Sequencer

Sequencer helps you move through a set of notes in a fixed order. It stores the order with two frontmatter properties, prev and next, so your notes stay normal Markdown files and the sequence remains easy to inspect or edit by hand.

Use it for reading lists, lesson notes, project logs, daily workflows, drafts, or any folder where "previous" and "next" are more useful than a loose collection of links.

How It Works

Each note can point to the note before it and the note after it:

---
prev: "[[Chapter 1]]"
next: "[[Chapter 3]]"
---

When a note has either prev or next, Sequencer adds previous and next arrow buttons to the note header. Click an arrow to open the linked note, or Ctrl-click/Cmd-click to open it in a new tab.

Getting Started

1. Open the first note in your sequence.
2. Run Sequencer: Insert note after current note from the command palette.
3. Choose an existing note, or type a new note name to create one.
4. Move to the next note and repeat until the sequence is complete.

Sequencer writes the matching links needed to keep the chain connected. For example, inserting Chapter 2 after Chapter 1 adds next: "[[Chapter 2]]" to Chapter 1 and prev: "[[Chapter 1]]" to Chapter 2.

Commands

Insert Note Before Current Note

Command palette name: Sequencer: Insert note before current note

Opens a note picker and inserts the chosen note immediately before the current note. Sequencer updates the chosen note, the current note, and the previous neighbor so the chain stays connected.

If the chosen note does not exist yet, type its name in the picker to create it.

Insert Note After Current Note

Command palette name: Sequencer: Insert note after current note

Opens a note picker and inserts the chosen note immediately after the current note. Sequencer updates the current note, the chosen note, and the next neighbor so the chain stays connected.

If the chosen note does not exist yet, type its name in the picker to create it.

Delete Current Note From Sequence

Command palette name: Sequencer: Delete current note from sequence

Deletes the current note and reconnects its previous and next notes. Sequencer asks for confirmation by default, and the confirmation dialog includes an option not to ask again.

Remove Current Note From Sequence

Command palette name: Sequencer: Remove current note from sequence

Removes the current note from the sequence without deleting the file. Sequencer clears the current note's prev and next properties, then reconnects the previous and next notes around it.

Unlink Current Note From Sequence

Command palette name: Sequencer: Unlink current note from sequence

Does the same thing as Remove current note from sequence. This alias exists so the command is easier to find by either term.

Navigation

Sequencer shows arrow buttons in the note header when the open note has sequence frontmatter:

• Previous arrow: opens the note in prev
• Next arrow: opens the note in next
• Ctrl-click or Cmd-click: opens the target note in a new tab

If a linked note cannot be found, Sequencer shows a notice instead of changing notes.

Settings

Create Reciprocal Links

When enabled, Sequencer keeps both sides of the relationship in sync while adding links. This is the recommended setting for most sequences.

Only Show Sibling Notes

When enabled, the note picker only suggests notes in the same folder as the current note. This keeps sequence-building focused when your vault has many notes.

Turn this off if your sequences often cross folder boundaries.

Repair Sequences When Deleting Notes

When enabled, Sequencer watches for normal Obsidian file deletes. If a deleted note had prev or next sequence links, Sequencer reconnects the neighboring notes automatically.

Confirm Sequence Note Deletion

When enabled, Delete current note from sequence asks before deleting the note. Turn this off if you want the command to delete and reconnect immediately.

Frontmatter Example

This sequence:

Chapter 1 <-> Chapter 2 <-> Chapter 3

is stored like this:

<!-- Chapter 1.md -->
---
next: "[[Chapter 2]]"
---

<!-- Chapter 2.md -->
---
prev: "[[Chapter 1]]"
next: "[[Chapter 3]]"
---

<!-- Chapter 3.md -->
---
prev: "[[Chapter 2]]"
---

Tips

• Keep each sequence in one folder if you want the note picker to stay compact.
• Use clear note names so the previous and next arrows are easy to follow.
• You can edit prev and next manually if you need to repair or reshape a sequence.