Install and connect
- In Obsidian, open Settings → Community plugins.
- Select Browse, search for Note Colab, then install and enable it.
- Review the first-use explanation and select Connect to notecolab.com. No email address or password is required.
If you self-host, open Settings → Note Colab, enter the server origin without /api/v1, then connect. A different server creates a separate identity.
Create a share
- Open a Markdown note.
- Open the command palette with Ctrl/Cmd+P.
- Run Note Colab: Share note.
- Choose view-only, editable, or invited access. Set an expiry if the access mode supports it.
- Select the share action and send the complete link, including the part after
#.
Sign in and recover an account
You can use your User ID and Note Colab password on the web. If your server advertises Google or GitHub, you can also link that provider from plugin Settings or the dashboard. Each login creates an independent browser session that you can revoke without signing out your other devices.
Provider sign-in does not unlock encrypted notes or replace a plugin installation. A new browser still needs your Note Colab password to derive the vault key. Restoring the plugin still requires the saved User ID and password, and explicitly replaces the old plugin credential and device encryption key.
Choose an access mode
| Mode | Use it when | Who can open it |
|---|---|---|
| View-only link | You want a clean reader or a locked, updating copy in another vault. | Anyone with the complete link. |
| Editable link | A small group needs to edit without an account invitation. | Anyone with the complete link. |
| Invited collaborators | Access should be tied to named Note Colab identities. | People you explicitly invite on the same server. |
Open and manage shared notes
- Open a link in the browser to read or edit according to its permission.
- Run Note Colab: Import shared note to bring a link into Obsidian.
- Run Manage shared links to create, copy, expire, or revoke individual links.
- Run Revoke note share to remove the server copy and disable its links.
- Keep the generated
colab_*frontmatter. It is how the plugin reconnects to the share.
Publish a folder
Run Note Colab: Share folder, enter a vault-relative folder path, choose read-only or editable access, then review the file list before publishing. Markdown files and supported embedded images are included recursively.
Run the command again for the same folder to publish additions, edits, and renames or resume a partial failure. A local deletion removes the file from the next folder index but does not delete its remote share. Revoke old remote notes individually when needed.
Troubleshooting
The share command is unavailable
Make sure a Markdown file is open and active.
A collaborator cannot accept an invitation
Invited access requires both identities to be on the server hosting the note. Ordinary links can be opened across servers.
Typing disappears while another sync plugin is active
Update SimpleSync to version 0.1.28 or later on affected devices, then test with a disposable note.
Connection fails
Check the Server URL in Note Colab settings and try again. The status page shows current hosted-service readiness.
Still stuck?
Open a GitHub issue. Do not include private notes, complete share links, API keys, or recovery material.