Metadata Visuals for Obsidian

Metadata Visuals turns Obsidian frontmatter metadata into visual labels for notes, folders, and visible note Properties values.

It is built for writing, research, and project vaults where metadata such as Editing Status, Editing Stage, or Importance should be visible at a glance without storing emoji or display formatting inside the metadata value itself.

Clean metadata, visible meaning

Metadata Visuals keeps the frontmatter value clean and uses rules to control the display layer. Icon shape, colour, file name colouring, folder inheritance, and Properties value colouring are managed by the plugin.

---
Editing Status: In Progress
Editing Stage: Published
Importance: Critical
---

The stored values remain plain text. The plugin decides how those values appear in Obsidian.

What it does

• Shows File Explorer icons from frontmatter field and value rules.
• Optionally colours note and folder names in the File Explorer.
• Colours matching values in the visible note Properties panel.
• Uses one selected rule group for File Explorer visuals to avoid competing note or folder colours.
• Supports note-only, folder-only, or note-and-folder rule targets.
• Provides compact grouped settings with collapsible rule groups and drag-and-drop rule ordering.
• Includes default Editing Status rules for To Do, In Progress, and Done.
• Supports smart folder inheritance for enabled folders.
• Adds folder context-menu actions under Metadata Visuals.
• Supports bulk metadata updates for selected notes, folders, and mixed selections.
• Can import known field definitions once, then continue working without a runtime dependency on another plugin.
• Normalises older emoji-prefixed values such as red-circle To Do or green-circle Done.

Rule groups

A rule group belongs to one metadata field. For example, an Editing Status group can contain rows for To Do, In Progress, and Done. Each row controls the icon, colour, File Explorer display, target, and preview for one raw metadata value.

Only one rule group can control File Explorer note and folder visuals at a time. Properties colouring is separate and can use all matching rule groups.

Smart folders

Smart folders let a folder inherit a visual status from descendant notes. Enable a folder from the File Explorer context menu, then turn on folder inheritance for the active File Explorer rule group.

For an Editing Status workflow, folders can inherit states such as To Do, In Progress, or Done from the descendant markdown notes below them. Folder-note or dashboard files that represent the folder itself are ignored so the folder reflects the status of the work inside it.

Bulk updates

Metadata Visuals adds bulk update actions to File Explorer context menus. You can apply a configured metadata value to selected notes, selected folders, or mixed selections. Folder selections update descendant markdown notes, avoid duplicate updates from overlapping folders, preserve existing frontmatter, and create frontmatter where needed.

Field definition import

The plugin can import configured field names and possible values from known local sources, including Metadata Menu data when present. The import is a one-time copy into Metadata Visuals own settings. After import, Metadata Visuals works without Metadata Menu or any other runtime dependency.

Recommended workflows

• Editing Status: To Do, In Progress, and Done for manuscript or project progress.
• Editing Stage: First Draft, Developmental Edit, Beta Readers, Final Edit, and Published for production tracking.
• Importance: Critical, Major, and Minor for priority and review workflows.

Compatibility

Metadata Visuals is designed to support Obsidian 1.12.7. It intentionally uses the classic PluginSettingTab.display() settings UI and avoids newer APIs that would raise the compatibility floor.

The plugin stores visual rules, enabled smart folder paths, imported possible values, the selected File Explorer rule group, Properties colouring state, and rule group collapse state. It does not alter notes except when you explicitly use bulk metadata update actions.

License

Metadata Visuals uses the MIT License, with an added non-endorsement clause. Copyright is held by Wolf 359 Press AB.

The non-endorsement clause means the Wolf 359 Press AB name, Metadata Visuals name, contributor names, logos, and project branding may not be used to endorse or promote derived software without prior written permission.

Report a bug

If you find a problem with Metadata Visuals, send a short bug report. Every field is required. Attachments can be uploaded as PDF, PNG, JPG, or SVG files.

Request a feature

Use this form to suggest a feature for Metadata Visuals. Every field is required so the request arrives with enough context to assess it.

Metadata Visuals is currently in development by Wolf 359 Press AB. Screenshots and public release links will be added as release assets become available.

Metadata Visuals is an independent community plugin and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Obsidian.