Obsidian Auto Created Date

An Obsidian plugin that automatically appends a created date to new tasks containing a chosen tag (e.g. #task).

Supports converting plain tagged lines into checklist items and optionally skipping checked tasks.

Features

• Automatically append created date when you press Enter after a matching task line.
• Works with any tag (default: #task).
• Two created date formats:
  • ➕ YYYY-MM-DD
  • created: YYYY-MM-DD
• Optional: convert plain tagged lines (#task Do something) into checklist items (- [ ] #task Do something).
• Optional: skip checked tasks (- [x] ...).
• Detects and ignores lines that already have a created date.
• Works on desktop and mobile.
• Optional safeguard: only activate if tag already exists in vault.

Installation

1. Manual Install

1. Download the latest release from Releases.
2. Extract into your vault’s plugin folder: /.obsidian/plugins/obsidian-auto-created-date/
3. Ensure the folder contains:
   • main.js
   • manifest.json
   • versions.json
4. In Obsidian: Settings → Community plugins → Disabled safe mode → Enable this plugin.

2. BRAT (Beta Reviewers Auto-update Tester)

If you want automatic updates for the GitHub version:

1. Install BRAT from Community Plugins.
2. In BRAT:
   Add Beta plugin → GitHub repo URL → https://github.com/<your-username>/obsidian-auto-created-date

Settings

Setting	Description
Task tag to watch	Only lines with this tag get a created date. Default: #task
Created date style	Choose between ➕ YYYY-MM-DD or created: YYYY-MM-DD
Date format	Moment.js format string. Default: YYYY-MM-DD
Require tag to exist in vault	Only activates if the tag is present somewhere in your vault on load
Convert plain tagged lines	Turn #task Do X into - [ ] #task Do X
Skip checked tasks	Ignore - [x] tasks (no date appended)

How it Works

1. Listen for the Enter key when editing a Markdown file.
2. Check the previous line for:
   • The specified tag
   • Task syntax (- [ ])
   • No existing created date
3. Optionally convert plain tagged lines into tasks.
4. Append the created date in your chosen style and format.

Diagnostics

The settings tab includes:

• Run Test on Previous Line — Checks and updates the line above the cursor.
• Insert & Test — Inserts a sample task, then runs the update logic.

versions.json

The plugin ships with a versions.json file so Obsidian knows the minimum app version for each release.

Development

Clone this repo into your .obsidian/plugins folder:

cd /path/to/your/vault/.obsidian/plugins

git clone https://github.com/<your-username>/obsidian-auto-created-date