Getting started

Getting started

NameGuard keeps note names unique across your whole vault. When you create, move, or rename a note in a way that would collide with a name that already exists somewhere else, NameGuard stops the operation before it happens.

This matters most when New link format is set to Shortest path when possible, because that is when Obsidian silently rewrites your existing [[wikilinks]] to keep them unambiguous. See How it works for the details.

Install

1. Download main.js, manifest.json, and styles.css from the latest release.
2. Copy them into <your-vault>/.obsidian/plugins/name-guard/.
3. Reload Obsidian.
4. Open Settings → Community plugins and enable NameGuard.

To build from source instead:

bun install
bun run build

The mental model

Think of a note’s name (its file name without the folder and extension) as a unique key. With NameGuard enabled and your vault in shortest-link mode:

• Creating projects/Foobar.md when notes/Foobar.md already exists → blocked.
• Renaming or moving any note into the name Foobar while Foobar exists → blocked.
• Creating notes/Foobar.md when no other Foobar exists → allowed.
• Moving notes/Foobar.md to archive/Foobar.md (same name) → allowed, because no new name is introduced.

Two notes that were already named the same before you installed NameGuard are left alone. NameGuard only guards new collisions.

First run

NameGuard works immediately with its defaults — there is nothing to configure. When it blocks an operation, you’ll see a short notice telling you which existing note caused the conflict. Rename your new note to something unique, or temporarily disable the plugin under Settings → Community plugins.

Quick try-out

1. Confirm Settings → Files and links → New link format is Shortest path when possible.
2. Create a note called Foobar in any folder.
3. Try to create another note called Foobar in a different folder.

The second creation is blocked, and the first note’s links stay exactly as you wrote them.