Manual Block ID Automatic Updating

[3cht3mus1k]

Obsidian still doesn’t allow for automatic updating of manual block IDs.

And as others have pointed out, this is a major problem and makes for an important fragility. Others requested this feature back in 2020.

It’s 08.21.2022 and this capability is still absent.

It’s unfortunate this core feature hasn’t been implemented and there’s no plugin.

Auto-update links to headers on header title change

Obsidian currently supports two types of links: 1) To files 2) To headings inside the files. It also supports auto-updating all backlinks when the file name is changed. It would be great if it is also possible to update the backlinks that link to the headers when the header title is changed.

[WhiteNoise]

There is right click menu on blockid for manual rename.

What are you asking here?

[CawlinTeffid]

I think they want automatic updating of block IDs they have typed (as opposed to the ones Obsidian automatically inserts when you make a block link).

[3cht3mus1k]

That’s right. I and many others have requested a feature or plugin that would engage in automatic updating of user-created, or manual, block IDs. To have to do the updating each time and in every instance points to a lot of issues that others have outlined in the other posts referenced above.

Per Obsidian, this is what a manual block ID is:

Manual block IDs
If you want human readable block IDs, you can manually put ^your-id after a block. Make sure there’s at least one space if you’re putting the ID at end of a line. To refer to complex blocks like tables, put the block ID on its own after the block, and make sure there is an empty line both before and after the block ID. After you add the block ID manually, when you refer to that block, your-id will be used instead of a randomly generated block ID. Note that only letters, numbers, and dashes are allowed in manual block IDs.

[WhiteNoise]

You are confusing me.

@3cht3mus1k

To have to do the updating each time and in every instance points to a lot of issues that others have outlined in the other posts referenced above.

This was implemented. You need to use the right-click menu on the block id.

What @CawlinTeffid is referring to is this

Automatic/inline update of links to headers and blocks when they are modified (no extra dialog window)

I have it from the horse’s mouth (Licat’s) directly: Preserve links after renaming headings has already been implemented - you just have to trigger the rename using the right click menu on the heading. Blocks don’t get renamed often so we haven’t prioritized it. My reply: The right click trigger is not workable in practice. You have to remember to do it. It should be an automatic thing, like the automatic adjustment of links when file names are changed. Licat’s explanation: Unfortunate…

or to a lesser (and more likely) extent

Add counters/markers for headings and blocks that are referenced somewhere else

It would be helpful to have some visual indication when a heading or block is referenced somewhere else in the vault (and possibly how many times). This is particularly important as a signal for the user to manually trigger the “rename header” functionality (and the upcoming rename block). A marker in the gutter could serve this purpose. The third party plugins “Strange New Worlds” and “Block-reference-count” implement similar functionality.