Web Clipper Templates
ADHD-friendly web clipping: Capture now, organize later.
Philosophy
Traditional web clippers require decisions at capture time:
- •Which template to use?
- •Is this a recipe or an article?
- •Should I tag it now?
This cognitive load fights against ADHD brains. Our approach: capture everything with zero decisions, classify automatically during review.
The Single Template Approach
One template (capture.json) captures everything to 00 Inbox/ with minimal metadata:
yaml
type: clipping source: <url> clipped: <date> domain: <domain>
No decisions required. No analysis paralysis. Just capture.
Classification Pipeline
code
Capture → para scan → para enrich → para execute (Web Clipper) (classify) (transcripts) (templates)
1. Capture (Web Clipper)
- •Use single Capture template
- •Zero decisions required
- •All clips go to
00 Inbox/
2. Classify (para scan)
Automatic detection from URL patterns and content:
| Type | Detected From |
|---|---|
| 🎬 youtube | youtube.com, youtu.be |
| 🐙 github | github.com |
| 💬 social | twitter.com, reddit.com |
| 📚 documentation | docs., developer. |
| 🍳 recipe | Recipe sites, ingredients |
| 🛍️ product | amazon, ebay, prices |
| 🎧 podcast | spotify episodes, apple podcasts |
| 📖 book | goodreads |
| 📰 article | Default for articles |
| ✂️ generic | Fallback |
3. Review Prompt
During interactive review, you're asked:
"Why did you save this? (Enter to skip)"
Optional - stored in frontmatter as capture_reason.
4. Enrich (para enrich)
- •YouTube clips get transcripts (via Firecrawl)
- •Bookmark clips get full page content
- •Other enrichments as needed
5. Execute (para execute)
- •Apply vault templates
- •Add emoji prefixes
- •Move to final location
Installing the Template
- •Open Obsidian Web Clipper settings
- •Go to Templates section
- •Import
capture.json - •Set as default template
Template Location
code
plugins/para-obsidian/templates/webclipper/capture.json
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Fix |
|---|---|
| Template won't import | Check JSON syntax with jq |
| Clippings not in inbox | Verify path is set to 00 Inbox |
| Missing metadata | Re-import template (Web Clipper caches) |
Technical Notes
JSON Template Structure
json
{
"schemaVersion": "0.1.0",
"name": "Capture",
"behavior": "create",
"noteNameFormat": "{{domain|safe_name|trim}} {{date:YYYY-MM-DD-HHmmss}}",
"path": "00 Inbox",
"noteContentFormat": "# {{title}}\n\nContent here...",
"properties": [
{
"name": "type",
"value": "clipping",
"type": "text"
}
]
}
Filter Syntax Quick Reference
code
{{variable|filter}}
{{variable|filter1|filter2}} # Chained filters
{{variable|filter:"arg"}} # Filter with argument
{{variable|replace:"search":"replace"}} # Simple replacement
{{variable|replace:"/regex/":"replace"}} # Regex replacement
Common Filters
- •
safe_name- Convert to safe filename - •
trim- Remove leading/trailing whitespace - •
date:"YYYY-MM-DD"- Format date - •
replace:"search":"replace"- Replace text
CRITICAL: Always add |trim after |safe_name in noteNameFormat to prevent trailing whitespace.
References
For advanced usage and troubleshooting:
- •Filter syntax:
./references/filter-syntax.md- Complete filter reference - •Export script:
./references/export-script.cjs- Template export utility - •Troubleshooting:
./references/troubleshooting.md- Detailed debugging guide
Official Documentation
- •Templates: https://help.obsidian.md/web-clipper/templates
- •Variables: https://help.obsidian.md/web-clipper/variables
- •Filters: https://help.obsidian.md/web-clipper/filters