URL Preview

A plugin for Obsidian that shows a preview of external URLs on hover without leaving Obsidian. Works in Editor, Live Preview, and Reader modes.

Features

• Hold a configurable modifier key (⌘, Control, Alt, or Shift) + hover to preview URLs
• Works in all view modes (Editor, Live Preview, Reader)
• Works in secondary Obsidian windows/popouts
• Clean interface that matches Obsidian's theme
• Press ESC to dismiss the preview window
• Customize preview window size, hover delay until it appears, mouse sensitivity tolerance
• Resize preview window by dragging edges or corners
  • Toolbar button to quickly expand or restore the preview size
  • Accent-colored border highlight on resize handle hover (uses Obsidian's accent color)
  • Live size indicator showing dimensions during resize
  • Optionally persist resized dimensions across previews
• Preview controls live in a toolbar above the content, so they do not cover the page being previewed
• Loading spinner near cursor during hover delay
• Smart keyboard trigger suppression while editing (prevents unwanted popups)
• Pending preview auto-cancelled if modifier keys are released or mouse leaves link

Installation

1. Open Obsidian Settings
2. Go to Community Plugins and disable Safe Mode
3. Click Browse and search for "URL Preview"
4. Install the plugin and enable it

Settings

• Require Modifier Key: Only show preview when holding a modifier key (enabled by default)
• Modifier Keys: Choose which keys to hold (Command, Control, Alt, Shift — can combine multiple)
• Close on Key Release: Close preview when modifier key is released
• Sticky Popup: Keep preview open until ESC or click outside
• Show Open in Browser Button: Show a button to open the URL in the default browser
• Show Close Button: Show a button to close the preview popup
• Hover Delay: How long to wait before showing the preview (in milliseconds)
• Mouse Stillness Delay: Time the mouse must be stationary before showing preview
• Maximum Height / Width: Maximum dimensions of the preview window (in pixels)
• Allow Resize: Enable drag-to-resize on preview edges and corners
• Persist Resize: Remember resized dimensions for future previews (with reset button)

Usage

Hold your modifier key (⌘ on Mac, Ctrl on Windows/Linux by default) and hover over any external link to see a preview.

Limitations

Some websites block iframe embedding and cannot be previewed. This is a browser security restriction that cannot be bypassed.

Support

If you encounter issues or have suggestions, please file them on the GitHub repository.

Changelog

See CHANGELOG.md for release history.

License

MIT. See LICENSE.