FlowState (Obsidian Plugin)

FlowState is the missing bridge between your offline notes and your digital brain. The app transcribes handwritten notes and voice memos using AI, and automatically syncs them to your Obsidian vault.

Features

• AI-powered transcription: Handwritten notes and audio recordings are transcribed using advanced AI, with automatic file naming based on content.
• Enrichment options: Go beyond transcription—translate, summarize, add context, extract action items, turn circled words into hashtags, and more.
• Custom destinations: Choose the exact folder in your vault where you want your notes saved. Create different projects for different purposes.
• Append mode: Create new files for each note, or append to a single file with auto-generated headings.
• Download originals: Optionally save the original handwriting images or audio files as embedded attachments.
• Multiple projects: Create separate projects for different kinds of notes, each with its own AI instructions and save location.
• Email upload: Get a unique email address for each project to send handwritten notes and voice memos for transcription.
• Automatic sync: Notes sync to your vault automatically in the background—no manual action required.

Installation & Setup

Requirements

• Obsidian v1.2.0 or newer
• A FlowState account (free to create)

Option A: Install via BRAT (Recommended)

BRAT (Beta Reviewer's Auto-update Tool) is a community plugin that makes installing and updating beta plugins easy.

1. Install BRAT from Settings → Community plugins → Browse → search "BRAT"
2. Enable BRAT in your Community plugins list
3. Open BRAT settings and click Add Beta Plugin
4. Paste: FindFlowState/obsidian-flow-state
5. Click Add Plugin — FlowState will be installed and enabled automatically
6. Skip to Step 4: Connect Your Account below

Option B: Manual Install

Step 1: Download the Plugin

1. Go to the latest release page
2. Under Assets, download these two files:
   • main.js
   • manifest.json

Step 2: Install in Your Vault

1. Open your Obsidian vault folder in Finder (Mac) or File Explorer (Windows):
   • Mac: In Obsidian, right-click your vault name in the sidebar → "Reveal in Finder"
   • Windows: In Obsidian, right-click your vault name in the sidebar → "Show in system explorer"
2. Open the .obsidian folder (this folder may be hidden—see note below)
3. Open the plugins folder inside .obsidian (create it if it doesn't exist)
4. Create a new folder called flow-state
5. Move the downloaded main.js and manifest.json files into the flow-state folder

Can't see the .obsidian folder? It's hidden by default:

• Mac: Press Cmd + Shift + . to show hidden files
• Windows: In File Explorer, click View → Show → Hidden items

Step 3: Enable the Plugin

1. Open Obsidian
2. Go to Settings (gear icon in the bottom-left)
3. Click Community plugins in the left sidebar
4. If prompted, click "Turn on community plugins"
5. Find FlowState in the list and toggle it on

Step 4: Connect Your Account

1. Still in Settings, click FlowState under Community plugins
2. Enter your email address and click Connect
3. Check your email for a magic link and click it to sign in (check spam if needed)

If you don't have a FlowState account, one will be created automatically.

Using the Plugin

Create a Project

Projects control where and how notes are saved. You can create multiple projects to handle different types of notes differently.

1. Open Settings → Community plugins → FlowState
2. Click Add Project
3. Configure your project settings (see below)
4. Click Save

Basic Settings

• Name: A descriptive name for your project (e.g., "Journal Entries", "Meeting Notes")
• Append to existing:
  • Off (default): Each upload creates a new file in your destination folder
  • On: All uploads append to a single file, with AI-generated headings separating each entry
• Destination:
  • If append is off: Choose a folder where new files will be created
  • If append is on: Choose or create a file to append to

Save Options (expandable section)

• Download Original: When enabled, the original handwriting image or audio file is embedded in your note
• File Name / Note Heading Instructions: Customize how AI generates titles. Examples:
  • "Keep it short"
  • "Include the date"
  • "Use the main topic as the title"

Enrichment Options (expandable section)

• Instructions: Tell FlowState's AI how to process your notes beyond basic transcription. Examples:
  • "Translate to Spanish"
  • "Summarize in bullet points"
  • "Extract action items and format as a checklist"
  • "Add context and book suggestions"
  • "Turn circled words into hashtags"

Email Options (expandable section, available after saving)

• Project Tag: A unique identifier used in your project's email address
• Project Email: Send files to this address to auto-transcribe and save to this project

Send a Note

There are several ways to send notes to FlowState:

• Mobile app: Take a photo or record audio in the FlowState mobile app, then tap to upload
• Email: Send to your project's unique email address
  • Supports: 1 PDF, 1 audio file, or multiple PNG/JPG images (combined into one note)
  • Subject line is ignored—the AI generates a title from the content

Sync Your Files

FlowState automatically syncs completed transcriptions to your vault. Here's how it works:

• Automatic background sync: The plugin checks for new files every 2 minutes (desktop) or 5 minutes (mobile)
• Manual sync: Open Settings → FlowState → expand the Sync section → click Sync Now
• Command palette: Press Cmd/Ctrl + P and search for "FlowState: Sync Now"

When you upload from the mobile app, FlowState can automatically open the synced note in Obsidian once it's ready.

Credits

Each page or minute of audio uses one credit. You get 50 free credits to get started.

To check your balance, open Settings → FlowState → expand the Credits section.

Need more credits? Click Manage Credits to upgrade your plan or buy top-ups.

Privacy

• No analytics or tracking are included in this plugin
• Only your FlowState outputs (and optionally original files) are written to your vault
• FlowState does not read or access any other files in your vault

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Project email address not showing	Email options only appear after a project is saved. Create the project first, then edit it to see email options.
Magic link not working	Check your spam folder. Make sure you click the link on the same device where Obsidian is open.
Notes not syncing	Open Settings → FlowState → Sync → click "Sync Now". Check the sync logs for errors.
"Not signed in" error	Go to Settings → FlowState and reconnect your account.
Destination folder not found	The plugin auto-creates folders, but make sure the path is valid. Edit your project and re-select the destination.

Support

• Website: seekflowstate.com
• Issues: GitHub Issues

Development

Build requirements: Node 20+

npm install

# Production build
npm run build-prod

# Local development build
npm run build-local

# Run tests
npm test