12 Obsidian Plug-ins I *Actually* Use 🔗 **Source:** [12 Obsidian Plug-ins I *Actually* Use](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsRNv4xY1qo) > [!note]+ Document Notes > tags: [obsidian, productivity, note-taking, plugins, pkm] > author: Santi Younger > source: YouTube > reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsRNv4xY1qo > date created: 2024-12-20 14:30 > > # 🏷️ Title: 12 Obsidian Plug-ins I Actually Use > <!-- deep-read:sections start --> ## 🧰 Action Inbox - [H1] Install Calendar plugin for daily notes — better than native calendar #obsidian - [H2] Try Omnivore as free Readwise alternative — with sync quirks but functional #reading - [H3] Use Tag Wrangler for better tag organization — feels native to Obsidian #organization ## 🧭 Table of Contents - [📝 Summary](#-summary) - [📖 Main Content](#-main-content) - [🗒️ Notes](#️-notes) - [📚 References](#-references) - [🗣️ Paraphrase](#️-paraphrase) - [📰 Newsletter](#-newsletter) - [✅ Action Items](#-action-items) - [🧪 Hypotheses](#-hypotheses) - [📊 Methodology](#-methodology) - [❓ Questions](#-questions) - [🔮 Future Research](#-future-research) - [💡 Implications](#-implications) - [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#-learning-styles-assessment) - [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#-accessibility-assessment) - [🌍 DEIB Assessment](#-deib-assessment) - [✅ Logical Validity](#-logical-validity) - [🛡️ DARVO Analysis](#-darvo-analysis) - [🎯 Conclusion](#-conclusion) ### 🔗 References - [12 Obsidian Plug-ins I *Actually* Use](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsRNv4xY1qo) - [AnuPucchin Theme Settings](paste-bin-link-in-description) ## 📝 Summary - A practical review of 12 essential Obsidian plugins that enhance daily note-taking workflows - Focuses on plugins that add value without creating dependency or future-proofing concerns - Covers everything from calendar integration to theme customization and tag management - Author emphasizes choosing plugins that streamline work rather than fundamentally changing notes - Key insight: Balance functionality with sustainability by avoiding over-reliance on unmaintained plugins ## 📖 Main Content This video provides a curated list of Obsidian plugins that have proven valuable in daily use, organized alphabetically. The author takes a pragmatic approach, focusing on plugins that enhance productivity without creating excessive dependencies. Each plugin serves a specific purpose, from Calendar's daily note integration to Tag Wrangler's improved tag management. The selection emphasizes plugins that make note-taking more frictionless while maintaining future-proof workflows. Notable mentions include Omnivore as a free alternative to expensive read-later apps, and Style Settings for visual customization. The author advocates for thoughtful plugin selection, warning against over-reliance on plugins that could become unmaintained. ## 🗒️ Notes #### ⏱️ [00:00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsRNv4xY1qo?t=0) — [H1] Introduction: 12 daily-use plugins - Key idea: These are plugins actually used daily, not just installed and forgotten - Evidence: "These are the 12 plugins that I still have installed and use pretty much on a daily basis" #### ⏱️ [00:00:28](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsRNv4xY1qo?t=28) — [H2] Calendar by Liam Cain - Key idea: Essential for daily notes workflow with visual date navigation - Evidence: "One of the most well-known and most installed plugins in Obsidian" #### ⏱️ [00:02:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsRNv4xY1qo?t=135) — [H3] Chord Sheets for guitar tabs - Key idea: Niche plugin demonstrating Obsidian's specialized use cases - Evidence: "There truly is a plugin for everything" with chord transposition and autoscroll features #### ⏱️ [00:03:42](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsRNv4xY1qo?t=222) — [H2] Footnote Shortcuts for easy citations - Key idea: Streamlines academic writing with hotkey footnote insertion - Evidence: "I have mine set as CMD+A and it will automatically add a small 1 and move your cursor to the bottom" #### ⏱️ [00:04:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsRNv4xY1qo?t=275) — [H3] Hider for UI customization - Key idea: Declutters interface by hiding unused elements - Evidence: "I mainly use it to hide my vault name and to hide the toggle buttons on the sidebars" #### ⏱️ [00:05:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsRNv4xY1qo?t=318) — [H1] Homepage for vault navigation - Key idea: Creates a landing page with indexes and MOCs for easy navigation - Evidence: "Homepage is one of my most used plugins" with automatic opening when no notes are active #### ⏱️ [00:06:48](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsRNv4xY1qo?t=408) — [H2] Natural Language Dates for timestamping - Key idea: Adds current time via hotkey for interstitial journaling - Evidence: "I use the Natural Language Plugin to quickly add the time at the beginning of each bullet point" #### ⏱️ [00:07:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsRNv4xY1qo?t=478) — [H2] Omnivore as free Readwise alternative - Key idea: Free open-source reading app with Obsidian sync, despite some quirks - Evidence: "Readwise is way too expensive and Omnivore is free so I am willing to put up with its quirks" #### ⏱️ [00:09:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsRNv4xY1qo?t=555) — [H3] Paste Image Rename for better file management - Key idea: Prevents cluttered attachment folders with meaningful image names - Evidence: "I don't want to end up with a ton of files that are called screen grab 1-1-4-3" #### ⏱️ [00:10:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsRNv4xY1qo?t=608) — [H2] Quick Switcher++ for enhanced navigation - Key idea: Improved file switching with heading search and recent files - Evidence: "My most used section of this plugin is the fact that it shows me recent files" #### ⏱️ [00:11:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsRNv4xY1qo?t=695) — [H3] Remember Cursor Position for workflow continuity - Key idea: Simple plugin that maintains reading position when switching between notes - Evidence: "Very helpful if you switch from note to note a lot which I do sometimes" #### ⏱️ [00:12:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsRNv4xY1qo?t=722) — [H2] Style Settings for visual customization - Key idea: Enhances theme customization with extensive color and style options - Evidence: "It does bring me joy especially my rainbow folders on the left" #### ⏱️ [00:13:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsRNv4xY1qo?t=805) — [H1] Tag Wrangler for advanced tag management - Key idea: Essential tag organization tool that feels native to Obsidian - Evidence: "This plug-in is integrated so well that I often forget it's not native to Obsidian" #### ⏱️ [00:15:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsRNv4xY1qo?t=908) — [H1] Philosophy on plugin selection - Key idea: Avoid over-dependence on plugins for future-proofing - Evidence: "I prefer to use plugins that make my note taking a little bit easier and more streamlined but if the plug-in wouldn't exist anymore it's not like my vault would fall apart" ## 📚 References - [Calendar Plugin by Liam Cain](https://github.com/liamcain/obsidian-calendar-plugin) - [AnuPucchin Theme](https://github.com/AnubisNekhet/anuppuccin) - [Omnivore Reading App](https://omnivore.app/) ## 🗣️ Paraphrase - Calendar plugin transforms daily note workflow by providing visual date navigation and easy note creation, though the word-count dots feature needs adjustment for most users - Specialized plugins like Chord Sheets demonstrate Obsidian's flexibility for niche use cases, offering features like chord transposition and autoscroll that aren't available elsewhere - Tag Wrangler significantly improves Obsidian's native tagging system with hierarchical organization, renaming capabilities, and enhanced search functionality ## 📰 Newsletter **Essential Obsidian Plugins That Actually Matter** If you're drowning in Obsidian's plugin library, this curated list of 12 daily-use plugins will streamline your workflow without creating maintenance headaches. From Calendar's superior daily notes integration to Tag Wrangler's native-feeling tag management, these tools enhance productivity while maintaining future-proof workflows. **Key Highlights:** - Calendar plugin transforms daily note navigation - Omnivore offers free alternative to expensive read-later apps - Style Settings + AnuPucchin theme create beautiful, customizable interface - Tag Wrangler adds essential tag hierarchy and renaming features **Smart Plugin Philosophy:** Choose tools that enhance your workflow without creating dependencies. Focus on plugins that make note-taking more frictionless rather than fundamentally changing your notes' structure. Resources: [Obsidian Community Plugins](https://obsidian.md/plugins), [Plugin Development](https://docs.obsidian.md/Plugins/Getting+started), [Theme Gallery](https://obsidian.md/themes) ## ✅ Action Items #### DevRel - Developer advocacy: Create plugin showcase series, demo essential workflows - Education: Workshop on plugin selection philosophy, maintenance considerations - Developer experience: Plugin compatibility guidelines, deprecation warnings - Developer marketing: Highlight community-built tools, creator spotlights - Community management: Plugin recommendation threads, troubleshooting support #### Community - Maintainers: Plugin sustainability guidelines, succession planning templates - Contributors: Plugin testing protocols, compatibility verification - Sponsors: Support for essential plugin maintainers, development grants - Ecosystem: Cross-plugin compatibility standards, shared libraries #### WordPress - Plugins: Review sustainability practices, maintenance communication - Community: Plugin author mentorship, succession planning workshops - Documentation: Plugin selection guides, maintenance best practices - Meta: Plugin directory improvements, sustainability indicators ## 🧪 Hypotheses - Users prefer plugins that enhance existing workflows rather than replace core functionality - Plugin sustainability correlates with integration quality and maintenance communication - Visual customization plugins increase user satisfaction and platform stickiness - Simple, single-purpose plugins have higher long-term adoption rates ### 📊 Methodology - Survey users on plugin adoption patterns and abandonment reasons - Analyze plugin maintenance history vs user retention rates - A/B test plugin recommendations based on workflow enhancement vs feature replacement ### ❓ Questions - How do we balance plugin ecosystem growth with sustainability concerns? - What makes certain plugins feel "native" while others feel bolted-on? - How can plugin selection philosophy improve long-term user experience? ### 🔮 Future Research - Plugin lifecycle management and succession planning frameworks - User interface integration patterns that feel native - Community-driven plugin maintenance models and sustainability metrics ### 💡 Implications - Practice: Prioritize workflow enhancement over feature replacement when selecting plugins - Policy: Develop plugin sustainability guidelines and maintenance expectations - Education: Teach thoughtful plugin selection based on long-term workflow needs - Funding: Support essential plugin maintainers to ensure ecosystem stability ### 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment Reading level estimate: 7th Grade #### 👀 Visual learners - Present: Screenshots of each plugin interface, before/after comparisons - Improve: Plugin workflow diagrams, visual feature comparisons #### 🔊 Aural learners - Present: Full video walkthrough with voice narration - Improve: Audio-only podcast version, plugin demo recordings #### 🗣️ Verbal learners - Present: Clear plugin descriptions, use case explanations - Improve: Plugin comparison analogies, workflow storytelling #### 🧩 Kinesthetic learners - Present: Step-by-step installation guides implied - Improve: Hands-on setup tutorials, interactive plugin testing #### 🧠 Logical learners - Present: Alphabetical organization, clear categorization - Improve: Plugin selection decision tree, feature comparison matrix #### 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Social learners - Present: Community plugin recommendations, developer appreciation - Improve: Plugin discussion forums, collaborative recommendation lists #### 🧘‍♀️ Solitary learners - Present: Personal workflow examples, individual use cases - Improve: Self-assessment checklist, personal plugin audit guide #### 🌿 Naturalistic learners - Present: Plugin ecosystem metaphors, organic workflow evolution - Improve: Plugin lifecycle analogies, ecosystem sustainability themes ### 📊 Accessibility Assessment #### Screen reader semantics - Present: Clear heading structure, descriptive plugin names - Improve: Alt text for plugin screenshots, ARIA labels for interface elements #### Keyboard navigation - Present: Hotkey mentions for several plugins - Improve: Complete keyboard navigation guides, accessibility shortcuts #### Contrast and readability - Present: Clean interface with good text contrast - Improve: High contrast theme options, readability testing #### Text resizing and reflow - Present: Responsive video player, scalable interface - Improve: Text zoom compatibility testing, layout flexibility #### Media and captions - Present: Full transcript available, clear audio narration - Improve: Time-synced captions, audio description track #### Forms and interactions - Present: Simple plugin installation process - Improve: Accessible plugin configuration guides, error handling ### 🌍 DEIB Assessment #### Cultural breadth - Present: Universal productivity concepts, cross-platform compatibility - Improve: Multi-language plugin support, global workflow examples #### Inclusive language - Present: Gender-neutral terms, welcoming tone - Improve: Plain language summaries, jargon definitions #### Neurodiversity support - Present: Clear structure, focused single-topic sections - Improve: Chunked content with clear breaks, consistent formatting #### Representation - Present: Diverse plugin creator acknowledgment - Improve: Highlight creators from underrepresented backgrounds #### Psychological safety - Present: Non-judgmental plugin selection philosophy - Improve: Validation of different workflow preferences, no "right way" messaging ### ✅ Logical Validity #### Strong reasoning - Deductive strength: Plugin selection based on clear criteria (daily use, sustainability) - Inductive strength: Generalizes from personal experience to broader recommendations - Causal reasoning: Links plugin features to workflow improvements - Analogical strength: Compares plugins to familiar tools and concepts #### Fallacies - Survivorship bias: Only discusses plugins still in use, not failures or abandoned ones - Appeal to popularity: Uses download counts as quality indicators without critical analysis #### Tone of voice - Overall tone: Conversational and helpful, with personal experience emphasis and genuine appreciation for developers ### 🛡️ DARVO Analysis - Deny: No denial patterns present - Attack: No attacks on users or developers - Reverse victim/offender: No victim/offender dynamics - Emotional cues and rhetoric: Positive, appreciative tone toward plugin developers with genuine gratitude ## 🎯 Conclusion This curated plugin list demonstrates the importance of thoughtful tool selection in knowledge management systems. Rather than installing every available plugin, focus on tools that enhance existing workflows without creating dependencies. The author's philosophy of choosing plugins that make work "more frictionless" while maintaining future-proof approaches offers valuable guidance for building sustainable productivity systems. The emphasis on appreciating plugin developers while being realistic about maintenance challenges reflects a mature understanding of open-source ecosystem dynamics. ## 🧱 Refactor Appendix ### 📚 Literature Split Pad ### [H1] Plugin selection philosophy prioritizes workflow enhancement > [!quote <!-- deep-read:sections end -->