Timed Posts Plugin for Obsidian

A focused writing plugin that creates time-limited posts. Write within your deadline or the post gets archived/deleted - no extensions, no excuses!

Features

• ⏱️ Time-Limited Writing: Set a timer when creating a new post (default: 60 minutes)
• 📊 Status Bar Countdown: Live countdown timer in the status bar
• ⚠️ Warning System: Get notified when time is running low (default: 5 minutes)
• 🎯 Grace Period: 10-second final warning with option to complete or let it fail
• 📁 Smart Archiving: Failed posts are archived by default (not permanently deleted)
• 🎨 Template Support: Use custom templates for your timed posts
• 🔔 Frontmatter Tracking: All timer metadata stored in note frontmatter

How It Works

1. Start a Timed Post

   • Click the clock icon in the ribbon, or
   • Use Command Palette: "Start Timed Post"
   • Enter your desired duration in minutes
   • A new note is created and the timer starts

2. Write Your Post

   • The status bar shows your remaining time
   • You'll get a warning when time is running low
   • Focus on completing your writing within the deadline

3. Complete or Fail

   • To complete: Use Command Palette → "Complete Timed Post"
   • If time expires: A grace modal appears with two options:
     • "Complete now" - Save the post
     • "Let it fail" - Archive/delete the post
   • After the grace period (10 seconds), the post is automatically archived

Commands

• Start Timed Post: Begin a new timed writing session
• Complete Timed Post: Mark the current post as complete
• Cancel Timed Post: Immediately archive/delete the current post

Settings

Timer Settings

• Default duration: How long each timed post lasts (default: 60 minutes)
• Warning threshold: When to show the low-time warning (default: 5 minutes)
• Grace period: Final warning time before archiving (default: 10 seconds)

File Management

• Deletion mode: Choose what happens to failed posts:
  • Archive to folder (recommended) - Moves to "Failed Timed Posts" folder
  • Obsidian trash - Uses Obsidian's trash
  • System trash - Uses your OS trash
  • Permanent delete - Deletes immediately (use with caution!)
• Archive folder: Where failed posts are moved (default: "Failed Timed Posts")
• Timed posts folder: Where new timed posts are created (empty = vault root)
• Template file path: Optional template to use for new posts

UI Settings

• Show status bar: Toggle the countdown timer in the status bar

Frontmatter

Timed posts include metadata in their frontmatter:

---
timed-post: true
timed-created-at: 2025-01-04T14:30:00.000Z
timer-expires: 2025-01-04T15:30:00.000Z
---

When completed:

---
timed-post: false
completed-at: 2025-01-04T15:15:00.000Z
---

When failed:

---
timed-post: false
failed-at: 2025-01-04T15:30:00.000Z
failed-reason: expired
---

Use Cases

• Focused Writing Sessions: Force yourself to write without overthinking
• Timed Journaling: Quick daily reflections with a time limit
• Brainstorming: Rapid idea generation under time pressure
• Writing Sprints: Pomodoro-style writing sessions
• Draft Creation: First drafts without perfectionism

Design Philosophy

This plugin is intentionally strict:

• No extensions: You get your time and that's it
• Single active timer: Focus on one post at a time
• Archive by default: Failed posts aren't lost, just moved
• Restart-resilient: Timer survives app restarts and sleep

The goal is to create productive pressure that helps you write without overthinking.

Installation

From Obsidian Community Plugins (Coming Soon)

1. Open Settings → Community Plugins
2. Search for "Timed Posts"
3. Click Install, then Enable

Manual Installation

1. Download main.js, manifest.json, and styles.css from the latest release
2. Create a folder: {VaultFolder}/.obsidian/plugins/timed-posts/
3. Copy the files into that folder
4. Reload Obsidian
5. Enable the plugin in Settings → Community Plugins

Development

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build for development (watch mode)
npm run dev

# Build for production
npm run build

Support

If you encounter issues or have suggestions, please open an issue on GitHub.

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details.

Credits

Inspired by the concept of time-boxed writing and the Pomodoro Technique.