Obsidian

Obsidian Plugin Development Guidelines

Follow these comprehensive guidelines derived from the official Obsidian ESLint plugin rules, submission requirements, and best practices.

Getting Started

Quick Start Tool

For new plugin projects, an interactive boilerplate generator is available:

• Script: tools/create-plugin.js in the skill repository
• Command: Invoke create-plugin using your agent's method (/create-plugin, $create-plugin, or @create-plugin)
• Generates minimal, best-practice boilerplate with no sample code
• Detects existing projects and only adds missing files

Recommend the boilerplate generator when users ask how to create a new plugin, want to start a new project, or need help setting up the basic structure.

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Rules Reference (eslint-plugin-obsidianmd v0.4.1)

Submission & Naming

#	Rule	✅ Do	❌ Don't
1	Plugin ID	Omit "obsidian"; don't end with "plugin"	Include "obsidian" or end with "plugin"
2	Plugin name	Omit "Obsidian"; don't end with "Plugin"	Include "Obsidian" or end with "Plugin"
3	Plugin name	Don't start with "Obsi" or end with "dian"	Start with "Obsi" or end with "dian"
4	Description	Omit "Obsidian", "This plugin", etc.	Use "Obsidian" or "This plugin"
5	Description	End with .?!) punctuation	Leave description without terminal punctuation

Memory & Lifecycle

#	Rule	✅ Do	❌ Don't
6	Event cleanup	Use registerEvent() for automatic cleanup	Register events without cleanup
6a	DOM events	Use registerDomEvent() on the plugin or owning component	Pair addEventListener with manual removeEventListener cleanup
7	View references	Return views/components directly	Store view references in plugin properties or pass plugin as component to MarkdownRenderer
8	Leaf detachment	Let Obsidian handle leaf cleanup	Call detachLeavesOfType() in onunload

Type Safety

#	Rule	✅ Do	❌ Don't
9	TFile/TFolder	Use instanceof for type checking	Cast to TFile/TFolder; use any; use var
10	DOM instanceof	Use .instanceOf(T) for DOM Nodes/UIEvents	Use instanceof for cross-window DOM checks

UI/UX

#	Rule	✅ Do	❌ Don't
11	UI text	Sentence case — "Advanced settings"	Title Case — "Advanced Settings"
12	JSON locale	Sentence case in JSON locale files (recommendedWithLocalesEn)	Title case in locale JSON
13	TS/JS locale	Sentence case in TS/JS locale modules	Title case in locale modules

Note (v0.4.0): ui/sentence-case is now enabled (warn) and enforced on inline UI strings — it was disabled in v0.3.0. Use the recommendedWithLocalesEn config to also check English locale files (rules 12–13). | 14 | Command names | Omit "command" in command names/IDs | Include "command" in names/IDs | | 15 | Command IDs | Omit plugin ID/name from command IDs/names | Duplicate plugin ID in command IDs | | 16 | Hotkeys | No default hotkeys | Set default hotkeys | | 17 | Settings headings | Use .setHeading() | Create manual HTML headings; use "General", "settings", or plugin name in headings |

API Best Practices

#	Rule	✅ Do	❌ Don't
18	Active file edits	Use Editor API	Use Vault.modify() for active file edits
19	Background file mods	Use Vault.process()	Use Vault.modify() for background modifications
20	File deletion	Use FileManager.trashFile()	Use Vault.trash() or Vault.delete() directly
21	File lookup	Use Vault.getAbstractFileByPath()	Iterate all files with Vault.getFiles().find()
22	User paths	Use normalizePath()	Hardcode .obsidian path; use raw user paths
23	OS detection	Use Platform API	Use navigator.platform/userAgent
24	Network requests	Use requestUrl()	Use fetch()
25	Logging	Minimize console logging; none in onload/onunload in production	Use console.log in onload/onunload
26	Input suggest	Use built-in AbstractInputSuggest	Copy Liam's TextInputSuggest implementation
27	API compatibility	Check minAppVersion for API availability	Use APIs not available in declared minAppVersion
28	Language detection	Use Obsidian's getLanguage()	Use localStorage.getItem('language') or i18next-browser-languagedetector

Popout Window Compatibility

#	Rule	✅ Do	❌ Don't
29	Document/Window	Use activeDocument and activeWindow	Use global document and window
29a	Getter capture	Capture activeDocument in a variable when the same document is needed later	Call activeDocument at setup and again at cleanup — it follows focus and may return different documents
30	Timers	Use activeWindow.setTimeout(), setInterval(), etc.	Use bare setTimeout(), setInterval()
31	Main workspace UI	Use this.app.workspace.containerEl.ownerDocument from settings	Use activeDocument to update main workspace from settings window

Note (v0.4.0): prefer-active-doc remains disabled by default — the only Obsidian rule shipped as off. Enable it manually for popout window support.

Note (v1.13.0): Settings now open in a new window. activeDocument from settings callbacks points to the settings window, not the main vault. Use this.app.workspace.containerEl.ownerDocument to target main workspace UI.

Note: activeDocument/activeWindow are dynamic getters that track the focused window. A listener added via activeDocument.addEventListener() at setup cannot reliably be removed via activeDocument.removeEventListener() at cleanup. Prefer registerDomEvent() (rule 6a), which captures the target at registration.

Event Handling

#	Rule	✅ Do	❌ Don't
31	Editor drop/paste	Check evt.defaultPrevented and call evt.preventDefault()	Handle editor-drop/paste without checking defaultPrevented

Styling

#	Rule	✅ Do	❌ Don't
32	CSS variables	Use Obsidian CSS variables for all styling	Hardcode colors, sizes, or spacing
33	CSS scope	Scope CSS to plugin containers	Use broad CSS selectors
34	Style elements	Use styles.css file (no-forbidden-elements)	Create <link> or <style> elements; assign styles via JavaScript
34a	!important	Increase selector specificity or use CSS variables	Use !important — overrides user themes/snippets
34b	:has selector	Toggle classes from TypeScript when conditions change	Use :has — causes broad selector invalidation and performance issues

Security & Compatibility

#	Rule	✅ Do	❌ Don't
35	DOM creation	Use Obsidian DOM helpers (createEl(), createDiv(), createSpan(), createSvg(), createFragment()) via prefer-create-el; linter autofixes activeDocument.createElement() → activeWindow.createEl() (v0.4.1)	Use document.createElement(), document.createDocumentFragment(), etc.
36	Node.js modules	Guard Node.js imports with Platform.isDesktop check (no-nodejs-modules)	Import Node.js modules without platform guard
37	iOS compat	Avoid regex lookbehind (iOS < 16.4 incompatibility)	Use regex lookbehind

Accessibility (MANDATORY)

#	Rule	✅ Do	❌ Don't
38	Keyboard access	Make all interactive elements keyboard accessible; Tab through all elements	Create inaccessible interactive elements
39	ARIA labels	Provide ARIA labels for icon buttons; use data-tooltip-position for tooltips	Use icon buttons without ARIA labels
40	Focus indicators	Use :focus-visible with Obsidian CSS variables; touch targets ≥ 44×44px	Remove focus indicators; make touch targets < 44×44px

Code Quality

Rule	✅ Do	❌ Don't
Sample code	Remove all sample/template code	Keep class names like MyPlugin, SampleModal
Object.assign	Object.assign({}, defaults, overrides) (object-assign)	Object.assign(defaultsVar, other) — mutates defaults
LICENSE	Copyright holder must not be "Dynalist Inc."; year must be current (validate-license)	Leave "Dynalist Inc." as holder or use an outdated year
Async	Use async/await	Use Promise chains
Deprecated packages	Replace flagged npm packages with Node.js built-ins (e.g., builtin-modules → import { builtinModules } from "node:module")	Use packages the scanner flags as replaceable

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Detailed Guidelines

For comprehensive information on specific topics, see the reference files:

Memory Management & Lifecycle

• Using registerEvent(), addCommand(), registerDomEvent(), registerInterval()
• registerDomEvent() vs manual addEventListener (and the activeDocument drift bug)
• Avoiding view references in plugin
• Not using plugin as component
• Proper leaf cleanup

Type Safety

• Using instanceof instead of type casting
• Avoiding any type
• Using const and let over var

UI/UX Standards

• Sentence case enforcement (TypeScript, JSON locale, TS/JS locale modules)
• recommendedWithLocalesEn config for locale file checks
• Command naming conventions (no "command", no plugin name, no plugin ID)
• Settings and configuration best practices

File & Vault Operations

• View access patterns
• Editor vs Vault API
• Atomic file operations
• File management
• Path handling

CSS Styling Best Practices

• Avoiding inline styles
• Using Obsidian CSS variables
• Avoiding !important (use specificity or CSS variables)
• Avoiding :has selector (toggle classes from TypeScript instead)
• Scoping plugin styles
• Theme support
• Spacing and layout

Accessibility (A11y)

• Keyboard navigation (MANDATORY)
• ARIA labels and roles (MANDATORY)
• Tooltips and accessibility
• Focus management (MANDATORY)
• Focus visible styles (MANDATORY)
• Screen reader support (MANDATORY)
• Mobile and touch accessibility (MANDATORY)
• Accessibility checklist

Code Quality & Best Practices

• Removing sample code
• Security best practices
• Platform compatibility
• API usage best practices
• Async/await patterns
• DOM helpers
• Deprecated/replaceable packages (e.g., builtin-modules → node:module)

Plugin Submission Requirements

• Repository structure
• Submission process
• Semantic versioning
• Testing checklist
• Additional resources and important notes

Community Plugin Scanner

• What the scanner runs (ESLint rule sets + checks beyond ESLint)
• Scorecard system (Health, Review, Disclosures, improvement tips)
• Version-stamped — the single file to update as the scanner evolves

ESLint Setup Guide

• Complete ESLint config for community scanner compliance
• Why typescript-eslint recommendedTypeChecked is required
• Common violations and fixes (floating promises, require imports, etc.)
• Popout window compatibility rules

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Plugin Submission Validation Workflow

Before submitting a plugin, follow this sequence:

1. Run ESLint — npx eslint . using eslint-plugin-obsidianmd; fix all errors AND warnings (warnings affect your Scorecard)
2. Validate manifest — Confirm id, name, description, version, and minAppVersion meet naming and formatting rules (rules 1–5)
3. Check LICENSE — Copyright holder must not be "Dynalist Inc." and the year must be current
4. Test on mobile — Verify no regex lookbehind, no fetch(), and touch targets ≥ 44×44px (skip only if plugin is declared desktop-only)
5. Keyboard accessibility audit — Tab through all interactive elements; confirm focus indicators and ARIA labels are present
6. Create GitHub Release — Tag must match manifest.json version; attach main.js, manifest.json, and styles.css (optional)
7. Submit via community.obsidian.md — Sign in, link GitHub account, navigate to Plugins → New plugin, enter repository URL, review Developer policies, and submit

If ESLint reports new errors after fixing, re-run from step 1.

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Scorecard System

Published plugins receive a Scorecard visible on community.obsidian.md. The Scorecard affects user trust and discoverability — a poor score deters users from installing.

Key points:

• Aim for 90%+ overall score
• Fix ALL ESLint warnings, not just errors — warnings are publicly visible
• Use typescript-eslint/recommendedTypeChecked for type-aware checks
• Add GitHub artifact attestation to releases

See Community Plugin Scanner for full details on scanner checks, Health metrics, Review checks, common warnings, and improvement tips.

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When Reviewing/Writing Code

Use this checklist for code review and implementation:

1. Memory management: Are components and views properly managed?
2. Type safety: Using instanceof instead of casts?
3. UI text: Is everything in sentence case?
4. Command naming: No redundant words?
5. File operations: Using preferred APIs?
6. Mobile compatibility: No iOS-incompatible features?
7. Sample code: Removed all boilerplate?
8. Manifest: Correct version, valid structure?
9. Accessibility: Keyboard navigation, ARIA labels, focus indicators?
10. Testing: Can you use the plugin without a mouse?
11. Touch targets: Are all interactive elements at least 44×44px?
12. Focus styles: Using :focus-visible and proper CSS variables?

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Common Patterns

Proper Command Registration

// ✅ CORRECT
this.addCommand({
  id: 'insert-timestamp',
  name: 'Insert timestamp',
  editorCallback: (editor: Editor, view: MarkdownView) => {
    editor.replaceSelection(new Date().toISOString());
  }
});

Safe Type Narrowing

// ✅ CORRECT
const file = this.app.vault.getAbstractFileByPath(path);
if (file instanceof TFile) {
  // TypeScript now knows it's a TFile
  await this.app.vault.read(file);
}

Keyboard Accessible Button

// ✅ CORRECT
const button = containerEl.createEl('button', {
  attr: {
    'aria-label': 'Open settings',
    'data-tooltip-position': 'top'
  }
});
button.setText('⚙️');

button.addEventListener('keydown', (e) => {
  if (e.key === 'Enter' || e.key === ' ') {
    e.preventDefault();
    performAction();
  }
});

Themed CSS

/* ✅ CORRECT */
.my-plugin-modal {
  background: var(--modal-background);
  color: var(--text-normal);
  padding: var(--size-4-4);
  border-radius: var(--radius-m);
  font-size: var(--font-ui-medium);
}

.my-plugin-button:focus-visible {
  outline: 2px solid var(--interactive-accent);
  outline-offset: 2px;
}

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When helping with Obsidian plugin development, proactively apply these rules and suggest improvements based on these guidelines. Refer to the detailed reference files for comprehensive information on specific topics.