Auto Create Files - Obsidian Plugin

Plugin that allows creating complete file and folder structures in Obsidian using a simple text-based syntax.

Key Features

• Bulk creation of files and folders from an intuitive interface
• Support for nested hierarchical structures
• Real-time preview of the structure to be created
• Visual manager for deleting files and folders
• Customizable templates for new files
• Protection against path traversal and injections

Installation

1. Download the main.js and manifest.json files
2. Create a folder named auto-tags in .obsidian/plugins/
3. Place the downloaded files in this folder
4. Enable the plugin from Settings → Community plugins

Basic Usage

Creating Files and Folders

Access the manager through:

• The icon in the left sidebar
• The "Open file creator" command from the command palette (Ctrl/Cmd + P)

Syntax

The syntax is simple and uses a one-line-per-element format:

file1
file2
folder/
folder/file-inside
folder/subfolder/
folder/subfolder/nested-file

Syntax Rules

Simple Files

note
document
ideas

Creates three .md files in the root folder: note.md, document.md, ideas.md

Empty Folders

projects/
resources/

Creates two empty folders. The trailing / indicates it's a folder.

Nested Structures

projects/
projects/client-a/
projects/client-a/proposal
projects/client-a/budget
projects/client-b/
projects/client-b/contract

Prefix Slash Syntax

/root-file
//folder/level-2-file
///folder/subfolder/level-3-file

Leading slashes indicate the nesting level. Useful for complex structures.

Practical Examples

Project Structure

web-project/
web-project/planning
web-project/requirements
web-project/design/
web-project/design/wireframes
web-project/design/mockups
web-project/development/
web-project/development/frontend
web-project/development/backend
web-project/documentation

Thematic Note System

learning/
learning/programming/
learning/programming/javascript
learning/programming/python
learning/design/
learning/design/ui-ux
learning/design/typography

Task Management by Context

tasks/
tasks/work
tasks/personal
tasks/studies
archive/
archive/completed
archive/cancelled

Preview

The interface displays a real-time preview of the structure to be created:

• Folder icons for directories
• File icons for documents
• Visual indentation based on nesting level
• Total element counter
• Invalid name validation

Deletion Manager

The "Delete" tab provides a file browser where you can:

• View the complete structure of your vault
• Expand and collapse folders
• Delete individual files
• Delete complete folders with all their content
• Confirmation before deletion

Configuration

Access the plugin settings from Settings → AUTO Tags.

Available Options

Ignore Case

Automatically converts names to lowercase when creating files.

• Disabled: Ideas.md, Project.md
• Enabled: ideas.md, project.md

Default Content

Template to be applied to all new files created.

Use {{tag}} as a variable to insert the file name.

Examples:

# {{tag}}

---
created: {{date}}
tags: 
---

# {{tag}}

## Notes

## References

Limits and Restrictions

For security and performance, the plugin implements the following limits:

• Maximum 1000 elements per operation
• Maximum 10 nesting levels in structures
• File names between 1 and 255 characters
• Forbidden characters: < > : " | ? *
• Path traversal sequences not allowed (.., ./, .\\)
• System reserved names not allowed (CON, PRN, AUX, etc.)

Use Cases

Project Organization

Quickly create the base structure of a new project with all its initial folders and files.

Zettelkasten System

Generate index files and categories for your linked note system.

Knowledge Management

Establish a complete taxonomy of topics with entry files for each one.

Courses and Learning

Create a folder structure by modules with files for each lesson.

Resource Archive

Organize resources by categories and subcategories with reference files.

Troubleshooting

Files Are Not Created

Verify that the base folder name doesn't contain invalid characters and that no file with the same name already exists.

Incorrect Structure

Review the preview before creating. Make sure to use / at the end for folders and that indentation is correct.

Skipped Elements

The plugin will show a message with how many elements were skipped due to validation errors. Check the console for specific details.

Excessive Depth Error

Reduce nesting level to a maximum of 10 levels.

Technical Notes

Security

The plugin implements multiple validation layers:

• File and folder name sanitization
• Path validation to prevent path traversal
• HTML content escaping in the interface
• Template variable validation
• Depth and element quantity limits

Compatibility

Compatible with Obsidian v1.11 and above. Tested on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Performance

For very large structures (more than 500 elements), creation may take a few seconds. The plugin processes elements sequentially to avoid conflicts.

Contributing

If you find bugs or have suggestions, you can:

• Report issues with detailed problem description
• Include input examples that cause the error
• Specify your Obsidian version and operating system

License

This plugin is free software. You can use, modify, and distribute it freely.

Credits

Developed to simplify file structure creation in Obsidian.