Search Over Create

An Obsidian plugin that intercepts clicks on unresolved internal links and runs a vault-wide search for the target name instead of silently creating an empty note.

Why

Obsidian's default behavior is to create a new note the moment you click an unresolved [[wikilink]]. That's friction-free when you want it and infuriating when you don't — it's easy to end up with a vault full of accidental empty stubs, especially when navigating outgoing-links panes or skimming old notes.

This plugin flips the default: an unresolved link is treated as a question ("where else does this name appear?") rather than a command to create. If you actually want to create the note, use the explicit "Create new note" command or your usual new-note workflow.

What it intercepts

Any click on an unresolved internal link, in any of these surfaces:

• Inline links in reading view
• Inline links in live preview / source mode
• The Outgoing Links side pane
• The Backlinks side pane
• The Unresolved Links core-plugin pane
• Left-click, ctrl/cmd-click (new pane), and middle-click (new tab)

Resolved links are passed through untouched — normal navigation still works.

What it doesn't intercept

• Quick switcher typing a non-existent name and pressing Enter — that's an explicit create gesture, not a click.
• Graph view unresolved nodes — those are canvas-rendered, not DOM, and need a different hook.
• The command-palette "Create new note" command — explicit by design.

How it decides

Rather than relying on the is-unresolved CSS class (whose name has drifted across Obsidian versions), the plugin asks metadataCache.getFirstLinkpathDest() whether the link target resolves to a real file. If yes, the click is passed through. If no, the click is cancelled and the global search pane is opened with the query "Target Name" so you immediately see every note that mentions that name — including existing [[wikilinks]] to it.

Install

Manually

1. Copy manifest.json and main.js into your vault at .obsidian/plugins/search-over-create/
2. Reload Obsidian
3. Settings → Community plugins → enable Search Over Create

License

MIT