Where to Launch an Obsidian Plugin: The Community Directory, the Forum and Beyond
Launch an Obsidian plugin by submitting it to the Obsidian Community directory at community.obsidian.md, which needs an Obsidian account, a linked GitHub account and a GitHub release that carries main.js and manifest.json. The directory reviews the plugin automatically and shows what to correct. After it is published, announce it in the Share & showcase category of the Obsidian forum and, with the developer role, in Discord.
What does the Obsidian community directory need from you?
Obsidian’s developer docs, read on 13 November 2026, describe a flow built around GitHub. The plugin’s source and its releases live in your repository; the directory points at them and checks them. You only submit the initial version, because later releases are downloaded by users straight from your GitHub releases.
- Put
README.md,LICENSEandmanifest.jsonin the root of the repository. An excerpt of the README is shown on the public listing, and relative image links are rewritten to point at your repository. - Set
versioninmanifest.jsonto anx.y.znumber such as 1.0.0, then create a GitHub release whose tag matches it exactly. - Attach
main.jsandmanifest.jsonto the release as binary files, plusstyles.cssif you have one. - Sign in at community.obsidian.md with your Obsidian account, link your GitHub account so the directory can verify the repository is yours, and add the plugin.
- Read the automated review’s guidance, fix what it flags in the repository and publish a new release with a higher version.
Two details catch people. The manifest id must be unique across all published plugins and cannot contain the word obsidian. And although you can edit the description and press Publish at any time, the plugin will not be installable from inside Obsidian until the automated review’s errors are resolved.
Where do Obsidian users hear about a new plugin?
Users find plugins by browsing inside the app, by following forum threads and by recommendations in their own notes communities. The places below cover those three paths.
01 Obsidian Community directory
The official directory, whose entries users install from within Obsidian.
- Needs
- An Obsidian account and a linked GitHub account
- Review
- Automatic, with guidance shown in the directory; no queue time stated
- After approval
- The plugin also appears in the plugin directory on the Obsidian website
Because the review is automated, the quickest way through is to follow the checklist exactly. Obsidian’s docs also mention template repositories; if you started from one, you may skip the step of publishing your code to GitHub.
The directory entry becomes your landing page, so spend the README’s first screen on the one thing the plugin does to a vault, with a short GIF. The README template for launch can be adapted.
03 Obsidian Discord: #updates
A channel for plugin announcements in Obsidian’s Discord server.
- Gate
- Posting in #updates needs the developer role
- Our check
- We read the docs page that names the channel, not the server itself
Obsidian’s submission guide lists this channel next to the forum as the second place to announce. A short message with the plugin name, one sentence and the directory link is enough.
Get the developer role first by following the link in the guide, since you cannot post there without it. Do not paste the same long post you wrote for the forum.
04 Show HN
Hacker News’s section for things you made that readers can try.
- Fits when
- The plugin changes how a note-taker works in a way a developer would want to read about
- Skip when
- It is a small formatting tweak; the guidelines want non-trivial work
Plugins that need Obsidian installed are harder to try than a web page. Write the first comment so that someone without Obsidian can still follow what the plugin does, with a short recording.
Be ready for questions about data handling, since people on that site read manifests and permissions closely.
05 Post your build ideas (our board)
A free launch board: no account, no queue, no ads.
- Best use
- A permanent page with the directory link, written for people who have never seen the plugin
- Limit
- Few Obsidian users browse it; bring your own readers
Launch after the directory approves the plugin so the link installs. The launch page links to your repository or your directory entry as a normal followed link.
If you want a problem to solve with the next plugin, browse the productivity ideas on the board and the news and reading ideas for note-taking gaps.
What should you do after the plugin is live?
Releases are cheap because users update from GitHub, so ship small ones and write short release notes. Keep the manifest’s version in step with the release tag every time, since that is how Obsidian decides which files to download.
- Pin one issue called something like “Start here” with setup steps, so new users stop opening duplicates.
- Tag every request that more than two people make, then ship the top one and say so in the forum thread.
- Treat the plugin id as permanent. It has to be unique across published plugins, and a changed id would be a different plugin as far as the directory is concerned.
The Obsidian plugin launch playbook puts a schedule behind this. For a list of other places that take open-source add-ons, see the open source showcases, and for what to do before launch day, the open source launch checklist.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to submit every new version of an Obsidian plugin?
No. Obsidian’s guide says you only submit the initial version. After the plugin is published, users download new releases from GitHub directly inside Obsidian. For each release, update the version in manifest.json, create a GitHub release whose tag matches it, and attach the built files to that release.
What files must a plugin release contain?
The release needs main.js and manifest.json as binary attachments, plus styles.css if you use one. Your repository root also needs README.md, LICENSE and manifest.json. The release tag must match the version in the manifest, and versions use the x.y.z format, for example 1.0.0.
Can I use the word obsidian in my plugin id?
No. Obsidian’s guide says the manifest id must be unique across all published plugins and cannot contain obsidian. Pick a short id that names what the plugin does, and treat it as permanent, since a different id would be a different plugin in the directory.
Post your build ideas publishes this page and runs a free launch board that competes with some of the sites it names. Facts about other sites came from their own pages on the date shown above; terms, queues and prices change, so confirm on their sites before you decide. About the publisher.