Handle spaces in Markdown links created by other apps

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Use case or problem

Standard markdown links created with other apps, e.g., vim, do not function in Obsidian as markdown links do elsewhere. Instead of taking you to the linked file, tapping or clicking on a link opens a new empty file with an altered filename. :flushed:

Proposed solution

I second this request from 2020: Reconsider requirement for markdown links to be urlencoded

I would add that creation and following of markdown links function as markdown links, i.e., type on a word or selection of text; a link is opened to a file with the chosen text suggested as file name with “md” as extent; the suggested filename is editable; once the link is created tapping or clicking on it opens the file; backspacing a where in the file takes you back to the file from which it was linked.

Current workaround (optional)

Related feature requests (optional)

I renamed the post to make clear what is being requested (original title was “Enable markdown links that function as markdown links”). @ericweir , you may also want to delete the first line and explain that the problem is spaces in URLs, because it’s not obvious from the post.

This request stems from

Here’s a relevant discussion in the forum of Commonmark, the Markdown variant that Obsidian extends:

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Thanks. No problem with the name change. It seems I don’t understand the underlying problem. If it helps others understand my concern so much the better.

Also not clear what sentence you’re suggesting I delete.

Still, I only vaguely understand the discussion in the Commonmark thread. All I know is that markdown links do not function in Obsidian the way they do in Vim with vim-markdown.

Curious: (1) How do I get markdown links in files created with vim and copied to my Obsidian vault to function as markdown links? (2) Will markdown links in files created in Obsidian function as markdown links in other plain-text markdown-sensitive editors, e.g., Vim with markdown?

The very first sentence in the original post, which asks you to remove it. :slightly_smiling_face:


You need to URL encode the URLs in the links (the address, the part in the parentheses). Mostly this means replacing spaces with %20, but some other symbols require encoding, too. I don’t have a convenient way for you to do it, but maybe someone has posted one in the forum.

Yes.

Thanks. I was able to get my imported markdown links working. Placed “%20” in the spaces. I think I’ll now be able to begin using Obsidian productively. Thanks for your help.

Would delete that first sentence but I’m not able to edit my post at this time.

Oh, well. If you search that sentence in the forum you’ll see you have plenty of company. :slightly_smiling_face:

I’m glad you got your links working!

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