Templates

Templates let you create new notes from predefined structures. Instead of starting from a blank file and retyping the same headings, frontmatter, and boilerplate, you select a template and Noteriv inserts its content with dynamic variables expanded.

Template Storage

Templates are regular .md files stored in a Templates/ folder at the root of your vault:

vault/
  Templates/
    Meeting.md
    Project.md
    Weekly Review.md
    Daily.md

Each file in this folder is treated as a template. The filename (without extension) becomes the template's display name in the picker.

Noteriv reads the Templates/ directory each time you open the template picker. If the folder does not exist, the picker shows an empty state with instructions for creating it.

Organizing Templates

You can have as many template files as you need. Since they are sorted alphabetically in the picker, prefixing names with numbers (e.g., 01-Meeting.md, 02-Project.md) can help control the order if you have many templates.

Inserting a Template

Press Ctrl+T (or Cmd+T on macOS) to open the template picker. The picker consists of three parts:

1. Search input. Filters the template list as you type. The filter matches against template names.
2. Template list. Shows matching templates. Use the arrow keys to highlight an entry, or hover with the mouse. The selected template's preview updates in real time.
3. Preview pane. Displays the processed content of the currently highlighted template, with all variables replaced by their current values. This lets you see exactly what will be inserted before committing.

Keyboard Navigation

Mouse Navigation

Click a template in the list to insert it immediately. Hover over a template to preview it without inserting.

Template Variables

Variables use double-curly-brace syntax: {{variable}}. Noteriv replaces them at insertion time with computed values. Matching is case-insensitive and tolerates whitespace around the variable name, so {{date}}, {{Date}}, and {{ date }} all work.

Built-In Variables

Unrecognized Variables

If a template contains a variable that is not in the built-in list, Noteriv leaves it as-is. This means you can include placeholder patterns like {{assignee}} or {{project-name}} as manual fill-in reminders without them being silently removed.

Example Templates

Meeting Notes

---
tags: [meeting]
date: {{date}}
---

# {{title}}

**Date:** {{date}} ({{weekday}})
**Time:** {{time}}
**Attendees:**

## Agenda

1.

## Discussion

## Action Items

- [ ]

## Notes

Project Brief

---
tags: [project]
status: active
created: {{date}}
---

# {{title}}

## Overview

## Goals

## Timeline

| Milestone | Target Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
|  |  |  |

## Resources

## Open Questions

Weekly Review

---
tags: [review, weekly]
week-of: {{date}}
---

# Weekly Review - {{date}}

## What went well

## What could improve

## Key metrics

## Next week priorities

- [ ]
- [ ]
- [ ]

## Notes

How Processing Works

When you insert a template, Noteriv:

1. Reads the raw content of the selected template file.
2. Builds a variables map from the current date/time and the note's title.
3. Runs a single regex pass over the content, replacing every {{...}} occurrence whose inner name matches a known variable. The regex pattern is /\{\{\s*(\w+)\s*\}\}/g.
4. Inserts the processed text at the cursor position in the editor.

The entire process is synchronous after the file read, so there is no visible delay.

Combining with Daily Notes

Templates pair well with Daily Notes. After pressing Ctrl+D to create a new daily note, immediately press Ctrl+T and select your daily template. The {{date}} and {{weekday}} variables will reflect today's values.

Combining with Note Composer

If you have a template that represents a common section (e.g., a status update block), you can insert it into an existing note with Ctrl+T. The content is added at the cursor position, so templates are not limited to new-file creation.

Tips

• Keep templates minimal. A template should provide structure, not content. Leave room for the actual writing.
• Use frontmatter in templates. Pre-filling tags, status, and date fields in the frontmatter saves time and keeps your vault consistent for dataview queries.
• Name templates clearly. The picker displays filenames, so Meeting.md is better than tmpl-mtg-01.md.
• Use {{title}} for the H1 heading. This ensures the note's heading matches its filename without extra typing.
• Version your templates. Since templates are plain files in the vault, they are versioned by Git sync like everything else. You can track how your templates evolve over time.