Mdnotes in Zotero

Basement
1

Hello,
I’m using Zotero with mdnotes to export my notes & annotations into Obsidian. If I right click on a Zotero item, I can use two options with mdnotes: ‘export to markdown’ and ‘create full export note.’ The first option provides the following information.

Title

Metadata

  • Item Type:
  • Authors:
  • Date:
  • Date Added:
  • URL:
    *DOI:
  • Cite key:
    *Topics:
  • PDF Attachments

Abstract

Zotero links

  • [Local library]
  • [Cloud library]

Highlights and Annotations

But the Highlights and Annotations section simply provides links to a separate file of extracted annotations.

And the second option creates the file with annotations and my notes, but not metadata or abstract.

I want to use only one mdnotes file for Obsidian. Is there any way to make a note file that includes metadata, abstract, extracted annotations & my notes altogether?

Thanks

2

Hi! I think this is what you’re looking for.

3

Make sure your Mdnotes settings are set to ‘Single file’ and then use the ‘Create full export note’ option. Try it out with the standard templates, but you may need to tweak them to get it to render how you want.

In a nutshell, the full export makes one .md file that first takes the contents of the template ‘Mdnotes Default Template.md’ (this is where metadata, links, abstracts, etc can be brought in from) then adds your notes and extractions using the ‘Zotero note template’ (notes and annotations). It iterates the note template over each of your notes, so if you have a standalone note and extracted highlights, you’ll get it twice. This is fine, depending on how you have the content/templates set up.

Configuring templates and output is a pretty deep rabbit hole that I keep falling jumping down. You’ll probably want to review this great writeup (maybe minus the dataview bits unless you want them too - I don’t use much dataview tbh) and really read over the Mdnotes docs (first link).

Good luck. I’ve been happy with this approach so far.

edit after re-reading your post - It looks like you just need help setting up the templates. Start with the first link I gave and ask questions as you come across them.

5

Hi Surjaa,
Thanks for sharing the link! It helped me a lot.

1 Like
6

Hi Erisred,
Thanks for sharing the link! As suggested, I created a new template. The mdnote from the ‘create full export note’ provides ‘Mdnote file name: [[file name]]’ although the new template I created does not include that option. As I use just one note file, that information is not needed. Do you any ideas to remove it?

1 Like
7

Hmm. If it isn’t there, you shouldn’t be getting it.
Starting with the obvious - you’ve verified the templates are found for the export? By that I mean, did the output change to match your changed template (at least the top portion of it)?

Did you set up a template for Zotero Note Template.md? The default there has this link, since the idea is (if you export multiple pages) it will link back to the main ‘metadata’ document.
If not, add it. You’ll want to make it simple, since you’re just essentially adding it to the bottom of the ‘Mdnotes Default Template’

In the Docs regarding single files, it suggests this as a note template:

{{tags}}
{{related}}

{{noteTitle}}

{{noteContent}}

no other headers or styling, since again, this is just added to the other file

Mine is a little different. I like having an hr line to separate the notes (I have ‘related’ on the default note, no reason to double up):

---

## {{title}}

{{noteContent}}
tags: {{tags}}

If you still have issues, please share the contents of your templates Mdnotes Default Template.md and Zotero Note Template.md and I’ll have a go at them.

Good luck!

1 Like
8

Thanks for the suggestions! I created a Zotero Note Template.md, and it worked well. Now my mdnotes file include all the information I wanted it to have.
Thanks again.

1 Like
9

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