# Obsidian Starter Kit plugin for Obsidian The official companion plugin for the [[Obsidian Starter Kit]]. Adds strong typing support and powerful automation to [[Obsidian]] notes. It's what turns a vault into a solid knowledge management system with predictable structure, AI-friendly metadata, and minimal manual filing. Ships with OSK v4 and above. ## Features - **Note type system** — define custom note types with specific properties, tags, icons, folders, and templates - **Automatic recognition** — identify note types by tag, folder, or regex pattern (priority: tag > folder > regex) - **Property management** — global and per-type frontmatter properties with validation, allowed values, and defaults - **Tag automation** — automatically add mandatory tags to recognized notes - **File organization** — auto-move notes to their associated folder when recognized - **Visual icons** — per-type icons in the file explorer, tabs, and tab title bar - **Dynamic naming** — prefixes and suffixes with expressions like `{{date}}`, `{{year}}`, `{{month}}`, `{{day}}` - **md-base export** — export type definitions as human-readable files for AI/LLM integration and external validation (cfr [[Typed Markdown Collections Specification]]) - **`osk-cli`** — cross-platform CLI (Linux x64, Linux ARM64, Windows x64, macOS) shipped with the plugin - **MCP server** — exposes note type operations on `127.0.0.1:27125` for AI agent integrations - **Plugin API** — programmatic CRUD on all settings via `plugin.api`, usable from `obsidian eval` ## Settings overview All settings live under **Settings → Obsidian Starter Kit**: - **Automation**: auto-move files, auto-add required properties, auto-add mandatory tags (all off by default to avoid surprises) - **Display**: icons in file explorer, tabs, tab title bar, links, properties - **Global properties**: frontmatter fields added to every note type (created, updated, notes, review_count, etc.) - **Global tags**: tags applied to all notes; supports folder-scoped variants - **Note types**: 48 pre-configured types mapped to the OSK folder structure - **MCP server**: enabled on port `27125` by default; API key empty (set if you expose it) - **Types folder**: `.types/` at the vault root — where md-base type files are exported ## What happens when you modify a note type When you edit or add a note type in **Settings → Obsidian Starter Kit**: 1. The plugin updates its internal registry (`data.json`) 2. If auto-export is on, the matching `.types/<type-name>.md` md-base file is regenerated 3. Existing notes tagged with the type are NOT retroactively updated — they keep their current frontmatter until you run a sync command or manually re-apply 4. New notes created from the templates now follow the updated schema 5. The CLI validator (`osk-cli`) immediately reflects the new schema once `.types/` is regenerated **Property changes** (add, rename, remove) are non-destructive — existing notes keep their data; the plugin just updates the expected schema going forward. Use validation (via `osk-cli` or the UI) to find notes that drift from the new schema. **Tag/folder mapping changes** can immediately change which existing notes are "recognized" as a given type. Be careful when renaming tags — mass retag your existing notes first if needed. **Deleting a note type** removes it from the registry but does NOT delete the notes that used it. ## When to use it - You want **consistent metadata** across hundreds or thousands of notes - You want **AI agents** to reliably understand your vault structure (via md-base files and the MCP server); cfr [[Typed Markdown Collections Specification]] (md-base) - You want **auto-filing** so new notes land in the right folder without manual drag-and-drop - You want to **validate** notes from CI or a script (`osk-cli validate`) ## When not to use it - You prefer a fully manual, flat vault with no enforcement - You don't want any folder conventions (the plugin shines when paired with the OSK folder structure, but it's optional — all mappings are configurable) ## Full documentation The complete reference for this plugin lives inside the OSK user guide: [[Obsidian Starter Kit - Reference - OSK Plugin]]. It covers all settings, property and tag systems, the CLI validator, the MCP server, and tips & best practices. ## Related - [[Obsidian Starter Kit]] — the full kit this plugin powers - [[Obsidian Starter Kit - Reference - OSK Plugin]] — full plugin documentation - [[Obsidian Starter Kit - Tutorial - Configuring the Obsidian Starter Kit plugin]] - [[Obsidian Starter Kit - Reference - Note Types]] - [[Obsidian Starter Kit - Reference - Note Properties]] - [[Typed Markdown Collections Specification]] (md-base)