Does web clipper not work without the daily note core plugin?

[jeremiah209]

I had another complete note typed out, but decided to try one more thing.

I was cleaning up my ribbon a few days ago. Most of the plugins I use, I trigger from the command palette. And I use periodic notes as my default daily note manager. So, when I turned off the Obsidian core plugin, I didn’t realize the web clipper would stop working.

When I turned it back on, it acted as expected.

Is the web clipper tied into the core plugin? “Looking” for it so it can trigger?

I’m posting this for future reference in case someone else encounters the issue.

[dawni]

I don’t use Daily Notes in my work vault and do use Web Clipper. Never noticed any dependency between the two.

You could test:

1. Open a sandbox vault (or a new regular vault if you’re on mobile).
2. Disable Daily Notes.
3. Clip this webpage to that vault. (Remember to tell Web Clipper to clip to that vault.)

It worked for me when I tested just now.

If that works for you too and you want to figure out what happened in your vault, then here are some troubleshooting steps. Even though you’re able to clip sometimes, something in there still might apply.

And if you want more help troubleshooting, then give more info. In what way did Web Clipper “stop working”? (When you clipped, did Obsidian not open, or open but not create the note, or create the note but not paste the contents, …?) And tell your set up. (Clipping to an existing or new note? If clipping to the daily note, then maybe the template is relevant. Etc.)

[jeremiah209]

I went back and tried what you suggested in another vault. You are correct, the web clipper seems to work fine there. That one does have fewer plugins. But I haven’t made any changes in my main vault in a while and it was working fine.

When I go back to the vault with the issue this is what happens. If obsidian is closed it will open. However, the daily note is not opened or created if not created. And, if the daily note is open, it won’t save anything to it.

I’m using the Brave browser. I have not had any issues before the last couple of days.

Things I have tried

1. I’ve uninstalled and reinstalled my templates in the browser.
2. I’ve turned the extension on and off in the browser.
3. I’ve uninstalled and reinstalled the extension entirely.
4. I’ve closed all instances of the browser and restarted after each of these steps. Nothing.
5. I’ve restarted Obsidian after each of these iterations and nothing.
6. I’ve deleted the daily note; the clipper will not create it on it’s own.
7. I’ve deleted the daily note and created it again manually. Nothing.
8. Maybe a couple other variations, but all with the same result.

The only thing that “fixed” the issue was leaving the daily note core plugin on.

I mean… it’s working. But, it’s a curious issue. And it is recent. But, if others can’t recreate it I don’t know what else I can offer to identify what’s happening. I am not much of a tech person.

[dawni]

Turn on Settings > Community plugins > Restricted mode, leave the core daily notes enabled, and try to clip from the same webpage and with the same template that worked in the other vault.

• If that works, then (assuming it’s the same template and same webpage that weren’t working earlier) your community plugins are now the main suspects.

• If that doesn’t work, and if none of the troubleshooting steps under “No content appears in Obsidian” were revelatory (no developer console errors, and the path is exactly correct), then can you share the Web Clipper template (particularly Behavior and Note location, but the whole template might help too) that works when the core plugin is off but doesn’t work when core plugin is on?

[jeremiah209]

In restricted mode:

• With core plugin enabled. Works Fine. No errors in console.
• With core plugin off. console shows the exact same event was triggered, but did not paste the content.

I have two templates that should write to the daily note. Neither of them work when the core plugin is disabled. The one that creates a completely new note, is still working.

Template 1

• Behavior : Add to daily note, at the bottom
• Location: My vault name, spelled correctly

{
	"schemaVersion": "0.1.0",
	"name": "DailyCapture",
	"behavior": "append-daily",
	"noteContentFormat": "## {{title}}\nparent: \ntags: #obsidian_clipper\ndate created:\ndate modified:\nprocessed: false\ndate_published: {{published|date:\"YYYY-MM-DD, hh:mm A\"}}\ndate_clipped: {{date|date:\"YYYY-MM-DD, hh:mm A\"}}\nsource_type: {{meta:property:og:type}}\nurl: [Source]({{url}})\nAuthor: {{author}}\nsite: {{site}}\nsummary_progress: L1_Notes\nzettel_type: \ntype:\nstatus:\n---\n\n{{content}}\n\n---",
	"properties": [],
	"triggers": []
}

Template 2

• Behavior : Add to daily note, at the bottom
• Location: My vault name, spelled correctly

{
	"schemaVersion": "0.1.0",
	"name": "FleetingNote",
	"behavior": "append-daily",
	"noteContentFormat": "## {{title}}\ndate_published: {{published|date:\"YYYY-MM-DD, hh:mm A\"}}\ndate_clipped: {{date|date:\"YYYY-MM-DD, hh:mm A\"}}\nurl: {{url}}\n\n#fleeting\n\n---\n\n{{content}}\n\n---",
	"properties": [],
	"triggers": []
}

Template 3 (the one that works)

• Behavior : Create New Note
• Location: _Inbox folder

{
	"schemaVersion": "0.1.0",
	"name": "NewNote",
	"behavior": "create",
	"noteContentFormat": "---\nparent:\ntags: \n - obsidian_clipper\ndate created:\ndate modified:\nprocessed: false\ndate_published: {{published|date:\"YYYY-MM-DD, hh:mm A\"}}\ndate_clipped: {{date|date:\"YYYY-MM-DD, hh:mm A\"}}\nsource_type: {{meta:property:og:type}}\nurl: {{url}}\nAuthor: {{author}}\nsite: {{site}}\nsummary_progress: L1_Notes\nzettel_type: \ntype: Zettel\nstatus:\n---\n\n{{content}}\n\n---",
	"properties": [],
	"triggers": [],
	"noteNameFormat": "{{title}}",
	"path": "_Inbox"
}

[dawni]

Oh no, I’m so sorry for not asking sooner about append. I wasn’t aware until checking the docs one last time, seconds before I was about say you had given enough info to reliably reproduce your bug.

Alas …

You were right all along. Enabling daily notes simply is a requirement for using “Add to daily note”.

[jeremiah209]

@dawni

You were right all along.

I’m just glad I’m not insane.

Thanks for the help @dawni !

Now I have to go turn everything back on