Variable Links

Variable Links is an Obsidian plugin for creating reusable pointers to values in your vault.

A Variable Link can display a value you enter directly or the current value of a property in another note. Insert the same variable anywhere, then update its source once instead of finding and replacing every copy.

Project owner: {{project_owner}}

Variable Links can also open a related note when clicked and show a customizable Info Card when hovered.

Features

• Create reusable variables backed by fixed text or a note property.
• Insert variables from editor suggestions, favorites, commands, or context menus.
• Search suggestions using parts of a variable name, file, property, or resolved value.
• Capture the current date or time as a named Variable Link.
• Change the displayed letter case for one token without changing its saved value.
• Open a chosen note when a displayed variable is clicked.
• Rename variables and update their known tokens throughout the vault.
• Style displayed values with bold, italic, underline, highlight, color, and opacity controls.
• Build hover Info Cards with notes, properties, tables, dividers, links, and grouped sections.
• Generate and maintain Variable Links for files or folders with Autolink profiles.
• Search, sort, rename, or delete Variable Links from a workspace Management Center.
• Customize the characters used around Variable Link tokens.

Quick start

Open the Command Palette and run Variable Links: Open Variable Properties. Choose or create a variable, then select one of the two value types:

• Fixed value — enter the displayed value directly. You may also choose a file for the variable to open.
• Property value — link to a property using [[File path]]#property. The displayed value follows the property in that note.

For example, if People/John Smith.md contains:

---
company: Acme Corporation
---

Create a Property value variable named customer and set its Property link to:

[[People/John Smith]]#company

Then insert:

Customer: {{customer}}

The displayed result is Customer: Acme Corporation. If the property changes, the displayed variable changes with it.

Creating and inserting variables

Type {{ in the editor to open suggestions. The list includes existing Variable Links and properties found across your vault.

• Enter multiple search terms to narrow results across variable names, display names, files, and properties. For example, enter a few letters from a filename followed by part of a property name.
• Begin the search with * to find existing variables by their current displayed value.
• Choose an existing variable to insert it.
• Choose a note property to create a new property-backed variable and insert it. Properties already linked elsewhere remain available but appear lower in the results.
• Press Tab or Enter to complete a supported creation expression.

You can create named variables directly while typing:

{{Status=FIXED:"In progress"}}
{{Owner=PROPERTY:[[People/John Smith]]#name}}

Leaving out the value or property opens the Variable Properties panel with the name already filled in:

{{Status=FIXED}}
{{Owner=PROPERTY}}

Variable names in creation expressions cannot contain spaces.

Capturing a date or time

DATE, TIME, and DATETIME capture the current moment and save it as a normal fixed-value Variable Link. The captured value does not keep changing afterward.

{{DATE}}
{{Started=TIME:hh:mm A}}
{{Published=DATETIME:YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm}}

An unnamed shortcut creates a name from the first five letters or numbers of the current filename, the shortcut type, and a counter, such as Proje_Date_01.

All three shortcuts support the same date-and-time format language; they differ only in their default formats and automatic names. Open the Syntax Settings tab and select the question-mark help beside the formats for a complete token reference and live preview.

Changing the displayed text case

Add a matching marker around a variable name to change only that token's displayed capitalization:

{{.customer.}}       Lowercase first letter
{{..customer..}}     lowercase all
{{'customer'}}       Uppercase first letter
{{''customer''}}     Capitalize each word
{{'''customer'''}}   UPPERCASE ALL

The same choices are available from the token context menu, and each variable can have a saved default text case in the Variable Properties panel.

Context menu

Right-click in the Markdown editor and open the Variable Links submenu to:

• Open a variable in the Properties panel.
• Favorite or unfavorite the selected variable.
• Insert a favorite or any configured variable.
• Switch a complete token to another variable.
• Change the displayed text case for a token.
• Copy selected Markdown, or one right-clicked token, with resolved values and portable formatting.

Insert actions are disabled while the cursor is already inside a Variable Link token.

Variable Properties panel

The panel has Link and Card tabs beneath the Variable Link Properties heading.

Link

Use the Link tab to manage:

• Variable name and favorite status.
• Fixed value or Property value type.
• Property link and its current linked value.
• File link opened when the variable is clicked.
• Display name and default text case.
• Bold, italic, decoration, color, and opacity.

Supported text, number, and true/false property values can be edited directly from the panel. Changing a variable's type requires confirmation, and its saved information is retained if you switch back later.

When you rename a variable, known tokens in Markdown notes are updated automatically. Tokens inside inline code, fenced code blocks, and other non-prose Markdown remain raw and are not rendered as values.

Card

Use the Card tab to configure the Info Card shown when the variable is hovered. You can keep the original simple card fields or enable Use block layout editor for the Card Designer.

Info Cards

The original editor provides a straightforward title, note, field list, and source link. The Card Designer supports more detailed layouts made from:

• Titles
• Notes with Markdown
• Individual properties
• Multi-column property tables
• Dividers
• Source links
• Stack containers that group related items

Cards can use a vertical Stack layout or a responsive Grid with one to four columns. You can adjust spacing, maximum width, padding, corner radius, border, shadow, background, alignment, and optional CSS classes.

The Card Designer also includes starter layouts, drag-and-drop and arrow controls, editable item names, collapsible sections, a live preview, Undo history, restore actions, and appearance copy-and-paste between compatible items.

Stack containers can arrange their contents vertically or horizontally. They may contain normal card items, but not another Stack container.

Referencing properties in cards

Use a property name to read from the variable's source note:

email

Add :Display name to provide a custom label:

email:Email address

Reference a property in another note with:

[[Projects/Launch Plan]]#due

You can also add a custom label:

[[Projects/Launch Plan]]#due:Project due date

Autolink profiles

Autolink profiles create and maintain property-backed Variable Links for one file or every matching note in a folder. Configure them under Settings → Variable Links → Autolink.

Each profile can define:

• An exact file or folder scope, with optional subfolders.
• The property whose value should be displayed.
• A naming pattern for generated Variable Links.
• An optional file-link property and Card field list.
• A starter Info Card layout.
• Whether matching notes may override the profile through frontmatter properties.

Preview a profile before applying it. Apply safe changes creates non-conflicting links and safely refreshes fields still managed by the profile. Replacing an existing same-name Variable Link requires separately enabling overwrite and confirming Apply all.

When a profile's Card-property list changes, you can separately update property references in existing Cards without renaming their Variable Links or replacing the rest of each Card design.

Deleting a profile does not delete Variable Links it previously created.

Naming patterns

Autolink profiles and mass rename share a flexible naming-pattern format. Select the question-mark help beside a Name pattern field for the complete reference.

Common placeholders include:

{filename}     Source filename
{path}         Source path without .md
{folder}       Source folder
{property}     Linked property name
{property:ID}  Value of the ID property
{profile}      Autolink profile name
##             Zero-padded counter: 01, 02, 03

Patterns can also select or reorder words and characters, count backward from the end, and replace literal text.

Management Center

Open the Variable links management center from the left ribbon or Command Palette. It opens as a normal Obsidian workspace tab.

Use it to:

• Search and sort the registry.
• Filter by variable type, ownership, or Autolink profile.
• Open one variable's settings or delete it.
• Select a range with Shift-click.
• Delete selected variables, optionally replacing their tokens with the current displayed values.
• Preview and apply mass renames using a prefix, suffix, find-and-replace, or naming pattern.
• Reapply an Autolink profile's current naming pattern to its managed variables.
• Limit the visible list to 20, 50, 100, 250, or all entries.

Rename and delete actions show a confirmation preview before changing the registry or notes.

Hover and appearance

Info Cards work in Reading View and Live Preview. Their hover delays are configured separately in the Cards Settings tab, and Live Preview cards can be disabled globally or for an individual variable.

Cards open near the pointer, stay within the visible Obsidian window, and close when the pointer leaves or focus moves elsewhere.

The Appearance Settings tab provides defaults for displayed variables, including bold, italic, underline or highlight, color, and opacity. Individual variables can inherit these defaults or keep their own appearance. Six reusable color swatches are available, and colors support opacity.

Token format and migration

The Syntax Settings tab lets you replace the default {{ prefix and }} suffix if they conflict with another plugin or writing format. Variable Links keeps recognized older formats available unless you explicitly stop recognizing them.

When changing the active format, you can use it only for new tokens or preview and migrate verified existing tokens. Test custom characters carefully because some combinations overlap Markdown or Obsidian syntax.

Live Preview editing

In Live Preview, a Variable Link normally displays its resolved value. Move the caret into it to reveal and edit the original token:

{{customer}}

Settings

Variable Links settings are organized into five tabs:

• General — registry and cache tools.
• Syntax — token characters, captured date/time formats, and migration.
• Appearance — default text styling and reusable colors.
• Cards — Info Card behavior and hover timing.
• Autolink — profile creation, previews, and synchronization.

Question-mark buttons open focused help for options that need more explanation.

Installation

Download main.js, manifest.json, and styles.css from the matching version on the Releases page.

Copy the files into:

.obsidian/plugins/variable-links/

Reload Obsidian, then enable Variable Links under Settings → Community plugins.

AI development disclosure

Variable Links was made almost entirely with AI-generated code and documentation, guided, tested, and reviewed through human direction and feedback.

License

Variable Links is open-source software released under the MIT License.