Community Install Manager

Install, enable, and configure Obsidian community plugins from JSON files in your vault. Useful for syncing the same plugin setup across devices or sharing a ready-made configuration.

Desktop only.

What it does

The plugin reads two files in your vault’s .obsidian folder:

• community-plugins-list.json — which community plugins to install (optionally with pinned versions)
• community-plugins-settings.json — settings to apply to those plugins

You can export your current vault setup into those files, preview what an import would do, then import on another machine.

Typical uses:

• Keep the same plugins on several computers
• Share a team vault starter setup
• Bootstrap a new vault from a known list
• Reinstall community plugins after git clone when .obsidian/plugins/ is gitignored (keep a list JSON in the repo, then Import)

Security warning

This plugin can download and install other community plugins.

• Only use it with vaults and JSON files you trust
• Review community-plugins-list.json before turning on auto-install
• Installed plugins can access your notes (and more on desktop)
• Unpinned plugins install the latest suitable release, which may include breaking changes
• Use at your own risk; the author is not responsible for plugins installed on your behalf

Features

• Install plugins from the Obsidian Community Plugins registry (via Obsidian’s own installer)
• Optional version pins so setups stay reproducible
• Export / import / preview of your plugin list and settings
• Optional auto-install on startup and settings sync on startup (off by default)
• Auto-enable after install and apply settings on install (on by default for new installs)
• Merge plugin settings into existing ones (on by default for new installs)

Network use

Remote service	Purpose
Community plugins registry on GitHub	Look up plugin IDs and repositories
GitHub release assets (releases/download/...)	Resolve pinned/latest manifests
Obsidian’s built-in installer	Download and install plugin files (same path as Community plugins)

No telemetry. Network use happens only when you import/install (or when auto-install is enabled). The installer avoids calling api.github.com so anonymous rate limits are less likely.

Installation

1. In Obsidian: Settings → Community plugins → Browse → search Community Install Manager → Install → Enable
   Or download the latest GitHub release (main.js, manifest.json, styles.css) into .obsidian/plugins/automatic-installation-of-plugins/
2. Settings → Community plugins → turn Restricted mode off (if needed)
3. Enable Community Install Manager

Configuration files

.vault/
└── .obsidian/
    ├── community-plugins-list.json
    └── community-plugins-settings.json

Plugin list — community-plugins-list.json

Simple list (install latest if missing; leave alone if already installed):

[
  "calendar",
  "dataview",
  "templater-obsidian",
  "obsidian-git"
]

Pinned versions (install or change to that version):

[
  { "id": "calendar", "version": "1.5.10" },
  { "id": "dataview", "version": "0.5.68" },
  "obsidian-git"
]

You can mix plain IDs and { "id", "version" } objects. Export writes pinned objects from your currently installed versions.

Plugin settings — community-plugins-settings.json

Maps plugin IDs to settings objects applied to each plugin:

{
  "templater-obsidian": {
    "templates_folder": "Templates",
    "command_timeout": 5
  },
  "obsidian-git": {
    "pullInterval": 60
  }
}

Quick start

1. On a vault that already has the plugins you want: Command Palette → Export plugin setup to JSON
2. Copy the two JSON files (or the whole vault config) to another device
3. There: Preview plugin setup import, review the report, then Import plugin setup from JSON
4. Turn on only the automatic options you need in Settings

Commands

Command	Action
Preview plugin setup import	Shows what would be installed, skipped, re-pinned, or updated in settings — without changing anything
Export plugin setup to JSON	Writes the current community plugins and their settings into the two JSON files
Import plugin setup from JSON	Installs from the list (and enables / applies settings if those options are on)
Apply settings from JSON	Applies settings from the settings file without reinstalling plugins

Settings

Setting	Default (new install)	Description
Preview / Export / Import / Apply	—	Buttons for the actions above
Auto-install plugins on startup	Off	When Obsidian starts, install any missing plugins from the list
Auto-enable plugins after installation	On	Turn plugins on after they are installed via Import
Apply settings on installation	On	After each install, apply that plugin’s settings from the settings file
Merge settings instead of replace	On	Combine settings with what the plugin already has; when off, replace entirely
Sync settings on every startup	Off	Re-apply the settings file every time Obsidian starts
Logging level	Error	How much detail to write to the console if something goes wrong

Auto-install and sync-on-startup stay off so a fresh vault does not download plugins until you opt in. Review the list file before enabling auto-install.

Finding plugin IDs

Use the ID from the plugin’s Community plugins page or its manifest.json (for example dataview, templater-obsidian, obsidian-git).

Troubleshooting

Nothing installs

• Check that community-plugins-list.json exists and the IDs are correct
• Use Preview to see planned actions
• Confirm network access to GitHub
• Open the console (Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+I) if import fails

Plugins stay disabled

• Confirm Auto-enable plugins after installation is on (check data.json if the toggle looks wrong in Obsidian 1.13 settings search)
• Or enable them under Community plugins
• After Import, the Community plugins tab should refresh; if toggles look stale, close and reopen Settings

Settings look wrong

• Confirm IDs in community-plugins-settings.json match the installed plugins
• With Merge on, only listed keys are updated; with it off, the whole settings file for that plugin is replaced
• Turn on Apply settings on installation and/or Sync settings on every startup, or run Apply settings from JSON

Links

• Author: Konstantin Volobuev
• Repository: obsidian-automatic-installation-of-plugins
• Issues: GitHub Issues

License

MIT. See LICENSE.