Core
Build the prompt and copy it
Best when you use ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Smart Chat, or another chat UI and just want a better prompt.
Reusable AI prompts for Obsidian
Smart Templates for Obsidian: Reuse your Markdown templates as AI prompts
Stop rebuilding the same prompt every time you use AI. Start from the note or selection you care about, apply one or more templates you already trust, and get a repeatable prompt for meeting follow-ups, research briefs, summaries, and outlines. Pro adds generate inside Obsidian.
Works with your existing templates | Current note or selection as context | Core: no API setup | Pro: generate inside Obsidian
Pro
Generate, review, and insert
Best when you want to stay in Obsidian, review output, then insert it or create a note.
One shared v2 flow: start from context, select templates, then copy a prompt in Core or generate in Pro.
Install Smart Templates and get your first useful prompt in under a minute
Install the plugin, open a note you care about, and turn that note plus one template into a repeatable AI prompt.
-
Step 1
Open the shared modal
Install Smart Templates from Community Plugins, then run Smart Templates: Open template context from the command palette or ribbon.
-
Step 2
Start from the current note or selection
The current note is the context anchor. If you highlight text first, the selection becomes the starting context.
-
Step 3
Choose a template and run it
Pick one template, add a short instruction, then click Copy prompt in Core or Generate in Pro.
First-win use cases
Meeting notes: turn raw notes into action items, decisions, and follow-ups.
Research notes: turn highlights into summaries, open questions, and next steps.
Drafts and outlines: keep your preferred structure instead of re-explaining it every time.
Obsidian Templates vs Smart Templates
Obsidian Templates inserts predefined note content. Smart Templates uses note context plus templates to build a prompt, and Pro can generate inside Obsidian.
Obsidian Templates
- ✓Insert predefined content into notes.
- ✓Great for note scaffolding and repeatable note creation.
- ✓Does not package the current note as AI context.
Smart Templates
- ✓Starts from the current note or selection.
- ✓Reuses existing template files, flags, filename rules, or template headings.
- ✓Builds a prompt in Core, or generates and reviews output in Pro.
Already use the Obsidian Templates folder? Point Smart Templates at the same source in Smart Templates settings .
Why Smart Templates works
It closes the gap between what your notes already know and what your prompt usually forgets.
Start from context, not a blank box
The current note is the default anchor, and a text selection can replace it before you choose a template.
Learn the Template Context modal .
Detect templates where they already live
Use configured folders, the Obsidian Templates folder, a smart template: true flag, a filename rule, or matching headings.
Configure detection in Settings .
Use one shared flow for Core and Pro
Core exposes Copy prompt. Pro adds Generate plus a review modal for copy, insert, or create-note actions.
Built-in defaults remove setup friction
Even before you configure vault-backed sources, Smart Templates includes defaults such as summary, tags, research paper, and diagram.
Pick the workflow that matches your friction
Smart Templates pays off when the structure repeats even when the raw material changes.
Meeting follow-up
Turn raw meeting notes into action items, owners, risks, and decisions.
Research brief
Start from a source note or excerpt, add supporting context, then apply a briefing template.
Writing structure
Keep your preferred outline, voice constraints, or section order without restating them every time.
Multi-template output
Combine templates when one structure is not enough, such as a recommendation table plus an executive summary.
Where Smart Templates fits in the Smart Plugins workflow
Use Smart Templates when structure is the problem. Use the rest of the ecosystem when discovery, context assembly, or ongoing chat is the bottleneck.
Need better context
Smart Context
Assemble the right notes, folders, or named packs before you apply a template.
Best downstream pair for Core
Smart Chat
Paste copied prompts into chats that stay attached to the right notes.
Need discovery
Smart Connections
Find related notes before packaging them into a structured prompt.
Proof you can inspect right now
The best current proof is what you can inspect immediately: the plugin listing, the settings guide, and release notes.
Install
Obsidian Community plugin
Review the plugin entry and install Smart Templates from the official Obsidian directory.
Inspect
Settings guide
See the live detection rules for folders, naming conventions, and heading-based discovery.
Shipped changes
Release notes
See the shipping trail for context handling, prompt copy, review, and output actions.
What stays under your control
-
✓
Core is clipboard-first. Your notes stay in Obsidian unless you choose to paste the copied prompt into another tool.
-
✓
Your templates stay in Markdown inside the vault, where they remain inspectable, editable, and shareable.
-
✓
Pro only sends content when you explicitly choose Generate and configure a model provider.
Smart Templates Core vs Templates Pro
Start with Core for clipboard-first prompt building. Add Pro when you want to generate, review, and insert results inside Obsidian.
Core plugin
Smart Templates Core
Free, context-first prompt building from the templates you already keep in your vault.
- ✓ Open one shared modal from the current note, selection, ribbon, or file menu.
- ✓ Add context, select one or more templates, and copy the final prompt.
- ✓ Reuse vault templates plus built-in defaults, with no API setup.
Pro plugin In-Obsidian generation
Templates Pro
Everything in Core plus generation, output review, insert, create note, and model override.
- ✓ Generate from the same shared modal instead of switching to an external chat.
- ✓ Review output, then copy, insert into the current note, or create a new note.
- ✓ Set a default model in settings, then override it per request.
Guides and next steps
Start here
Getting Started with Smart Templates
The fastest path from one note to one repeatable prompt.
Core loop
Clipboard workflow for ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and more
Build a prompt from context plus templates and copy it for any external chat.
Shared UX
Template Context modal
See the context-first runtime that powers both Core and Pro.
Detection rules
Settings for folders, filenames, and headings
Configure where templates are found and how Pro behaves.
Entry points
Commands, ribbon, and file-menu entry points
Open the shared modal from the command palette, ribbon, or file menu.
Pro workflow
Generate inside Obsidian
Generate, review, insert, and create notes without leaving the vault.
FAQ
Quick answers on compatibility, Core vs Pro, privacy, and fit.
What is Smart Templates for Obsidian?
Smart Templates turns the Markdown templates you already trust into reusable AI workflows. It starts from your current note or selection, adds context, then packages that context with one or more templates so you can copy a prompt or generate inside Obsidian with Pro.
Does Smart Templates replace Obsidian Templates?
No. Obsidian Templates inserts predefined note content. Smart Templates uses those same templates as AI structure layered on top of the current note or selection.
Do I need an API key?
Not for Core. Core builds prompts and copies them to your clipboard so you can use ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Smart Chat, or another chat interface. Pro adds in-Obsidian generation.
What is the difference between Smart Templates Core and Templates Pro?
Core covers template discovery, context-first prompt building, multiple template selection, and clipboard export. Pro keeps the same shared modal, then adds Generate, review, insert, create note, and model override.
How are templates detected?
Smart Templates can discover templates from configured folders, the Obsidian Templates folder as a fallback, notes flagged with smart template: true, a configured filename match, or matching headings. Built-in defaults stay available even before setup.
Can I keep multiple templates in one note?
Yes. Matching headings can act as templates, so you can keep multiple reusable template blocks inside one note.
Can I use more than one template at once?
Yes. Smart Templates can merge multiple templates in selection order when one output needs more than one reusable structure.
Can I use Smart Templates with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or Smart Chat?
Yes. Core is clipboard-based, so the same prompt can be pasted into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Smart Chat, or another chat interface. Pro adds a native generate path.
How is Smart Templates different from Smart Context?
Smart Context assembles the right notes as grounded context. Smart Templates applies reusable output structure to that context. They work well together when you need both.
Does Smart Templates keep my notes private and local-first?
Core is clipboard-based: your notes stay in Obsidian unless you paste the copied prompt into another tool. In Pro, content is only sent when you explicitly choose Generate and configure a model provider.
What is the fastest way to get started?
Install Smart Templates from Community Plugins, open a note you already care about, run the shared modal, choose one template, add a short instruction, then click Copy prompt. The Getting Started guide walks through that first win.
Keep your best structures in Markdown, package them with the right context, and stop rebuilding prompts from scratch.