Agent skill · software engineering · jeremylongshore
obsidian-core-workflow-a
Create an Obsidian plugin from scratch with full project scaffolding.
Why this skill is useful
Adds a complete project scaffolding script for creating Obsidian plugins, including configuration files and build processes that are not commonly documented.
What it needs
Requires node installed locally. About 5k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2026-08-07. 2,604 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
Obsidian Core Workflow A: Create a Plugin from Scratch Overview Build a complete Obsidian plugin from an empty directory. By the end you will have a working plugin with a ribbon icon, command palette entries, a settings tab, and a production esbuild build. Every file is shown in full -- no stubs. Prerequisites Node.js 18+ installed Obsidian desktop app installed A vault to test in (create a fresh vault at ~/ObsidianDev if needed) Instructions Step 1: Scaffold the project Step 2: Create manifest.json Every Obsidian plugin needs a manifest.json at the project root. This is what Obsidian reads to register the plugin. Step 3: Write the esbuild config Step 4: Write main.ts -- the full plugin This single file contains the Plugin subclass, a settings interface with defaults, a settings tab, and three commands. Step 5: Add npm scripts and build Add these scripts to package.json: Build the plugin: Step 6: Install into your vault and test In Obsidian: 1. Settings > Community plugins > Enable community plugins 2. Find "My Obsidian Plugin" in the list, toggle it on 3. Click the sparkles icon in the left ribbon 4. Open command palette (Ctrl/Cmd+P), search "Show greeting" 5. Open Settings > My Obsidian Plugin to change the greeting text Output A complete plugin directory containing: manifest.json -- plugin metadata Obsidian reads src/main.ts -- Plugin subclass with commands, ribbon icon, settings tab esbuild.config.mjs -- bundler with watch mode support main.js -- production build output package.json + tsconfig.json -- standard Node/TS project files Error Handling Error Cause Fix ------- ------- ----- Cannot find module 'obsidian' Missing dev dependency npm install --save-dev obsidian Plugin not in list manifest.json missing or invalid Verify id field matches folder name Ribbon icon missing Invalid icon name Use a Lucide icon name (sparkles, file-text, search, etc.) Settings not persisting Forgot await this.saveData() Always await saveData in onChange editorCallback command greye …
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills jeremylongshore/obsidian-core-workflow-a--d49abd