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Version: Next 🚧

Trigger QuickAdd from outside Obsidian

You can trigger QuickAdd from launchers, scripts, schedulers, and dashboard notes - no extra plugins needed. There are two built-in ways in:

  • The obsidian://quickadd URI, for anything that can open a link.
  • The Obsidian CLI, for anything that runs a shell command, such as a scheduled job.

You do not need the Advanced URI plugin to run a QuickAdd choice.

Prepare the choice​

Before you automate a choice:

  1. Give the choice a unique name. URI triggers select by choice name, and if more than one choice has that name, QuickAdd runs the first match it finds.
  2. Use named values for anything you want to pass from outside Obsidian, for example {{VALUE:entry}} or {{VALUE:project}}.
  3. Keep prompts out of scheduled jobs where possible. Scheduled jobs work best when every required value is passed up front.

Using the Obsidian CLI, you can list choices to confirm names and IDs:

obsidian vault="My Vault" quickadd:list

Native URI syntax​

Use this URI shape:

obsidian://quickadd?choice=<encoded choice name>[&value-<name>=<encoded value>]

Example:

obsidian://quickadd?vault=My%20Vault&choice=Daily%20log&value-entry=Finished%20review

The URI parameters are:

  • choice - the exact choice name to run. Encode spaces and special characters, for example Daily log becomes Daily%20log.
  • value-<name> - sets a named QuickAdd value. value-entry=Done fills {{VALUE:entry}}; value-log%20notes=Done fills {{VALUE:log notes}}.
  • vault - the Obsidian vault selector. This is handled by Obsidian before QuickAdd receives the URI.

Values are used exactly as passed. If a choice should ignore accidental leading or trailing whitespace for a value, use |trim in the choice format, for example {{VALUE:entry|trim}}.

Unnamed values such as bare {{VALUE}}, {{NAME}}, and {{MVALUE}} cannot be filled by URI parameters. QuickAdd prompts for them inside Obsidian as usual.

For the full URI reference, including callback URLs such as x-success and x-error, see Open QuickAdd from a URI. Callback support is opt-in and has extra restrictions that ordinary triggers do not need.

Desktop shortcuts​

Any desktop shortcut or launcher that can open a URL can open obsidian://quickadd.

macOS​

Use Shortcuts with an Open URLs action, or run:

/usr/bin/open 'obsidian://quickadd?vault=My%20Vault&choice=Daily%20log'

If you use a shell command, quote the whole URI. The & character has special meaning in shells unless it is quoted.

Windows​

For a desktop shortcut target or launcher command, use:

cmd.exe /c start "" "obsidian://quickadd?vault=My%20Vault&choice=Daily%20log"

The empty "" is intentional. In cmd.exe start, the first quoted string is the window title, not the command to run.

Linux​

Use xdg-open from a desktop session:

xdg-open 'obsidian://quickadd?vault=My%20Vault&choice=Daily%20log'

For a .desktop launcher, put the command in a small shell script and point Exec at that script. This avoids desktop-file escaping problems with the percent signs in URL-encoded values:

#!/usr/bin/env sh
xdg-open 'obsidian://quickadd?vault=My%20Vault&choice=Daily%20log'
[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=Daily log
Exec=/home/alice/bin/quickadd-daily-log
Terminal=false

Run QuickAdd on a schedule​

QuickAdd does not include a background scheduler. Use your operating system's scheduler to run Obsidian's native CLI command.

Scheduled jobs should use quickadd:run:

obsidian vault="My Vault" quickadd:run choice="Daily log" value-entry="Scheduled check"

By default, quickadd:run is non-interactive. If the choice is missing required inputs, QuickAdd returns JSON with missingFlags instead of opening prompts. Run quickadd:check while building the automation to see what still needs to be passed. See QuickAdd CLI for the full command reference.

obsidian vault="My Vault" quickadd:check choice="Daily log"

If you intentionally want Obsidian prompts, add ui, but only do this for jobs that run while you are logged in and able to answer the prompts:

obsidian vault="My Vault" quickadd:run choice="Daily log" ui

Use full paths in schedulers. They usually do not load the same PATH as your terminal.

macOS launchd​

Use the full path from command -v obsidian. In a launchd plist, pass each argument as its own string:

<key>ProgramArguments</key>
<array>
  <string>/opt/homebrew/bin/obsidian</string>
  <string>vault=My Vault</string>
  <string>quickadd:run</string>
  <string>choice=Daily log</string>
  <string>value-entry=Scheduled check</string>
</array>

Depending on your install, the Obsidian CLI path may be /usr/local/bin/obsidian instead.

Windows Task Scheduler​

Use Obsidian.com, not Obsidian.exe, for CLI commands:

Program/script:
C:\Users\alice\AppData\Local\Obsidian\Obsidian.com

Arguments:
vault="My Vault" quickadd:run choice="Daily log" value-entry="Scheduled check"

For a scheduled URI action instead, run:

Program/script:
cmd.exe

Arguments:
/c start "" "obsidian://quickadd?vault=My%20Vault&choice=Daily%20log"

URI actions need a logged-in desktop session. In Task Scheduler, use "Run only when user is logged on" for URL-opening tasks.

Linux cron or systemd user timers​

Use the full CLI path:

0 9 * * * /home/alice/.local/bin/obsidian vault="My Vault" quickadd:run choice="Daily log" value-entry="Scheduled check"

Run GUI-related jobs only from your user desktop session. If a cron job cannot reach your desktop session, prefer a systemd user timer or run the command from your desktop environment's scheduler.

Plain Markdown links work well for dashboard notes:

[New idea](obsidian://quickadd?vault=My%20Vault&choice=New%20idea)
[Log work](obsidian://quickadd?vault=My%20Vault&choice=Work%20log&value-project=QuickAdd)

Clicking the link runs the choice.

If you use a button plugin for styling, configure it to open the same obsidian://quickadd URI. Another QuickAdd-native option is to enable the command toggle on the choice, then configure the button to run the generated Obsidian command for that choice.

Troubleshooting​

  • Nothing happens: make sure QuickAdd is enabled in the selected vault and that the choice name is encoded and spelled exactly.
  • The wrong choice runs: rename choices so the externally triggered choice name is unique.
  • A scheduled run returns JSON instead of capturing: the choice still needs input. Copy each entry from the returned missingFlags into your command and replace <value> with the value you want to pass.
  • The command works in a terminal but not from a scheduler: use the full path to the Obsidian CLI and make sure the job runs in your user desktop session.
  • An older thread suggests obsidian://advanced-uri?...: replace it with obsidian://quickadd?.... QuickAdd has its own URI handler.