obsidian-templater_skill

Overview

This skill helps you create, understand, and debug templates for the Obsidian Templater plugin. It converts natural-language requirements into working <% %> templates, explains tp.* snippets, and adapts existing notes or workflows to use Templater features. Use it to generate date helpers, dynamic frontmatter, prompts, includes, and advanced JS blocks safely.

How this skill works

I inspect template goals, current note structure, and any provided tp.* snippets to produce corrected or improved template code and usage examples. I explain tag types (<% %>, <%* %>), whitespace trimming, tR output handling, async patterns (await tp.*), and common modules like tp.date, tp.file, tp.system, tp.web, tp.frontmatter, tp.config, and tp.user. I can also suggest vault-aware adaptations and point out mobile limitations for user scripts.

When to use it

• You want a new Obsidian template from a plain-language description (daily notes, meeting notes, person templates).
• You have a broken <% %> or tp.* snippet that needs debugging or explanation.
• You need to convert existing notes or workflows into templates that create or rename files.
• You want safer or more maintainable uses of async tp.system and tp.file functions.
• You need help trimming whitespace, preserving cursor positions, or chaining nested templates.

Best practices

• Prefer <%* %> for multi-line JS and build output by appending to tR; use <% %> for simple expressions.
• Use -%> or <%_ / _%> to trim unwanted blank lines from conditional blocks and improve output formatting.
• Keep async calls inside <%* %> and always await tp.system or tp.file.create_new to avoid race conditions.
• Use tp.config and tp.file.* dynamic properties to make templates reusable across note types.
• Place reusable helpers in tp.user scripts (CommonJS) and remember they are unavailable on mobile.

Example use cases

• Generate a daily note template with formatted dates, yesterday/tomorrow links, a quote, and cursor placement.
• Create a prompted metadata template that asks for a title and status, renames the file, and writes frontmatter.
• Debug a template that leaves blank lines by suggesting -%> placement or trimming logic.
• Convert an existing static note into a create_new template that populates fields using tp.frontmatter values.
• Compose a template that includes another note's content and processes it via tp.file.include.