Common questions and answers about using plugins built with this template.

Table of Contents

General Questions

What is this plugin?

This is a plugin built using the Obsidian Plugin Template, which provides a solid foundation for building Obsidian plugins with modern best practices, including fast builds, modular CSS, advanced logging, and comprehensive documentation.

Do I need to know programming to use this?

No! This plugin is designed for end users. You only need to install it and configure it through the settings interface. No programming knowledge required.

Is this plugin free?

Yes! Plugins built with this template are open source and free to use. Check the LICENSE file for details.

How do I support the plugin?

Installation

How do I install the plugin?

See the detailed Installation Guide. The quickest method is:

  1. Download the latest release from GitHub
  2. Extract to .obsidian/plugins/plugin-name/
  3. Enable in Obsidian settings

Can I install it from the Community Plugins browser?

If the plugin has been submitted and approved by Obsidian, yes! Otherwise, use BRAT or manual installation.

The plugin doesn’t appear in my plugin list

Check:

Can I use this on mobile?

Yes! Plugins built with this template work on both desktop and mobile versions of Obsidian (iOS and Android).

Configuration

Where do I find plugin settings?

Settings → Community plugins → [Plugin Name] → Settings (gear icon)

My settings aren’t saving

Try:

  1. Check Obsidian has write permissions to vault folder
  2. Close and reopen Obsidian
  3. Check for errors in console (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + I)
  4. Report issue if problem persists

Can I customize keyboard shortcuts?

Yes!

  1. Settings → Hotkeys
  2. Search for plugin commands
  3. Click to set custom hotkey
  4. Confirm changes

What do the different settings do?

Check the Settings Guide for detailed explanations of each setting.

Usage

How do I access plugin features?

Command Palette: Press Ctrl/Cmd + P and search for plugin commands.

Ribbon Icon: Click the plugin icon in the left sidebar (if enabled).

Keyboard Shortcuts: Use custom hotkeys you’ve configured.

Context Menu: Right-click for context-specific options (if applicable).

The plugin isn’t doing anything

Check:

  1. Plugin is enabled: Settings → Community plugins
  2. You’re using the correct command
  3. Check console for errors (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + I)
  4. Enable debug logging to see what’s happening

How do I enable debug logging?

  1. Open plugin settings
  2. Find “Enable debug logging” option
  3. Toggle it ON
  4. Check debug-log.txt in your vault root folder

Remember: Disable debug logging when not troubleshooting (performance impact).

Can I use this with other plugins?

Yes! This plugin is designed to be compatible with other community plugins. If you encounter conflicts, please report them.

Troubleshooting

The plugin causes Obsidian to slow down

Try:

  1. Disable debug logging (if enabled)
  2. Check for conflicts with other plugins
  3. Reduce frequency of background operations (in settings)
  4. Report performance issues on GitHub

I see error messages

Steps:

  1. Note the exact error message
  2. Enable debug logging
  3. Check debug-log.txt in vault root
  4. Search GitHub Issues for similar errors
  5. Create new issue if not found, including:
    • Error message
    • Debug log
    • Steps to reproduce
    • Obsidian version
    • Plugin version

Styles look broken

Check:

  1. styles.css exists in plugin folder
  2. Disable custom CSS snippets temporarily to test
  3. Try disabling custom theme to test
  4. Clear Obsidian cache: Settings → About → Clear cache
  5. Restart Obsidian

Plugin stopped working after update

Try:

  1. Check you meet minimum Obsidian version requirement
  2. Check Release Notes for breaking changes
  3. Disable and re-enable the plugin
  4. Try reinstalling the plugin
  5. Report issue if problem persists

Features work on desktop but not mobile

Considerations:

Performance

Will this slow down Obsidian?

No! Plugins built with this template are optimized for performance:

How large is the plugin?

Typical size: 55-170 KB total (main.js + styles.css)

This is very small and should not impact performance.

Does it use a lot of memory?

No. The plugin is designed to be lightweight with minimal memory footprint.

Can I reduce performance impact?

Yes:

  1. Disable debug logging
  2. Disable unused features (if configurable)
  3. Reduce frequency of background operations
  4. Report performance issues for optimization

Compatibility

What Obsidian version do I need?

Check manifest.json for minAppVersion. Typically requires Obsidian 1.0.0 or higher.

Does it work on mobile?

Yes! Compatible with:

Does it work with my theme?

Yes! The plugin uses Obsidian’s CSS variables, so it automatically adapts to your theme.

If you experience styling issues:

  1. Check theme compatibility
  2. Try with default theme to test
  3. Report compatibility issues

Does it work with other plugins?

Yes! Designed to be compatible with other community plugins.

Known incompatibilities:

Report conflicts on GitHub Issues.

Which operating systems are supported?

All platforms supported by Obsidian:

Advanced

Can I modify the plugin?

Yes! The plugin is open source. See the Developer Documentation for contribution guidelines.

Where is data stored?

Plugin data is stored in your vault’s .obsidian/plugins/plugin-name/data.json file.

Is my data private?

Yes! All data stays in your local vault. The plugin does not send data anywhere.

Can I backup plugin data?

Yes! Simply backup your entire vault, which includes .obsidian/plugins/ folder.

How do I reset plugin to defaults?

  1. Disable the plugin
  2. Delete data.json from plugin folder
  3. Re-enable the plugin

Settings will reset to defaults.

Getting More Help

Documentation

Support

Contributing

Found an answer that should be in this FAQ?

  1. Edit this file
  2. Submit a pull request
  3. Help other users!

See Contributing Guide.

Still have questions? Ask on GitHub Discussions or create an issue.