# How I Automatically Organize My Obsidian Vault 📥 (Smart Inbox & Index)  ## Intro [(00:00:00)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=0s) - The goal is to simplify the organization and automate the inbox creation and index creation in [[Obsidian (software) | Obsidian]] using four different plugins: Auton Note Mover, Data View, Templator, and Book Search, to focus more on note-taking and learning rather than organizing notes and keeping the personal Knowledge Management System in check [(00:00:42)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=42s). - The four plugins work together to automate the organization process, allowing for automatic placement of notes into a folder and automatic tracking of notes with indexes [(00:00:55)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=55s). - The video covers four practical use cases on how to use Data View with other plugins to automatically create inboxes and indexes, and simplify the overall personal Knowledge Management System in Obsidian [(00:01:06)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=66s). - The use cases include creating an index of the digital garden that shows the most recently edited files, creating a table of notes related to a specific topic, creating a folder of books read and a table of books sorted by genre, and generating a table of notes created or last touched today as part of the daily note [(00:02:06)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=126s). - A free AI tool is used to craft Data View queries, which has simplified the ability to create indexes based on inboxes [(00:01:18)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=78s). - All tutorials and templates used in the video can be found on the website in the digital garden at Waterloot.xyz, allowing viewers to copy and paste the code and customize it as needed [(00:01:38)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=98s). - The Auton Note Mover and Data View plugins can be used to create an index of the digital garden, showing the most recently edited files, and a table of notes related to a specific topic [(00:01:55)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=115s). - The Auton Note Mover plugin with Data View can be used to create a folder of books read and a table of books sorted by genre [(00:02:26)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=146s). - The Data View plugin can be used to generate a table of notes created or last touched today as part of the daily note, using automatic links and the Templator plugin [(00:02:42)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=162s). - The goal is to create a smart and automatic organization system in [[Obsidian (software) | Obsidian]] using four different plugins, enabling automatic inboxing and indexing in a digital garden or vault [(00:03:55)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=235s). - The plugins used include the book search plugin, which allows creating a note based on a book title and automatically populates the note with metadata like author, number of pages, and genre [(00:03:25)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=205s). - The templator plugin is also used, allowing for customization of data view tables and pulling in specific note characteristics like today's date to keep track of notes created on a particular day [(00:03:37)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=217s). - The templator plugin has a high level of complexity, but only its basic features will be covered [(00:03:49)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=229s). - The digital garden mentioned is a published website, wander.XYZ, which serves as a reference for the setup and organization of notes [(00:04:07)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=247s). - The setup of data view tables will be shown for both private and public notes, and how to modify the data view table to only show public notes for publishing on a digital garden [(00:04:12)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=252s). - This method relates to the code method of taking notes, often discussed in building a second brain, where [[Obsidian (software) | Obsidian]] is used to keep track of all notes that come to mind while reading or coming up with ideas [(00:04:33)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=273s). - Obsidian enables an emergent organization system, allowing users to add topics or tags and have notes automatically organized without wasting time on manual organization [(00:04:47)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=287s). - This system allows users to distill the essence of their notes and express them in their digital garden at a later time [(00:05:02)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=302s). ## Auto Note Mover [(00:05:07)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=307s) - The Auto Note Mover plugin is used to automatically organize notes in an Obsidian Vault by moving them to designated folders based on specific tags [(00:05:08)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=308s). - The plugin has three main characteristics: trigger, rules, and excluded folders, allowing for automatic or manual note movement [(00:05:27)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=327s). - The trigger can be set to occur automatically or manually, using tags such as #author or #source to move notes to corresponding folders [(00:05:32)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=332s). - The rules section allows users to designate folders for specific tags, and the plugin will move notes accordingly [(00:05:54)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=354s). - For example, adding the #author tag to a note will automatically move it to the author folder [(00:06:02)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=362s). - The excluded folders option allows users to prevent notes from being moved out of specific folders, such as template folders [(00:07:51)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=471s). - This feature helps prioritize note organization and prevent accidental movement of notes between folders [(00:08:41)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=521s). - The goal of the Auto Note Mover plugin is to create an intuitive and emergent system, allowing users to start adding rules and adjust as needed [(00:09:03)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=543s). - By creating automatic note movements, users can effectively create an inbox for specific note types, which can then be automatically indexed using the Data View plugin [(00:09:27)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=567s). ## Data View Plugin [(00:09:36)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=576s) - The Data View Plugin can be used to create a list of notes with a specific tag, such as "#MW wellbeing", which is a tag for the "Mind and Well-being" topic. [(00:09:37)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=577s) - This plugin creates an index of the inbox, so every time a note with the specified tag is created, it will appear in the Data View table. [(00:09:49)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=589s) - To set up the Data View Plugin, go to Community Plugins, browse, search for "Data View", and click install. [(00:10:06)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=606s) - Once installed, the Data View Plugin is automatically connected to the rest of the Vault, and users can start creating a Data View query to populate a table. [(00:10:16)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=616s) - A Data View query can be created inside a topic folder, and the resulting table will only show notes with the specified tag. [(00:10:27)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=627s) - It is possible to exclude a folder from changes, so any modifications made to the file will not affect the rest of the Vault. [(00:10:37)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=637s) ## Data View Table [(00:10:42)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=642s) - The notes included in the data view table have the tag "creativity and knowledge work" to enable sorting by topic [(00:10:43)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=643s). - The data view table is created using the data view plugin, and its code can be viewed by clicking on the code button on the side [(00:10:52)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=652s). - The code for creating the table is based on the data view syntax, a query language used to ask [[Obsidian (software) | Obsidian]] to pull specific information [(00:11:27)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=687s). - The table has different columns, including the file column, updated column, and growth level column, with the file column being automatically added [(00:11:40)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=700s). - The table is created by pulling from specific hashtags, such as "creativity and knowledge work", and sorting by file modified time in descending order [(00:11:55)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=715s). - The modified time (M time) is a note property of the markdown file in Obsidian, which means the table will display the notes sorted by their last modified time [(00:12:02)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=722s). - The data view plugin can be used to create tables that pull specific information from notes based on hashtags and other criteria [(00:11:38)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=698s). - Templates for creating data view tables are available in the "templates" folder on the digital garden, and the code for these templates will be shared on waterloot.xyz after the video [(00:11:08)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=668s). ## Digital Garden Table [(00:12:23)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=743s) - A digital garden table is used to display the most recent notes that have been updated and published to the digital garden, providing a glimpse of the latest growth [(00:12:25)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=745s). - The table has three columns: note name, last updated, and the number of links that link to that note, which indicates the note's popularity based on its interconnectedness with the rest of the website [(00:12:35)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=755s). - The table is created using the data view plugin, which is introduced by typing "data view" in a code block, and query syntax is used to specify the columns and data source [(00:12:49)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=769s). - The query pulls data from the entire vault, but is limited to notes with the property "DG publish" equals true, which means only published notes are displayed [(00:13:48)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=828s). - The table is sorted by the modification time in descending order, showing the most recently updated notes, and is limited to the top 10 most recent notes [(00:15:00)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=900s). - The data view plugin can also be used to create tables that pull from specific sources, such as a books folder, and can be limited by [[Boolean data type | Boolean]] expressions, such as only pulling nonfiction books [(00:15:43)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=943s). - The plugin can also be used in combination with the templator plugin to create more complex tables and displays [(00:16:24)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=984s). ## Data View Templator [(00:16:25)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=985s) - The Templator plugin is the third required plugin to install, which can be found by searching for "templator" in the community plugins and clicking install [(00:16:29)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=989s). - After installing the Templator plugin, it is necessary to specify the folder location of the templates, which can be a separate area from the main vault, such as "_templates" [(00:16:36)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=996s). - The Templator plugin should be triggered on new file creation, which can be set up in the plugin settings [(00:16:49)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1009s). - The daily note template contains a data view that filters notes based on the creation date and last updated date, which can be automated using the Templator plugin [(00:16:58)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1018s). - The Templator plugin can be used to create an automatically updating syntax within the data view plugin, where the date is replaced with the current date [(00:17:45)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1065s). - The daily notes plugin, a core plugin in [[Obsidian (software) | Obsidian]], can be used to set up daily notes and automatically run the Templator plugin on new note creation [(00:18:24)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1104s). - The daily note plugin can be configured to create a new daily note based on a template, which can include the automated data view table [(00:18:30)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1110s). - The Templator query is replaced with the current date when a new daily note is created, allowing for an automatic data view table that indexes notes based on the date [(00:18:51)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1131s). - The code blocks for the automatic note creations are available as templates in the digital garden, which can be copied and used in other Obsidian vaults [(00:19:11)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1151s). ## Smart Folders [(00:19:35)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1175s) - To create a system for automatic organization, it is necessary to understand how to use the Auto Note Mover plugin, the Data View plugin, and the Templator plugin to customize notes automatically [(00:19:36)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1176s). - These plugins can be used to create smart and automatic folders, also known as inboxes, which can have automatic indexes that show the contents of those folders [(00:19:44)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1184s). - The indexes can also filter the contents of the folders by a specific tag, such as "#book" or "#create", "#activ", "#it", and "#knowledge" [(00:19:51)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1191s). - The goal is to create a system that can automatically organize notes and show their contents in a structured way [(00:19:59)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1199s). ## Book Search [(00:20:00)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1200s) - The goal is to create an automatic creation system for books in the [[Obsidian (software) | Obsidian]] Vault, making it easier to create a library, using the Book Search plugin, which is the fourth plugin mentioned [(00:20:00)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1200s). - The Book Search plugin allows users to create a book template, enabling an automated flow for adding new books to the digital Garden or private Vault [(00:20:27)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1227s). - The plugin settings depend on whether the user wants their books to be public or private, and users can choose which folder to add the book to [(00:20:38)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1238s). - To create a public-facing version of a book, users can add a differentiating factor, such as an emoji, to the note title, and use curly brackets to create a template [(00:21:24)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1284s). - The template can include a cover image, which can be saved to the attachment folder, and users can enable the cover image save option to add images to their library data view table [(00:22:06)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1326s). - The Book Search plugin can be used to create a new book note, which will automatically fill in the details from the template and move the note to the specified folder [(00:22:32)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1352s). - The plugin can also automatically add the note to a table in the source folder, such as the non-fiction books table [(00:23:10)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1390s). - A template was set up to establish a non-fiction note, which automatically populates terms from the book search plugin to fill in details about the book, including title, subtitle, author, category, total page number, publishing date, and local cover image [(00:23:42)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1422s). - The template is shared in the digital Garden under templates, allowing others to access and use it [(00:23:36)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1416s). - The non-fiction book data view table is updated to only show books that have been published in the digital Garden by filtering the "dg-publish" field to equal "true" [(00:24:12)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1452s). - The digital Garden plugin allows users to choose whether to make a note public or keep it private by toggling the "dg-publish" field [(00:24:22)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1462s). - The digital Garden plugin is preferred over traditional social media or blogs due to its benefits and philosophy, which are discussed in separate tutorials and videos [(00:24:36)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1476s). ## NotebookLM [(00:24:51)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1491s) - NotebookLM, Google's experimental LLM (Large Language Model) or AI chatbot, is a helpful tool for understanding and working with Data View queries, as it can be confusing and similar to coding [(00:24:59)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1499s). - NotebookLM allows users to introduce sources to the notebook and ask the AI questions about those sources, making it easier to find solutions to problems [(00:25:11)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1511s). - To use NotebookLM for Data View, users can include links to relevant sources, such as the official Data View website, as a website source in the notebook [(00:25:20)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1520s). - By asking questions about structuring Data View query syntax, users can get help from NotebookLM in solving problems, as it can reference the provided sources for step-by-step instructions [(00:25:35)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1535s). - If users get stuck on Data View, trying NotebookLM as an alternative solution is recommended, as it can quickly provide solutions by referencing relevant sources [(00:25:51)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1551s). ## Community Builder [(00:25:55)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1555s) - A Community Builder is available to help with data view queries, and its link can be found on the digital garden's data view plug-in page [(00:25:55)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1555s). - The Community Builder guides users step-by-step through their desired actions and automatically assembles the required data view query [(00:26:01)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1561s). - This tool is particularly useful for users who are trying to accomplish something simple but are confused by the data view syntax, including "wares," "froms," and "lists" [(00:26:07)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1567s). - The Community Builder constructs the data view syntax "brick by brick," allowing users to easily add it to [[Obsidian (software) | Obsidian]] [(00:26:20)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1580s). - The Community Builder is recommended for users who are struggling with data view, as it can help simplify the process [(00:26:25)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1585s). ## Recap [(00:26:29)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1589s) - A smart and automatic folder system was created to organize notes in Obsidian, using the Auton Note Move plugin to move notes into folders based on tags, and excluding specific folders to prevent notes from being moved accidentally [(00:26:29)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1589s). - The Data View plugin was used to automatically index notes, which can be used to track topics, sources, and books, and to keep notes related to specific topics or sources organized [(00:27:18)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1638s). - The Daily Note plugin was used to create automatic links in daily notes, and the Templator plugin was used to customize the Data View query to update the date every day [(00:27:35)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1655s). - The Book Note plugin was introduced to automatically pull in metadata for new notes based on a template, and to add notes to a book folder and display them in a source note [(00:27:57)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1677s). - The notes were published to a digital garden, and a table was updated to show the latest changes, using a Data View table that updates automatically whenever new notes are published [(00:28:13)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1693s). - A tutorial section on the website provides information on how to publish [[Obsidian (software) | Obsidian]] notes as a website or digital garden for free, including a video and a step-by-step guide [(00:28:31)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1711s). - Templates for code blocks and Data View queries are available in the templates folder on the digital garden [(00:28:51)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1731s). - The tutorial aims to show how to use four simple plugins to automate the organization and indexing of an Obsidian vault, allowing for a more efficient personal knowledge management system [(00:29:02)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5IcgqlwYMA&t=1742s).