Random GUID when note is empty | on | Skip the generator for empty notes |
| Generator timeout (ms) | 10000 | Kill the generator after this long |
| Upper case | off | 3F1C9E2A-… instead of 3f1c9e2a-… |
| No hyphens | off | 3f1c9e2a7b4d… |
| Ribbon icon | on | Left-sidebar icon that creates a note with a generated name |
| Take over new-note creation | Off | See above |
| Untitled pattern | ^(Untitled|Unbenannt|…)( \d+)?$ |
Regex for names treated as "untitled" |
| Leave daily notes alone | on | Never rename core Daily Notes |
Installation
Requires Obsidian 1.13.0 or later.
From a release
Download main.js and manifest.json from the latest release and put them in
<vault>/.obsidian/plugins/note-name-generator/. Reload Obsidian and enable the plugin
under Settings → Community plugins.
With BRAT
Add this repository's URL in the BRAT plugin.
From source
npm install
npm run build # produces main.js in the repo root
npm run install:vault -- <vault> # copies main.js + manifest.json into the vault
For live development, set OBSIDIAN_PLUGINS_DIR to <vault>/.obsidian/plugins and run npm run dev;
the bundle is then written straight into the vault on every change.
Mobile
The plugin works in the mobile app (Android, iOS) with the built-in random GUID generator.
The external generator uses Node's child_process, which is only available in the desktop app;
on mobile a configured generator command is ignored and a random GUID is used instead.
Releasing
npm version 0.2.0 # bumps package.json, manifest.json, versions.json
git push --follow-tags # CI lints, builds and attaches main.js + manifest.json to the release
Run npm run lint first; it applies the same rules as the automated review of Obsidian's community directory.