Make capture and template part of API

[agustinvalencia]

I mostly manage my automations via js macros, as it is easier to version control them in a common repo.

But when it comes to capture and creating template the only alternative available is via executeChoice which forces me to use the UI to create such and then it doesn't fit in my automation repo. Alternatively, I have to go directly to the obsidian api and have to deal with the workspace or vault objects and then replacing/adding text feels like writing a plugin on my own.

Would it be possible to expose such quickadd actions (capture and template) to the "public" api, or maybe allow a way to define them in a programatically way?

Thanks !

[chhoumann]

Sorry for the very slow reply here.

This is the same ask as #655 (executeNewChoice), and I decided not to add it. The only way a "capture/template from code" API is useful is by letting scripts pass the choice's options, and those options are QuickAdd's internal TemplateChoice / CaptureChoice shapes. Several fields have nested defaults and cross-field rules (insertAfter, fileExistsBehavior, fileNameFormat, ...), so publishing them would freeze our internals into a public contract, and a partial options bag silently breaks. The longer write-up is in that issue.

The good news: both things are doable today from a script in your repo, without a registered Template or Capture choice. quickAddApi.format() runs the full format pipeline, so you get {{DATE}}, {{VALUE:x}}, etc. without touching the UI.

Template to a new note:

module.exports = async ({ app, quickAddApi }) => {
	const folder = `Meetings/${quickAddApi.date.now("YYYY")}`;
	const title = `${quickAddApi.date.now("YYYY-MM-DD")} Project sync`;
	const template = app.vault.getFileByPath("Templates/Meeting.md");
	const content = await quickAddApi.format(await app.vault.read(template), {
		title,
		attendees: "Ana, Ben",
	});
	if (!app.vault.getFolderByPath(folder)) await app.vault.createFolder(folder);
	const note = await app.vault.create(`${folder}/${title}.md`, content);
	await app.workspace.getLeaf(true).openFile(note);
};

Capture to the end of a section:

module.exports = async ({ app, quickAddApi }) => {
	const file = app.vault.getFileByPath("Journal.md");
	const line = await quickAddApi.format("- {{DATE:HH:mm}} {{VALUE:entry}}", {
		entry: "Answered discussion 771",
	});
	await app.vault.process(file, (text) => {
		const lines = text.split("\n");
		const start = lines.indexOf("## Log");
		let end = lines.findIndex((l, i) => i > start && /^#{1,2} /.test(l));
		if (end === -1) end = lines.length;
		while (end > start + 1 && lines[end - 1].trim() === "") end--;
		lines.splice(end, 0, line);
		return lines.join("\n");
	});
};

I tested both on the current release. The first creates Meetings/2026/2026-09-28 Project sync.md with the frontmatter and variables filled in. The second adds - 11:20 Answered discussion 771 as the last line under ## Log.

To apply a template into the open note instead, there's quickAddApi.applyTemplateToActiveFile("Templates/x.md", { mode: "top" }).

If you need the full Capture/Template engine (insert-after options, create-if-not-found, file-exists handling, Templater, task formatting), register the choice once and call quickAddApi.executeChoice("My Capture", { value: "..." }). To version-control it, export it as a package (Settings → QuickAdd → Export package…) and commit the .quickadd.json next to your scripts, or commit .obsidian/plugins/quickadd/data.json.

If there's a specific capture behavior you can't get this way, tell me which one. I'm open to a small, curated API for a real gap, just not one that exposes our internal choice types.