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How to Make a Template in Obsidian

Lee Stanton June 19, 2023

Obsidian is a free note-taking tool that runs on all major systems and can manage notes and projects in a modern, professional way. One of the best ways to take advantage of the tool is to create your own templates to give consistent structure to your notes. This article will tell you everything you need to know about Obsidian templates.

Creating Obsidian Templates

Sometimes it’s helpful to have a pre-defined structure in your notes. This is where a template comes in handy. Follow these steps to set up your system and make your own Obsidian template:

Begin with Setting Up Template Storage

Because Obsidian doesn’t come with built-in templates and folders, you will have to create a folder to make storing your templates easy and organized. It’s simple using the following steps:

Open the Obsidian app.
From the top left menu, select “Create New Folder.”
Name the folder “Templates” or whatever name you prefer.
Click on the “Settings” menu (the cog icon).
Select the “Templates” section.
Direct the “Template Folder Location” to your new templates folder.

Now Obsidian is ready to store any original templates you create! You can also store any templates you find online in this folder for use.

Enabling Templates Plug In

Before you use a template, you must also enable them. Follow these steps to set up Obsidian to use templates.

Open the Obsidian app.
Click on the “Settings” menu (the cog icon).
Select “Core plugins.”
Scroll down to the “Templates” section.
Ensure that the “Templates” and “Command Palette” features are both enabled.

Creating a Template

Now it’s time to create your first template.

Open the Obsidian app.
Open a new note, which will be blank. To create a new note, click on the plus sign.
Format the note in the design that you want for a template.
Save the note with the extension “.template” to save a new template for future use.

Any time you open a new note, you can now choose this template from the menu to use for that note.

Using Obsidian Templates

Now that you have created a new template and have it stored in the right place, it’s time to use it. Follow these steps to import your template into your next note.

Open the Obsidian app.
Open the “Command Palette.”
Type “Template” to begin your search.
Select “Insert template.”
Choose your preferred template.

Your template will be added to the current note, and you can begin to use it.

As you become more familiar with Obsidian, a shortcut to inserting templates is:

Click “Insert template.”
Select the template you want to insert into the current note. It will be inserted at your cursor location.

Experiment with template ideas and see what creative things you can add to your Obsidian notes.

When to Use a Template

Templates can be used in many situations to save time and effort. Here are a few of the best ways to use Obsidian templates.

Note Taking

Templates are a great way to organize your daily notes. Using a note-taking template maintains consistency across your notes no matter when they are written. If you want to divide them into specific sections or use particular headings to organize your notes, these can be created on a template to keep you from having to enter them every time create a specific note.

Data Collection

When using Obsidian to store data you have collected, such as recipes or a list of the video games you own, use templates to set up the information so it can be easily compiled with other items in your collection of data. Storing information in a consistent pattern helps organize your data in helpful ways.

Organizing Lists

A template can ensure that the base text in one note matches the base text in another. For grocery lists or task lists, for instance, templates can give you the organizational structure you need to enter text in a useful order and save yourself time and effort.

Teamwork

When working on a project with a team, it’s important that every team member has the same form with which to work. Templates can ensure that each person is working with the same structure for their notes or project.

Reference Note Taking

When using Obsidian to take notes for writing or for references, templates can help to separate the information you need from each source. Using bold headings for different sections, you can keep the information from your sources, such as title and authors, organized clearly.

Project Management

Obsidian is extremely useful in business applications for note-taking or project management. A template can give a professional feel that is consistent and quickly set up. Templates are also useful if you ask for input from co-workers and would like to format how that input will be received for easier compilation. Projects are easier to manage with a consistent setup for your notes.

Where to Find Pre-Made Templates for Obsidian

You can search the internet to see what kinds of Obsidian templates other people have created. Many templates can be found on the Obsidian website. Obsidian users also have a presence on social media sites such as Discord and Facebook where they share template ideas. You can also search for Obsidian forums both for templates and general help using Obsidian.

Using Variables in Templates

Obsidian gives users the option to insert variables into templates. These are bits of text that are dynamic, changing and updating automatically. For instance, using {{time}} in your Obsidian template will update the placeholder with the current time. Using {{Date}} will dynamically update the date, and {{title}} will be replaced in the text with the title of the note. Variables are another tool to save time as you organize your notes.

Obsidian Templates

Obsidian is a powerful tool in personal and professional arenas and can help improve efficiency and organization. Creating your own templates will customize the tool to the exact format that you need.

What Obsidian templates have you made? How have these templates improved your personal or work life? Share your tips and ideas in the comments section below.

How to Make a Template in Obsidian