Reddit Community Analysis: r/ObsidianMD

1. Data Sources & Methodology

• 311 unique posts after deduplication across 4 time periods (all-time, year, month, week), 4 pages each (16 raw JSON files)
• Date collected: April 3, 2026
• Subreddit subscribers: 302,443
• Score range: 264 to 4,673
• Median score: ~1,061 (estimated from ~155th ranked post)
• Top 25 threshold: ~1,813
• Top 50 threshold: ~1,300
• Top 100 threshold: ~1,000

This is a content strategy guide for distributing through r/ObsidianMD. The dataset skews toward high-performing posts since it draws from "top" sorting.

Cross-subreddit calibration: r/ObsidianMD peaks at ~4,673 vs r/Notion's ~5,650, r/productivity's ~53,469, r/macapps's ~2,029, and r/ClaudeAI's ~8,084. With 302K subscribers, r/ObsidianMD is roughly 1.4x r/macapps but 0.67x r/Notion. The community is highly engaged for its size -- a median score of ~1,061 is roughly 5x higher than r/macapps's median (198), reflecting an intensely loyal user base. A score of 500 is decent, 1,000+ is solid, 1,500+ enters the top 50, and 2,000+ is genuinely exceptional. The all-time ceiling of 4,673 was set by an official Obsidian team announcement (Bases launch), not user content.

2. Subreddit Character

r/ObsidianMD is a craftsman's guild where note-taking devotees show off their workshops, celebrate their tools, and fiercely protect the ethos of local-first, privacy-respecting software. Unlike r/Notion (which is a product-user support group oscillating between devotion and frustration) or r/productivity (a therapy session), r/ObsidianMD is a community that genuinely likes being here. The emotional tone is overwhelmingly positive -- users share their setups with pride, congratulate each other, and gush about the software. When conflict arises, it is almost exclusively about AI and self-promotion.

Product launches and self-promotion are explicitly hostile territory. Rule 3: "Don't shill." The CEO (kepano) posted a stickied thread scoring 1,281: "If your first post is to promote your app, you will be banned." This is not a product launch platform. It is a user community. However, Obsidian-native plugins and themes are enthusiastically welcome -- Notebook Navigator (2,136), TaskNotes (1,342), Iconic (2,097), and Retroma theme (1,834) all scored in the top tier. The distinction is sharp: if you built something for Obsidian users, you are a member of the guild. If you built something tangentially related and are here to promote it, you will be removed.

The community's core cultural values, ranked by intensity:

1. Local-first / privacy / data ownership -- This is THE defining value. "Obsidian is now free for work" (2,463, 0.99 ratio), "Your data, offline, forever, for free" (893, 1.0 ratio from kepano), "After AWS' crash/hack earlier, we made the choice to switch from Notion to Obsidian" (754). Every "I switched from Notion" post mentions data ownership. The community treats local markdown files as a moral commitment, not just a technical choice.

2. Anti-AI sentiment (strong and growing) -- "AI boosterism is ruining this community" (1,719, 0.96), "Some of y'all need to relax on using AI for note taking" (1,061, 0.94), "Can we have an AI flair, plz?" (910, 0.95), "AI sucks up all the information like a vacuum cleaner" (529, 0.92), "Writing in your own words... please!" (464, 0.78). Rule 4 now requires an "ai" flair for AI posts and bans fully AI-generated content. The community self-organized to request this flair, mods implemented it, and users celebrate this as a victory. AI-related posts consistently get lower ratios (0.78-0.95) compared to the community average (~0.98).

3. Customization as identity -- The single most prolific content category is "look at my setup." Users invest weeks in CSS, themes, and homepage dashboards, then share screenshots. "Obsidian was supposed to help me take notes. Now I'm a front-end developer" (3,274, 0.99) captures this perfectly. The community is self-aware about this tendency and finds it endearing rather than problematic. "Endlessly optimizing and organizing your vault is a legit hobby" (715, 0.98).

4. Anti-productivity-guru -- "Most productivity gurus who peddle the second brain idea aren't worth listening to" (1,318, 0.99), "Why do you take this app so serious?" (1,879, 0.95), "You guys are overthinking it" (1,019, 0.98). The community has a healthy skepticism toward Zettelkasten evangelists and YouTube productivity influencers. Users respect practitioners who use Obsidian for actual work (PhD studies, writing books, forensic research) far more than system-builders.

5. Memes are banned but humor thrives -- Rule 2 sends memes to r/ObsidianMDMemes, yet many top posts are humorous: the satirical plugin list (4,361), "Well you have to start somewhere" (2,552), "Average r/ObsidianMD user" (1,168). Humor works when it is insider humor -- jokes about graph view obsession, plugin hoarding, or spending more time customizing than note-taking.

Enforcement mechanisms: Rule 3 ("Don't shill") is actively enforced by kepano himself. The stickied anti-shill post (1,281) makes the expectations clear. There is no formal blacklist like r/macapps, but the community self-polices aggressively in comments. The AI flair (Rule 4) was added in response to community demand. Memes are redirected to a separate subreddit (Rule 2).

Technical level is intermediate-to-high. Users range from students learning markdown to PhD researchers with 20,000-note vaults, forensic scientists scripting bulk imports, and developers building full-stack plugins. The median user understands YAML frontmatter, CSS snippets, and Dataview queries. This is a technically literate audience.

3. The All-Time Leaderboard

Median score of all 311 posts: ~1,061. Top-25 threshold: 1,879. Upvote ratios are strikingly high -- 22 of the top 25 have ratios of 0.97 or higher. This community has very low contention; most content is warmly received.

4. Content Type Dominance at Scale

Most surprising finding: Posts with no flair dominate the top 25 (14 of 25) and have the highest average score. This suggests the community's most viral content transcends any single category. The "ai" flair posts average the lowest ratio (0.93), confirming the community's AI-skepticism. Theme launches ("themes" flair) have the highest average score among tagged flairs at ~1,290, suggesting the community deeply values aesthetic contribution.

5. Content Archetypes That Work

Archetype 1: "Look at My Beautiful Vault" (Showcase)

Score range: 750-3,274 | Ceiling: 3,274

• "Obsidian was supposed to help me take notes. Now I'm a front-end developer" (3,274)
• "My Obsidian setup after a month of learning" (2,025)
• "Finished making my vault cute!" (1,561)
• "Quick vault showcase after almost 4 months" (1,460)
• "Just a humble dashboard - first time making it 'nice'" (891)

The pattern: Screenshot or gallery of a polished Obsidian setup, usually with a self-deprecating title. The community rewards craft -- visible effort in CSS, layout, and design. The best performers include a story ("I spent a week on this," "my first time making it nice") rather than just showing the result. Galleries consistently outperform single images for showcases.

Distribution utility: If you build a plugin or theme, pair your launch with "here's what it looks like in my actual vault" screenshots. The community responds to lived-in setups, not marketing screenshots.

Archetype 2: "Official Team Announcement"

Score range: 735-4,673 | Ceiling: 4,673

• "Obsidian Bases — now available to everyone!" (4,673)
• "Obsidian is now free for work" (2,463)
• "I'm joining Obsidian full-time as CEO" (2,351)
• "Obsidian 1.9.0 (early access): Introducing Bases!" (2,020)
• "Obsidian Web Clipper now has YouTube transcripts" (2,187)

The pattern: All posted by kepano (the CEO). These consistently hit the top tier because the community trusts and admires the Obsidian team. The tone is direct, informative, and humble. The community celebrates these like product drops.

Distribution utility: You cannot replicate this archetype. But you can align with it -- time plugin launches near official updates ("Now that Bases is out, here's a plugin that extends it").

Archetype 3: "My Graph View / X Notes in Y Years"

Score range: 858-2,642 | Ceiling: 2,642

• "That's how 7,724 notes looks like" (2,642)
• "2 Years, 2294 notes - Obsidian helped my mental health IMMENSELY" (2,363)
• "3 years of Obsidian: 420k words, 3.3k notes" (1,679)
• "Graph View of my 15K notes" (1,245)
• "When most of your notes are your daily journal" (1,412)

The pattern: A screenshot of a large, impressive graph view paired with a milestone number (note count, years of use, word count). The community treats these as trophies -- proof of sustained commitment to the tool. The best performers add a personal narrative (mental health, PhD, career) rather than just showing numbers.

Distribution utility: If you have been using Obsidian for months, share your graph with a story. This builds credibility before any product promotion.

Archetype 4: "I Built This Plugin/Theme for You"

Score range: 738-2,136 | Ceiling: 2,136

• "Notebook Navigator is now available!" (2,136)
• "Iconic 1.1.0: Smart icons that automate themselves!" (2,097)
• "Retroma v1.0.0" (1,834)
• "Introducing Baseline: A new standard for your vault" (1,814)
• "TaskNotes is now available as a community plugin!" (1,342)

The pattern: A plugin or theme developer announces their creation with a screenshot/gallery, a clear feature list, and genuine enthusiasm. The community rewards open-source contributions lavishly. Posts that frame the creation as a labor of love ("I spent 10 months on this," "free and open source!") dramatically outperform clinical announcements. Notebook Navigator's developer (jsann) has 4+ posts in the dataset, all scoring 460-2,136, proving that sustained engagement is rewarded.

Distribution utility: This is THE pathway for product exposure on r/ObsidianMD. Build a genuine Obsidian plugin or theme that solves a real problem. Make it free/open-source. Announce it with passion. This is the only archetype where direct promotion is not just tolerated but celebrated.

Archetype 5: "Obsidian Changed My Life" (Testimonial)

Score range: 750-2,940 | Ceiling: 2,940

• "Oh my god, it's done. An entire book written in Obsidian 119k words" (2,940)
• "Obsidian Helped Me Get my Master's Degree" (1,353)
• "Bro what, how is this app free?" (1,312)
• "Thank you Obsidian team" (1,218)
• "obsidian is the first notes app that didn't fall apart after 6 months" (264)

The pattern: A heartfelt post about how Obsidian transformed the user's workflow, academic career, or mental health. The community loves these stories because they validate their own investment in the tool. The best performers are specific about the achievement (119K-word book, Master's degree) rather than generic praise.

Distribution utility: If your product or plugin helped you accomplish something real, frame the post around the achievement, not the product.

Archetype 6: "Hot Take / Community Meta-Commentary"

Score range: 464-1,879 | Ceiling: 1,879

• "Why do you take this app so serious?" (1,879)
• "AI boosterism is ruining this community" (1,719)
• "Most productivity gurus who peddle the second brain idea aren't worth listening to" (1,318)
• "You guys are overthinking it" (1,019)
• "Writing in your own words... please!" (464)

The pattern: A provocative text post challenging some aspect of the community's behavior. Works best when it is self-aware and targets a widely-shared frustration (AI spam, overcomplicated setups, guru worship). These posts generate the highest comment counts relative to score, indicating real debate.

Distribution utility: Not directly useful for product promotion, but understanding these posts reveals the community's values and pain points.

Archetype 7: "I Switched from Notion"

Score range: 750-1,917 | Ceiling: 1,917

• "Officially moved from Notion to Obsidian" (1,917)
• "Escaped Notion, Found Peace in Obsidian" (1,332)
• "Recently switched from Notion to Obsidian and loving it" (1,242)
• "After AWS' crash/hack earlier, we made the choice to switch from Notion to Obsidian" (754)

The pattern: A conversion story from a competing product (usually Notion, sometimes Evernote). The community loves these because they validate their chosen tool. The best performers describe specific frustrations with the old tool (AI bloat, slow loading, cloud dependence) and specific joys in Obsidian.

Distribution utility: If your product helps with Notion-to-Obsidian migration or solves a pain point that Notion refugees mention, this is your content framing.

6. Format Analysis

IMAGE dominates at every tier. This is a visual community -- people want to see your vault, your graph, your theme, your dashboard. GALLERY is disproportionately strong in the top 50 (20% vs 19% of all), suggesting multi-image posts outperform their base rate. TEXT posts are underrepresented in the top tiers but generate the highest C/U ratios (more discussion per upvote). VIDEO is steady across tiers and used primarily by kepano for official feature demos.

What Format to Use For What

• Plugin/theme launches: IMAGE or GALLERY. Show the finished product with 3-5 screenshots covering different use cases. Notebook Navigator's launch used a single hero IMAGE (2,136). Retroma used an IMAGE (1,834). Baseline used GALLERY (1,814).
• Vault showcases: GALLERY (4-8 screenshots of different views) or single IMAGE of the most impressive view (graph or homepage). GALLERY consistently scores higher for showcases.
• Feature discovery / tips: IMAGE of the feature in action, or GIF for interactive features. "Pro Tip: Use Call-outs" (2,777) used an IMAGE. "TIL you can do this with middle click + drag" (1,087) used a GIF.
• Discussion / hot takes: TEXT only. No image needed. "Why do you take this app so serious?" (1,879) and "AI boosterism is ruining this community" (1,719) are both pure text.
• Official updates: VIDEO demos from kepano consistently hit 900-2,187. The community expects short screen recordings showing new features in action.

What Makes a Good Demo Video

Based on top-performing VIDEO posts (all from kepano scoring 967-2,187):

1. Short and focused -- show one feature or one update, not a tour of everything
2. Screen recording, no talking head -- the community wants to see the software, not a face
3. Show the feature in a real vault -- not an empty demo vault, but with real-looking notes
4. No intro sequence or branding -- just start showing the feature immediately
5. Pair with a brief text selftext -- link to full release notes for those who want details

7. Flair/Category Strategy

Raw Performance Ranking

Distribution Utility Ranking

1. plugins (0.99 ratio, dedicated flair, community expects and rewards launches here)
2. showcase (0.98 ratio, flexible enough for "look what I built" framing)
3. themes (0.99 ratio, if you are building a theme specifically)
4. graph (0.97 ratio, good for building credibility before a launch)
5. ai (0.93 ratio, USE THIS FLAIR if your product involves AI -- not using it when your product involves AI will get you banned for violating Rule 4)

Pricing Model Hierarchy

The community does not care about pricing the way r/macapps does. Obsidian itself is free for personal use with paid Sync and Catalyst tiers. The community values:

1. Free and open-source -- universally celebrated. Every top plugin and theme is free/open-source. "Free and open-source!" is mentioned in multiple top posts.
2. Free with optional donation (Buy Me a Coffee / Ko-fi) -- well-received. Several plugin developers mention this and the community responds positively.
3. Freemium / paid tiers -- tolerated if the free tier is genuinely useful. TaskForge (paid app store listing) scored 278 with 0.98 ratio.
4. Subscription -- almost never mentioned positively. Notion's subscription is repeatedly cited as a reason people switched to Obsidian.
5. Paid templates / vaults -- risky. One user selling cybersecurity vault templates (780, 0.98) was well-received because they also shared extensive free content, but the "Don't shill" rule makes paid content precarious.

8. Title Engineering

Deconstructing the Top 10 Titles

1. "Obsidian Bases — now available to everyone!" (4,673) -- Announcement formula: Product name + feature + availability. Works only for official team.
2. "Someone put up an Obsidian flag in our school" (4,462) -- Real-world sighting: Obsidian in an unexpected physical context. Pure delight.
3. "One billion years using obsidian, here are the most essential plugins for me" (4,361) -- Absurd hyperbole + useful promise: The billion-years hook signals satire; "essential plugins" signals utility. The tension is the magic.
4. "We Won!" (3,656) -- Community victory: Two words that ride a shared emotional wave (Bases launch). Requires context the community already has.
5. "Obsidian was supposed to help me take notes. Now I'm a front-end developer." (3,274) -- Subverted expectation: Setup + punchline. The joke is universally relatable to the community (spending more time customizing than writing).
6. "Oh my god, it's done. An entire book written in Obsidian 119k words" (2,940) -- Achievement milestone with emotional exclamation: Raw excitement + specific number.
7. "Pro Tip: Use Call-outs" (2,777) -- Simple, direct utility: No cleverness, just a straightforward tip. Works because call-outs are genuinely underused.
8. "That's how 7,724 notes looks like" (2,642) -- Number flex: A specific, impressive number creates curiosity. The slightly broken grammar adds authenticity.
9. "Well you have to start somewhere" (2,552) -- Self-deprecating humor: Implies a tiny, humble start. Works because everyone remembers their first empty vault.
10. "Such a genius foolproof design" (2,513) -- Admiration of design: Celebrates the software's UX. The community loves praising Obsidian's thoughtful design choices.

Title Formulas

1. The Self-Deprecating Achievement: "I was supposed to [simple thing], instead I [impressive/absurd thing]"

• "Obsidian was supposed to help me take notes. Now I'm a front-end developer" (3,274)
• "Absolute time-waster of a daily template" (986)
• "All of these graph view posts have ruined me" (1,051)

2. The Milestone Number: "[Duration/Count] of [activity], here's [my graph/setup/result]"

• "That's how 7,724 notes looks like" (2,642)
• "3 years of Obsidian: 420k words, 3.3k notes" (1,679)
• "2 Years, 2294 notes - Obsidian helped my mental health IMMENSELY" (2,363)

3. The Emotional Declaration: "[Strong emotion] about [specific aspect of Obsidian]"

• "Oh my god, it's done" (2,940)
• "Absolutely love this software!" (1,899)
• "Bro what, how is this app free?" (1,312)

4. The Insider Joke / Cultural Reference: Requires knowing the community

• "One billion years using obsidian" (4,361 -- satire)
• "Average r/ObsidianMD user" (1,168 -- self-aware humor)
• "I stand corrected" (923 -- references own prior skeptical post about Bases)

5. The Direct Utility: "[Action verb]: [Feature/Plugin/Technique]"

• "Pro Tip: Use Call-outs" (2,777)
• "Internal note links ... how did I never know this!?" (949)
• "Just a small and simple lifehack without fancy plugins" (747)

Title Anti-Patterns

• Marketing language: No titles in the top 100 use words like "introducing," "revolutionary," "game-changing," or "ultimate" (except ironically). The one exception is official Obsidian team posts. "The Ultimate Habit Tracking and Goal Setting System" (1,155) worked only because it was a free, open-source community plugin with gallery screenshots.
• "I built X with AI": AI-flagged posts average 0.93 ratio. Mentioning AI in the title is a friction signal. "I built an Obsidian plugin that runs Claude Code" (377, 0.84) is one of the lowest-ratio posts in the dataset.
• Clickbait questions: "Is it really helping you?" (498) and "I Wish Obsidian Was Like This" (898, 0.86) both underperform because they signal complaint rather than contribution.

9. Engagement Patterns

If your goal is VISIBILITY: Use IMAGE or GALLERY format with a showcase or graph-view archetype. These get the highest raw scores with the least risk. Humor posts get enormous scores but you need insider knowledge to land them.

If your goal is RELATIONSHIPS and discussion: Launch a plugin. Plugin announcements generate the most comments per post (150+ average), and users actively engage with feature requests, bug reports, and praise. This builds lasting community presence.

Highest-Discussion Topics (regardless of score)

1. Plugin launches with feature lists -- Notebook Navigator (372 comments), TaskNotes (152), RSS Dashboard (108)
2. Official version updates -- Bases early access (396), Bases GA (423), 1.11 mobile (214-215)
3. AI debates -- "AI boosterism" (107), "Some of y'all need to relax" (169), "AI sucks up" (154)
4. "Why do you take this app so serious?" meta-discussion (262)
5. Data loss stories -- "Today my vaults were deleted" (369 comments, highest non-official)

10. What Gets Downvoted

Ratio Tiers

The ratio distribution is remarkably healthy -- 80% of posts have 0.97+ ratios. This community is overwhelmingly supportive. When friction appears, it almost always involves one of these patterns:

Anti-Pattern 1: "AI Evangelist"

• "I built an Obsidian plugin that runs Claude Code" (377, 0.84)
• "Writing in your own words... please!" (464, 0.78) -- even the anti-AI side can get friction
• "MCPVault Skill is live" (321, 0.90)
• AI-related posts consistently get 0.78-0.93 ratios vs the 0.97+ community average.

Anti-Pattern 2: "The Feature Wishlist / Complaint"

• "I Wish Obsidian Was Like This" (898, 0.86) -- lengthy complaint about markdown's linearity
• "Is it really helping you?" (498, 0.96) -- questioning the tool's value
• The community does not like posts that criticize Obsidian's fundamental design. Feature requests are fine when specific and constructive, but existential complaints about markdown being linear get pushback.

Anti-Pattern 3: "Outsider Shill"

• kepano's stickied post (1,281) explicitly threatens bans for accounts whose first post is self-promotion
• The community does not have a visible Hall of Shame like r/macapps, but the mod enforcement is swift and visible

Anti-Pattern 4: "Bible / Religion Controversy"

• "This is what it looks like to import the bible into obsidian" (2,329, 0.94) -- slightly lower than typical
• "I made a bible with 344,000 connections" (837, 0.83) -- notably low ratio
• Religious content generates unusual friction in this technically-oriented community. The topic itself creates polarization unrelated to Obsidian.

Anti-Pattern 5: "Paid Product Promotion"

• Paid products that are transparent about pricing and provide genuine value can survive (TaskForge at 278, 0.98), but any whiff of deceptive marketing will trigger Rule 3. The cybersecurity vault template post (780, 0.98) walked the line by providing extensive free value alongside the paid offering.

Anti-Pattern 6: "AI-Generated Content Masquerading as Human"

• Rule 4 explicitly bans fully AI-generated content. The community is vigilant about detecting it.

Anti-Pattern 7: "Overcomplicated Showcase That Feels Like Showing Off"

• "Organized Chaos: My All-In-One Obsidian Vault!" (1,258, 0.96) -- the defensive selftext ("I've received plenty of feedback suggesting my vault is overly complex") signals that the community pushed back. Showcases that feel like bragging rather than sharing get friction.

11. The Distribution Playbook

Phase 1: Pre-Launch (2-4 weeks before)

1. Become a real community member first. Comment on other people's showcases. Answer help questions. Share genuine tips. The community remembers usernames -- jsann (Notebook Navigator) had an established presence before launching.
2. Build something genuinely useful for Obsidian users. The only path to legitimate promotion is through a plugin, theme, or utility that runs inside Obsidian. If your product is a standalone app, you need a free Obsidian plugin that connects to it (like Obsync/Remindian did with Apple Reminders, 774 score).
3. Make it free and open-source. Every single top-performing plugin/theme in the dataset is free. If you need revenue, use donation links (Buy Me a Coffee) or offer a premium tier outside the plugin itself.
4. Use Obsidian yourself. Share your own vault setup (graph view, homepage). This builds credibility. The community can tell when someone is a genuine user vs. a drive-by promoter.

Phase 2: Launch Day

1. Format: GALLERY (3-5 screenshots) or IMAGE (single hero shot) with a detailed selftext. If you have a video demo, VIDEO also works but ensure it follows the "no talking head, screen recording only" pattern.
2. Flair: Use "plugins" for plugins, "themes" for themes, "showcase" for utilities. If your product involves AI, you MUST use the "ai" flair per Rule 4.
3. Title: Use the "I Built This For You" formula. Frame it around the user's need, not your product's features. "I missed Apple Notes, so I created it as an Obsidian plugin" (1,133) beats "Introducing MyPlugin v1.0."
4. Selftext: Include a clear feature list, installation instructions, GitHub link, and a personal story of why you built it. Mention that it's free and open-source prominently.
5. Timing: The top 10 posts span all time zones. There is no clear timing signal in this dataset. Post when you are available to respond to comments immediately.

Phase 3: First 24-48 Hours

1. Respond to every comment. Plugin launches generate 100-370 comments. Users will ask about compatibility, request features, report bugs, and compare to alternatives. Responsive developers earn long-term community goodwill.
2. Pre-written reply templates:
   • "Is this vibe-coded/AI-built?" -- "I used [specific AI tool] as a development aid for [specific tasks], but the architecture and design are my own. Here's the repo so you can see the code quality." Transparency wins. Defensiveness loses.
   • "Why not use [existing plugin X]?" -- "Great question! X is excellent for [use case]. My plugin focuses on [different use case] and also does [specific differentiator]. They're complementary, not competing."
   • "Does this work with [specific plugin/theme]?" -- "I've tested with [list]. If you find compatibility issues, please open a GitHub issue and I'll address it."
   • "Will this be maintained?" -- "I use this daily in my own vault and plan to maintain it actively. Here's my commit history: [link]."
   • "I found a bug" -- "Thanks for reporting! I've opened an issue: [link]. Will fix in the next release."
3. Do NOT edit your post to add promotional links after it gains traction. The community notices and reacts negatively.

Phase 4: Ongoing Presence

1. Post update announcements. jsann (Notebook Navigator) posted 4 separate updates, each scoring 460-2,136. The community rewards sustained development.
2. Share your personal Obsidian workflow. Between launches, post your own vault showcases, graph views, or tips. Build the reputation of someone who is "one of us."
3. Participate in meta-discussions. The community regularly debates AI, productivity philosophy, and tool comparisons. Having thoughtful opinions establishes you as a trusted voice.
4. Cross-promote carefully. Link your plugin/tool from comments on relevant threads ("I built a plugin that solves exactly this -- [link]") only when genuinely helpful. The community self-polices aggressive cross-promotion.

Score-Tier Calibration

• Plugin/theme launch: Realistic ceiling is 1,000-2,100. Notebook Navigator (2,136) is the highest non-official plugin post. Most quality plugin launches score 500-1,000.
• Vault showcase: Realistic ceiling is 1,000-1,600. Extraordinary showcases with strong narratives can hit 2,000+.
• Graph view / milestone: Realistic ceiling is 1,000-1,500. The very best with emotional narratives hit 2,000+.
• If your product is tangentially related to Obsidian (a standalone note app, an AI tool, etc.): Do not post here. Your post will be removed under Rule 3, and your account may be banned.

Post-Publication Measurement

• Ratio above 0.97 in the first 4 hours: You are safe. The community likes your content.
• Ratio 0.93-0.97: Some friction. Check comments for criticism and respond constructively.
• Ratio below 0.93: Red flag. Your post may be perceived as shilling, AI spam, or off-topic. Read the comments, consider editing your post for clarity, or accept that this content type does not resonate.
• 50+ comments in 4 hours: Excellent engagement. Respond to as many as possible.
• High comments but declining ratio: The post is generating debate. This is not necessarily bad (the AI debates score 0.93-0.96 with high comments) but means your topic is contentious.

12. Applying This to Any Project

Quick-Reference Checklist

• Is your product an Obsidian plugin, theme, or direct utility? If no, do not post here.
• Is it free and open-source? If no, be extremely transparent about pricing and provide significant free value.
• Does your product involve AI? If yes, use the "ai" flair. No exceptions.
• Have you been an active community member before this post? If no, spend 2+ weeks commenting first.
• Does your title focus on the user's need, not your product's name?
• Do you have 3-5 screenshots or a gallery showing the product in a real vault?
• Is your selftext genuine and personal, not marketing copy?
• Are you prepared to respond to 50-200+ comments within 24 hours?
• Have you included a GitHub link and installation instructions?
• Is this NOT your account's first-ever post? (Instant ban risk per kepano's stickied post)

Scenario-Based Launch Guides

If your product is free/open-source

Optimal launch formula: GALLERY format, "plugins" or "showcase" flair, title framing as "I built [tool] because [personal frustration]." Mention "free and open source" in the first paragraph. Include GitHub link. Share personal story. Key risk: Under-delivering on the promise. If your plugin is buggy or unmaintained, the community will notice. Only launch when it is genuinely usable.

If your product uses one-time/lifetime pricing

Optimal launch formula: Lead with a free Obsidian plugin that provides core functionality. Mention the paid component as an optional add-on. Example: TaskForge (278, 0.98) is a paid mobile app but was transparent about it and provided genuine value. Key risk: Being perceived as "shilling." Be extremely transparent about the paid component. Do not bury it.

If your product uses subscription pricing

Optimal launch formula: Do not lead with the subscription. Focus on what you are giving the Obsidian community for free (a plugin, a tool, a workflow). The community that left Notion specifically cites subscription fatigue. Any subscription mention should be secondary. Key risk: Immediate backlash. The community's second most-cited reason for loving Obsidian (after data ownership) is that it's free. Subscription products start at a deficit here.

If your product was built with AI

Optimal launch formula: Use the "ai" flair. Be proactively transparent: "AI (Claude) was used as a development tool during the creation of this app" (direct quote from the Obsync post at 774). Focus on the human design decisions and the genuine problem being solved. Show the code quality (GitHub link). Key risk: The community's anti-AI sentiment (0.93 avg ratio for AI-flaired posts). Being perceived as "vibe-coded" is a significant credibility hit. Preemptive transparency about AI use, paired with evidence of human craftsmanship, is the only mitigation.

Cross-Posting Guidance

Based on existing analyses of r/Notion, r/macapps, r/productivity, and others:

• On r/ObsidianMD: Frame as "I built this Obsidian plugin because [personal frustration with note-taking]." Lead with the Obsidian integration, community contribution, and open-source ethos.
• On r/Notion: Frame as "I built this because Notion was missing [specific feature]." The Notion community responds to frustration narratives about their own tool.
• On r/macapps: Frame as "macOS is missing [capability], so I built [tool]." Follow the PCP format (Problem, Comparison, Pricing). r/macapps is a product launch platform; r/ObsidianMD is not.
• On r/productivity: Do not promote directly (Rule 2 bans it). Instead, share a personal story about how your workflow improved, with the tool mentioned organically.
• On r/ClaudeAI or r/ChatGPT: If your tool uses AI, frame around the AI integration story. "I built this with Claude" is the archetype on r/ClaudeAI.