simply-scroll-next

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An Obsidian plugin that remembers how far you scrolled in each Markdown file and takes you back there when you open the file again. Only the scroll position is recorded, not the cursor position. No flickering, no jumping.

This is a fork of Simply Scroll by HornatX, which is no longer maintained. It uses a new plugin id, simply-scroll-next, and is installed and released independently of the original. I will keep maintaining it. Issues and PRs are welcome for any problems you run into.

• Minimum Obsidian version: 0.15.0 (not tested on older versions, but it should work in theory)
• Platforms: Desktop and mobile (isDesktopOnly: false)
• Settings: none; it works as soon as it is enabled
• License: MIT

✨ Features

• 📍 Scroll restore: records the scroll position of each Markdown file, in Reading view and while editing, and restores it the next time the file is opened from the file explorer, the quick switcher and so on
• 🫥 Seamless cloaking: the note stays hidden while the position is applied and then fades in, so you don't see it jump from the top
• 🎯 Focus suppression: the editor is kept unfocused while the position is applied, so it can't grab focus and cause a second jump
• 🔗 Jump targets win (fixed in simply-scroll-next): when Obsidian opens a file at a specific place (a heading or block link, a search result, back/forward navigation), or navigates within the same file, the plugin leaves positioning to Obsidian
• 🧹 Self-cleaning data: renaming a file moves its record, deleting a file removes it, and records of files that no longer exist are removed when the plugin loads

🚀 Installation

simply-scroll-next and the original plugin (simply-scroll) can't be enabled at the same time. Disable the original plugin before using this one.

From Community plugins (recommended)

1. In Obsidian, open Settings → Community plugins and click Browse
2. Search for simply-scroll-next (by QuincyLeo)
3. Click Install, then Enable

Manual install

<Your Vault>/.obsidian/plugins/simply-scroll-next/
├── main.js
├── manifest.json
└── styles.css

1. Create the directory .obsidian/plugins/simply-scroll-next/ inside your vault
2. Run npm install in the repo root
3. Edit TARGET_DIR at the top of build.sh to point at the directory above, then run ./build.sh. It bundles via esbuild and copies main.js / manifest.json / styles.css for you
4. Enable the plugin in Obsidian under Settings → Community plugins

🖱️ Usage

There is nothing to configure or trigger:

1. Scroll through any Markdown file, in Reading view or while editing. The position is recorded automatically.
2. Open another file, then come back. The view returns to where you left off.

🏗️ How it works

• Recording: a capture-phase scroll listener on window handles .cm-scroller, .markdown-reading-view and .markdown-preview-view. While you scroll, it stores currentMode.getScroll() under the file path at most every 300 ms. data.json is written at most every 2 s, and immediately when the active leaf changes, when a recorded file is renamed or deleted, and on unload.
• Restoring: the plugin wraps WorkspaceLeaf.prototype.setViewState. When a Markdown file with a saved position is opened without a jump target, and the leaf isn't already showing that file, it passes the saved position as scroll in the ephemeral state, drops line and cursor, and sets focus: false.
• Cloaking: before the file loads, the view's content gets simply-scroll-hiding (opacity 0) and the view container gets simply-scroll-cloaked (cursor and selection hidden). After it loads, the plugin keeps re-applying the position and removing focus: every frame for 600 ms while Obsidian is starting up, otherwise every 5 ms for 20 ms (with a 200 ms fallback). Then the content fades in over 50 ms.
• Cleanup: once the layout is ready, records of files that no longer exist are removed.

⚠️ Known limitations

• Only Markdown views are handled; positions in PDF, Canvas and other views are not recorded.
• According to the original author, positions within roughly the first 10 lines of a file are not remembered; positions further down are.
• When a file with a saved position opens, its content stays hidden while the position is applied. The original author estimates this makes opening about 40 ms slower, which some people notice.

🧱 Code layout

simply-scroll-next/
├── manifest.json      # Plugin metadata
├── main.js            # esbuild output; the file Obsidian loads (not committed)
├── styles.css         # Cloaking styles; install it alongside main.js
├── package.json       # Build / check scripts
├── tsconfig.json      # TypeScript settings
├── build.sh           # One-shot build + copy to a target vault plugin dir
│
├── src/
│   └── main.ts        # Plugin source: scroll recording, setViewState wrapper, data cleanup
│
├── pics/
│   └── demo.gif       # Demo used in the README
│
├── LICENSE            # MIT
└── README.md / README.zh-CN.md

🛠️ Development notes

• Bundled build: source lives in src/, and npm run build (esbuild) bundles it into the root main.js. obsidian, electron and @codemirror/* are marked external
• One-shot build + distribute: after editing TARGET_DIR at the top of build.sh, running it does npm run build and copies main.js / manifest.json / styles.css into the target vault's plugin directory
• package.json scripts:
  • npm run build — esbuild bundle
  • npm run check — build + node --check main.js (syntax self-check)

📄 License

MIT © 2026 HornatX (original Simply Scroll), © 2026 QuincyLeo (Quincy-Leo)

See LICENSE for details.