EDIT: The official Obsidian Web Clipper is now available and can be downloaded for all major browsers:
Hi Everyone,
I am new to Obsidian community, and, firstly I must say this is just awesome community, and Obsidian wonderful + promising app… Anyway, I am learning to use Obsidian step-by-step of course constantly using it; one thing I find Obsidian lacks is either the plugin or outside-the-app gadget like WebClipper. Well, I went through forum and it is still very, not confusing, but kind of limited:
If anyone has the idea how to make WebClipper with the following:
to simplify web article (exactly what Evernote does);
to Bookmark page simply by making it as a link and to store it in a separate folder/note.
to take a screenshot or even full page (but I guess that can be tricky with all conversions to .md, but anyway who needs full web page?)
I have searched high and low for many types of Web clippers, so far, only MarkDownload is able to do what i want it to do - clip important web pages in my notes.
MarkDownload is really a fantastic web clipper. It even most recently has an Obsidian integration.
You can activate it using the following:
All you need to do is specify your vault name and folder to save to.
Disable and enable back the extension
Go to your ay web page you would like to clip, right-click and select “MarkDownload → Send tab to Obsidian”
@thisisclement
markDownload cannot solve these problems:
markDownload cannot append selected text or images in existing notes.
markDownload cannot save one image and add its path is existing notes.
markDownload cannot take screenshot and insert into vault then add its path is existing notes.
To fix this issues i created chrome extension markClipper https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/markclipper-obsidian-web/mcbhalpamcihagflkpllacdcfmmnjemn
Read more about markClipper at Github https://github.com/anilkumarum/mark-clipper
@zenman
I created chrome extension that fulfill all your requirement.
Chrome extension name: markClipper.
markClipper simplify web article from current tab or all tabs. markClipper directly write clip articles into obsidian vault. No obsidian plugins or config required.
markClipper can copy or append bookmark page as markdown link [page’s title](page’s url) into existing notes.
markClipper take screenshot and insert into vault then add its path is existing notes.
find markClipper in chrome web store https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/markclipper-obsidian-web/mcbhalpamcihagflkpllacdcfmmnjemn
Read more about markClipper at Github https://github.com/anilkumarum/mark-clipper
Hi. How markClipper determines which note to write into? It sounds insecure if markClipper is given full access to the entire vault considering that chrome extensions can update automatically. In my opinion using clipboard or share menu in mobile should be good balance between security and usability. What is useful is to have screenshot with original source information (this on mobile devices too).
The official web clipper is a nice step in the right direction, but it isn’t good for a permanent archive since attached images are link to their Internet sources. If any of those websites go offline, the clipped page will no longer be readable.
I guess I’ll stick with Joplin or DevonThink for archiving web pages.
Obsidian is getting closer to their functionality, slowly but surely.
For an example, I clipped this page for reference to a Linux command. it has screenshots of the commands output that would disappear if the website went offline.
First Obsidian web Clipper is great, theres no doubt.
Still, there’s yet some room for improvement, in the sense it doesn’t include some basic features like adding code blocks (fenced blocks).
I’ve been told to use obsidian web clippers templates to include code blocks, but by all respect, some features need simply to work out of the box.
Also not OK, if images are linked to websites and not, downloaded, local images.
Just adding this critique in the hope to see further updates of Obsidian web clipper.
My usual way to download info was deathau’s Markdownload plugin. (BTW, every single plugin of deathau was amazing, a pity he disappeared online, hope he’s well)
Recently, my chrome-based web browser started to warn me from outdated plugins so I expect some extensions won’t work anymore in the near future.
You can use the Local Image Plus plugin to download linked images to your vault. Thats what I do. Clip the page with Obsidian clipper, then load it’s images with the plugin.
Of course it would be better, if clipper could download images itself, but until it implemented, this solution works pretty well for me.
Also it has to be said that downloading images should be optional in any case. If web clipper implemented it natively, it should come as an optional setting. Many users use cloud sync and large vaults with thousands attachments can have syncing problems on mobile. Additional storage also cost extra money. Local image plus beautifully gives the option to download images to users who seek that feature. The idea of core features in Obsidian is really complex since Obsidian has become to be known for its flexibility.
I have an issue while saving x threads, while it works great, some of them are not saved entirely, just part of thread. I tried to scroll down to end of the thread to load all page but it saved me only second half of the thread.
Still to reduce plugins I prefer my own scripts to download images, if I can’t get multiple functions in one plugin. Just mentioning Deathau’s software bc his software was always very feature-complete no matter what he touched and I like his work very much.
Usually pages I download don’t have too much images. Probably some users like to transform obsidian in a photo galley, I argue there are better tools for that job.
Well OK for me too, if downloading images is a toggle. To everyone the right tools.
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