Use with QuickAdd

Build your own capture and note workflows with the QuickAdd plugin and the PodNotes API, such as a comment next to each timestamp or a note template that asks you questions. PodNotes alone captures timestamps and creates episode notes.

Install and enable QuickAdd from Settings → Community plugins first.

Capture a timestamp with a comment

A Capture choice, with no macro, writes a timestamp link and your comment on a new line below the cursor:

- [00:12:41](obsidian://podnotes?...) Why tariffs raise prices

In Settings → QuickAdd, select New choice.
Select Capture.
Set Name to Podcast timestamp.
Turn on Capture to active file.
Set Write position to New line below cursor.

In Capture format, enter:

- ```js quickadd
const podnotes = this.app.plugins.plugins.podnotes.api;
return podnotes.getPodcastTimeFormatted("HH:mm:ss", true);
``` {{VALUE}}

Play an episode in PodNotes.
Open the note you want to write in, in editing view.
Place the cursor where the timestamp goes.
Run QuickAdd: Run.
Select Podcast timestamp.
Type your comment.

The js quickadd inline script returns the playback time, and true makes it a link. For other formats, use the time tokens. To subtract reaction time, pass seconds as a third argument. To capture 5 seconds earlier, the script’s return line becomes:

return podnotes.getPodcastTimeFormatted(
  "HH:mm:ss",
  true,
  5,
);

Without a loaded episode, the call fails with No podcast loaded.

To run the capture from a hotkey:

In Settings → QuickAdd, select Command palette: Podcast timestamp, the lightning icon next to the choice.
In Settings → Hotkeys, assign a hotkey to QuickAdd: Podcast timestamp.

QuickAdd’s Capture docs describe the other options.

Create an episode note from your own template

This macro runs a user script that saves the loaded episode’s fields as QuickAdd variables. A Template choice then fills your template with them and asks you for the rest.

QuickAdd cannot read scripts in .obsidian or other hidden folders. In a text editor, create scripts/podnotes-episode.js in a visible folder of your vault:

module.exports = async (params) => {
  const episode = params.app.plugins.plugins.podnotes?.api?.podcast;
  if (!episode) params.abort("Load an episode in PodNotes first.");

  params.variables.title = episode.title;
  params.variables.podcast = episode.podcastName;
  params.variables.url = episode.url;
  params.variables.artwork = episode.artworkUrl ?? "";
  params.variables.fileName = episode.title.replace(/[\\\/:*?"<>|#^[\]]/g, "");
};

Create Templates/Podcast episode.md:

---
podcast: "{{VALUE:podcast}}"
guest: "{{VALUE:guest}}"
---
# {{VALUE:title}}

![]({{VALUE:artwork}})

{{VALUE:url}}

## Notes

In Settings → QuickAdd, select New choice.
Select Macro.
Set Name to Podcast episode note.
On the Podcast episode note page, under Commands, next to User scripts, select Browse.
Select scripts/podnotes-episode.js.
In the command bar, select Template. QuickAdd adds Untitled Template Choice after the script.
Select Configure Untitled Template Choice, the gear icon next to it.
Set Template path to Templates/Podcast episode.md.
Set File name to {{VALUE:fileName}}.
Load an episode in PodNotes. It can be paused.
Run QuickAdd: Run.
Select Podcast episode note.

QuickAdd asks you for guest, which the script does not set. For the other episode fields, see podcast.

PodNotes finds an episode note only at Note creation file path, or by the episode title in that folder. Open Note, PodNotes: Create episode note, and headset capture do not find a note that QuickAdd saves anywhere else. QuickAdd’s Macros and User Scripts docs describe the macro settings.

Send a transcript to an AI prompt

This recipe has QuickAdd’s AI Assistant summarize the current episode and write the summary into the note you have open. It reads the episode’s transcript note, so transcribe the episode first.

Set up the AI Assistant

Do this once, as QuickAdd’s AI Assistant docs describe:

In Settings → QuickAdd, under AI & online, turn off Disable AI & online features.
Under AI & online, select AI Assistant.
Under Defaults, set Prompt template folder, for example to Prompts.
Under Providers, select OpenAI or Gemini.
On the provider’s page, set API key. It links a secret from Settings → Keychain.

For another provider:

Under Providers, select Add provider.
On the provider’s card, set API key.
Select Connect.

Build the prompt

In a text editor, create scripts/podnotes-transcript-prompt.js in a visible folder of your vault:

module.exports = async (params) => {
  const podnotes = params.app.plugins.plugins.podnotes?.api;
  if (!podnotes) throw new Error("PodNotes is not enabled.");

  const transcript = await podnotes.transcript;
  if (!transcript) {
    throw new Error(
      "Generate a transcript for the current PodNotes episode first.",
    );
  }

  return [
    "Summarize this podcast transcript in five bullet points.",
    "",
    "Transcript:",
    transcript,
  ].join("\n");
};

In Settings → QuickAdd, select New choice.
Select Macro.
Set Name to Transcript prompt.
On the Transcript prompt page, under Commands, next to User scripts, select Browse.
Select scripts/podnotes-transcript-prompt.js.
In your prompt template folder, create a note named Summarize transcript that contains {{MACRO:Transcript prompt}}. QuickAdd runs the macro and puts its prompt there.

Write the summary into your note

In Settings → QuickAdd, select New choice.
Select Macro.
Set Name to Summarize episode.
On the Summarize episode page, select Add AI Assistant command, the robot icon in the command bar.
Select Configure AI Assistant, the gear icon next to it.
Turn on Prompt template.
In the Prompt template field, enter Summarize transcript.md.
Set Model to one of your provider’s models.
Select Save.
In the command bar, select Capture. QuickAdd adds Untitled Capture Choice after the AI Assistant.
Select Configure Untitled Capture Choice, the gear icon next to it.
Turn on Capture to active file.
Set Write position to New line below cursor.
Set Capture format to {{VALUE:output}}.
Load the episode in PodNotes.
Open the note for the summary in editing view.
Place the cursor where the summary goes.
Run QuickAdd: Run.
Select Summarize episode.

The AI Assistant puts the model’s answer in {{VALUE:output}}, which only the later commands of the same macro can read. QuickAdd’s AI Assistant docs describe the model and output settings.