Obsidian supports a custom URI protocol `obsidian://` which can be used to trigger various actions within the app. This is commonly used on macOS and mobile apps for automation and cross-app workflows.
If you have Obsidian installed, this link will open the app on your device: [Click here](obsidian://open)
## Installing Obsidian URI
To make sure your operating system redirect `obsidian://` URIs to the Obsidian app, there may be additional steps you need to perform.
- On Windows, running the app once should be sufficient. This will register for the `obsidian://` custom protocol handler in the Windows registry.
- On macOS, running the app once should be sufficient, however, your app **must** be installer version 0.8.12 or later.
- On Linux, there's a much more involved process:
- First, ensure you create a `obsidian.desktop` file. [See here for details](https://developer.gnome.org/documentation/guidelines/maintainer/integrating.html#desktop-files)
- Ensure that your desktop file specifies the `Exec` field as `Exec=executable %u`. The `%u` is used to pass the `obsidian://` URIs to the app.
- If you're using the AppImage installer, you may have to unpack it using `Obsidian-x.y.z.AppImage --appimage-extract`. Then make sure the `Exec` directive points to the unpacked executable.
## Using Obsidian URIs
Obsidian URIs are typically in this format:
```
obsidian://action?param1=value¶m2=value
```
- The `action` is usually the action that you would like to perform.
### Encoding
==Important==
Ensure that your values are properly URI encoded. For example, forward slash characters `/` must be encoded as `%2F` and space characters must be encoded as `%20`.
This is especially important because an improperly encoded "reserved" character may break the interpretation of the URI. [See here for details](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percent-encoding)
### Available actions
#### Action `open`
Description: Opens an Obsidian vault, and possibly open a file within that vault.
Possible parameters:
- `vault` can be either the vault name, or the vault ID.
- The vault name is simply the name of the vault folder.
- The vault ID is the random 16-character code assigned to the vault. This ID is unique per folder on your computer. Example: `ef6ca3e3b524d22f`. There isn't an easy way to find this ID yet, one will be offered at a later date in the vault switcher. Currently it can be found in `%appdata%/obsidian/obsidian.json` for Windows. For macOS, replace `%appdata%` with `~/Library/Application Support/`. For Linux, replace `%appdata%` with `~/.config/`.
- `file` can be either a file name, or a path from the vault root to the specified file.
- To resolve the target file, Obsidian uses the same link resolution system as a regular `[[wikilink]]` within the vault.
- If the file extension is `md`, the extension can be omitted.
- `path` an absolute file system path to a file.
- Using this parameter will override both `vault` and `file`.
- This will cause the app to search for the most specific vault which contains the specified file path.
- Then the rest of the path replaces the `file` parameter.
Examples:
- `obsidian://open?vault=my%20vault`
This opens the vault `my vault`. If the vault is already open, focus on the window.
- `obsidian://open?vault=ef6ca3e3b524d22f`
This opens the vault identified by the ID `ef6ca3e3b524d22f`.
- `obsidian://open?vault=my%20vault&file=my%20note`
This opens the note `my note` in the vault `my vault`, assuming `my note` exists and the file is `my note.md`.
- `obsidian://open?vault=my%20vault&file=my%20note.md`
This also opens the note `my note` in the vault `my vault`.
- `obsidian://open?vault=my%20vault&file=path%2Fto%2Fmy%20note`
This opens the note located at `path/to/my note` in the vault `my vault`.
- `obsidian://open?path=%2Fhome%2Fuser%2Fmy%20vault%2Fpath%2Fto%2Fmy%20note`
This will look for any vault that contains the path `/home/user/my vault/path/to/my note`. Then, the rest of the path is passed to the `file` parameter. For example, if a vault exists at `/home/user/my vault`, then this would be equivalent to `file` parameter set to `path/to/my note`.
- `obsidian://open?path=D%3A%5CDocuments%5CMy%20vault%5CMy%20note`
This will look for any vault that contains the path `D:\Documents\My vault\My note`. Then, the rest of the path is passed to the `file` parameter. For example, if a vault exists at `D:\Documents\My vault`, then this would be equivalent to `file` parameter set to `My note`.
#### Action `search`
Description: Opens the search pane for a vault, and optionally perform a search query.
Possible parameters:
- `vault` can be either the vault name, or the vault ID. Same as action `open`.
- `query` (optional) The search query to perform.
Examples:
- `obsidian://search?vault=my%20vault`
This opens the vault `my vault`, and opens the search pane.
- `obsidian://search?vault=my%20vault&query=MOC`
This opens the vault `my vault`, opens the search pane, and performs a search for `MOC`.
#### Action `new`
Description: Creates a new note in the vault, optionally with some content.
Possible parameters:
- `vault` can be either the vault name, or the vault ID. Same as action `open`.
- `name` the file name to be created. If this is specified, the file location will be chosen based on your "Default location for new notes" preferences.
- `file` a vault absolute path, including the name. Will override `name` if specified.
- `path` a globally absolute path. Works similar to the `path` option in the `open` action, which will override both `vault` and `file`.
- `content` (optional) the contents of the note.
- `silent` (optional) set this if you don't want to open the new note.
- `append` (optional) append to an existing file if one exists.
- `overwrite` (optional) overwrite an existing file if one exists, but only if `append` isn't set.
- `x-success` (optional) see [[#x-callback-url]].
Examples:
- `obsidian://new?vault=my%20vault&name=my%20note`
This opens the vault `my vault`, and creates a new note called `my note`.
- `obsidian://new?vault=my%20vault&path=path%2Fto%2Fmy%20note`
This opens the vault `my vault`, and creates a new note at `path/to/my note`.
#### Action `hook-get-address`
Description: Endpoint for use with [Hook](https://hookproductivity.com/). Use: `obsidian://hook-get-address`
If `x-success` is defined, this API will use it as the x-callback-url. Otherwise, it will copy a Markdown link of the current focused note to the clipboard, as an `obsidian://open` URL.
Possible parameters:
- `vault` (optional) can be either the vault name, or the vault ID. If not provided, the current or last focused vault will be used.
- `x-success` (optional) see [[#x-callback-url]].
- `x-error` (optional) see [[#x-callback-url]].
## x-callback-url
Available since v0.14.3.
Some endpoints will accept the x-callback-url parameters `x-success` and `x-error`. When it's provided, Obsidian will provide the following to the `x-success` callback:
- `name` the name of the file, without the file extension.
- `url` the `obsidian://` URI for this file.
- `file` (desktop only) the `file://` URL for this file.
For example, if we receive
`obsidian://.....x-success=myapp://x-callback-url`
The response could be
`myapp://x-callback-url?name=...&url=obsidian%3A%2F%2Fopen...&file=file%3A%2F%2F...`
## Shorthand formats
In addition to the formats above, there are two more "shorthand" formats available to open vaults and files:
- `obsidian://vault/my vault/my note` is equivalent to `obsidian://open?vault=my%20vault&file=my%20note`
- `obsidian:///absolute/path/to/my note` is equivalent to `obsidian://open?path=%2Fabsolute%2Fpath%2Fto%2Fmy%20note`