Sharing notes with non users

[tbjones]

Things I have tried

What I’m trying to do

I just want to be able to share a note with people who don’t use Obsidian. I am transitioning from Apple Notes to either Obsidian or Roam Research, and the ability to share is essential for me. This function is incredibly easy in Apple Notes.

[Tolex]

I’m pretty sure you can just, while in edit mode, select everything with Ctrl+A and then copy and paste it somewhere where you need it (messengers, email, etc…)

[tbjones]

Yeah, but with apple notes I can update a note after it has been shared and it updates for everyone I shared it with. Plus, when you copy and past from Obsidian to some other place, the formatting gets messed up.

[Dor]

@tbjones

with apple notes I can update a note after it has been shared and it updates for everyone I shared it with.

This is the type of thing that won’t work with local notes. I assume that you have some type of sync/backup system. You should be able to share the note from that.

@tbjones

when you copy and past from Obsidian to some other place, the formatting gets messed up.

That will depend on how you do it and what you are trying to paste it to. Ought to be straightforward with places that understand markdown.

[tbjones]

@tbjones

with apple notes I can update a note after it has been shared and it updates for everyone I shared it with.

@Dor

This is the type of thing that won’t work with local notes. I assume that you have some type of sync/backup system. You should be able to share the note from that.

Do you know if the ability to share notes and have them update for those they are shared with gets enabled if you buy the sync add on?

[Dor]

@tbjones

Do you know if the ability to share notes and have them update for those they are shared with gets enabled if you buy the sync add on?

I’m afraid I don’t, but I doubt it.

But a local backup program would only need one-way saving (so no potential for conflict). That file backup could be in a local Dropbox folder, and you could share that from Dropbox. Shouldn’t be any need to pay for anything.

[tbjones]

I really appreciate your help on this btw.

@Dor

But a local backup program would only need one-way saving (so no potential for conflict). That file backup could be in a local Dropbox folder, and you could share that from Dropbox. Shouldn’t be any need to pay for anything.

I actually did this with iCloud and it worked, but the problem is that I lose all my formatting and it shows all the brackets, asterisks, hashtags, etc.

[Dor]

@tbjones

I actually did this with iCloud and it worked, but the problem is that I lose all my formatting and it shows all the brackets, asterisks, hashtags, etc.

Potentially one of two isssues. One is that the program they are trying to use to read the note can’t interpret Obsidian’s markdown. In that case, you’d probably need to share a rendered version of the file - but that would require you to rerender every time you made edits. But it’s likely to be easiest for you if they’d install a program that can read Obsidian’s markdown.

The other solution would be to use the Publish (paid) service or to set up one of the free (but more complicated) alternatives mentioned on the forum.