Adding the ability to open websites with one click from the file system in our left sidebar

[MarcG]

I love Obsidian and have started turning one of my Vault into a WebBrowser (with the help of the “surfing” plugin). It’s very nice because I can store my notes about my research. And stay well organized. But I always access my sites in at least two
clicks, sometimes three or four.
This prevents me from making it my default web browser.
I suspect that other users may be in the same situation.
So:

It would be awsome to have the option to right click on any hypertext link in our notes, select the option “add to the left side bar” so we can open a website from the left side bar with just one click.

The link could be display in the left side bar, with its corresponding favicon, in a row of the file system, among the titles of our notes and folders.

Additionally to that, it would be super awsome to add the link to our left side bar from any note with a drag and drop allowing to control its position in the tree.

In the final version, it would be super great for users to have the possibility to right click on any links in our left side bar to choose among these options:

• “Open this link in a new tab”
→ (For those who have a plugin such as “surfing” installed)

• “Open this link to the right”
→ (For those who have a plugin such as “surfing” installed)

• “Open this link in a new window”
→ (For those who have a plugin such as “surfing” installed)

• “Rename”

• “Open this link by default with Obsidian”
→ (For those who have a plugin such as “surfing” installed)

• “Open this link by default with your preferred Web Browser.”
(This option could be selected by default for all users)

• “Open this link by default with”
→ open a pop up to choose between all of our web browser installed

• “Moove link to”
→ Open the pop up “Type a folder”

• “Search link in notes”

• “Remove the link from the left sidebar”

• “Add Command”

I am certain it would be a game changer.

[rigmarole]

To be clear, are you asking for features about the Surfing plugin? Because that would need to be done on their Github project, not here.

You can already right click in the “Files” pane, as well as on links. And those options already exist.

So I suspect you’re talking about the Surfing plugin, right? So I’m moving this to Help for the time being. (If I’m misunderstanding, it can be moved back.)

[MarcG]

Hello, and thank you for reviewing this proposal.

“are you asking for features about the Surfing plugin?”

No,
I’m sure it would be beneficial to all users.
It would not be necessary to have the surfing plugin installed to enjoy fast access to a site in another webrowser if this is the case.

“You can already right click in the “Files” pane, as well as on links.”

Yes.
And that’s what I’m referring to when I mention 3 or 4 cliques.

Even if a user does not have a surfing plugin.
And even if he doesn’t turn his Vault into a web Browser.
Imagine how nice it would be for him to quickly access a website, without having to search through his notes, with the search bar, or through all his open tabs, just by glancing left and clicking.

My proposal does not concern only users of the surfing plugin.

I sincerely believe that it would benefit everyone.

[alltagsverstand]

You can easily achieve this in obsidian by using the QuickAdd Plugin.

1. Create a new file (located anywhere in your vault) called, for example, “Web links”.
2. In QuickAdd, create a new capture called “Add link” (or whatever name you prefer).
3. Configure your new QuickAdd capture:

• Insert the file you want to capture to (“Web links”)
• Activate “capture format” and set it to * {{value}}
• Activate “write to bottom of file”

4. Define a keyboard shortcut for your capture. Whenever you want to add a link from any note to your list of favorite links, select the link and press your keyboard shortcut.
5. Finally, open you “Web links” file and move it to the bottom of the left sidebar. Thus, you always have your list of favorite links open and just need to click on them once in order to open in your default browser.

[rigmarole]

@MarcG

fast access to a site

Ah ok. So you’re specifically asking about navigating to “websites” and manipulating website URLS in Obsidian?

Maybe it’s just me, but I’m finding the list of commands a bit confusing, because some of those commands already exist. Except you’re talking specifically about “websites”. You say “links” in some places, but links are already a thing in Obsidian, so it would be better to specify that you are talking about a website URL.

I’m going to leave this in Help for now. Don’t let that stop the discussion about the feature, or possible workarounds!