# Local Ollama with Web Search

> Deutsche Fassung: [README.de.md](README.de.md)

An Obsidian plugin that embeds local AI models via [Ollama](https://ollama.com) directly into Obsidian. Chat assistant with web search, vault integration, persistent context and daily-note workflow. Fully local, no cloud, no API cost, no data sharing.

![Obsidian Local Ollama Screenshot](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Geolech/obsidian-local-ollama/main/screenshot.png)

## Features

### Chat and web search

- **Local queries** – chat with your local model without any internet access (`Ctrl+Enter` or the **Local Query** button)
- **Web search inside the chat** – searches via DuckDuckGo, feeds the results back as context, answers with citations like `[1]`, `[2]` (`Shift+Enter` or the **Web Search** button)
- **Summarize note** – condense the current note with one click
- **Suggest structure** – draft an outline for the active note
- **Load note as context** – attach background knowledge to the chat

### Vault integration

- **Save chat log** – stores the full chat as a Markdown file. The model proposes folder, filename and tags; you confirm in a modal. Autocomplete over all existing vault folders, live preview, YAML frontmatter, AI callout, automatic filename suffix on conflicts.
- **Daily Note** – the model drafts a concise entry (H2 heading, at most two paragraphs) from the current chat and appends it to today's daily note. Path pattern with `{YYYY}/{MM}/{DD}` placeholders is configurable. Creates file and folder if needed.
- **Load chat from note** – re-open a saved Ollama chat file inside the chat view and continue the dialogue.

### Prompt-driven save and folder creation

As of version 2.9.0 two filesystem actions can be triggered directly from the chat view through natural-language phrases, without opening the save modal.

**Create a folder**

Recognises phrasings such as:

- "create folder `Archive/2026`"
- "create a new folder `04 Resources/Drafts`"
- "make a subfolder `Raw data`"
- "add folder `02 Projects/Book`"

The path is interpreted relative to the vault root. Missing intermediate folders are created recursively. If the folder already exists the plugin reports that back as a notice and does not touch anything.

**Save the chat or the last answer into a specific folder**

Recognises phrasings such as:

- "save this to folder `04 Resources/Drafts`"
- "save the last answer as `Checklist` to folder `01 Inbox`"
- "put this in folder `02 Projects/Book`"
- "store the result as `Setup notes` in folder `04 Resources/Drafts`"

The target folder is created automatically if it does not exist yet. An optional filename can be passed with `as …`. Without a filename the plugin derives the title from the first few words of the first user prompt.

The word `folder` must appear in the prompt – without it the direct-save flow does not kick in and the save modal is shown instead.

**Scope: full chat or last answer only**

If the prompt contains a phrasing like "last answer", "last response", "the answer" or "the result", only the most recent question-and-answer pair is saved instead of the full history. In every other case the complete conversation is written.

**Path validation**

Every path is validated before any write. The following are rejected:

- empty paths
- absolute paths (leading `/`)
- relative segments (`.` or `..`)
- segments containing `< > : " | ? *` or control characters

An invalid path produces an inline notice in the chat; nothing is written.

**Conflict handling**

If the target file already exists, the plugin shows an inline prompt in the chat with four options:

- **Overwrite** – replaces the entire file content with the new chat.
- **Append** – appends only the conversation part (from `## Conversation` onwards) to the existing file, separated by a horizontal rule. The target file's frontmatter is left untouched.
- **Keep both (rename)** – writes a new file with suffix `2`, `3`, … in the same folder.
- **Cancel** – writes nothing.

The conflict prompt is not part of the saved chat and does not survive a restart.

**Relation to the existing save flow**

The **Chat log** header button and the generic phrases like "save that" still open the save modal with model suggestion, autocomplete and preview. The prompt-driven variants only kick in when a concrete folder is named in the prompt; otherwise the trigger logic falls back to the modal. All triggers share one toggle in **Trigger phrases active**.

> German prompt phrases work equivalently. See [README.de.md](README.de.md) for the German examples.

### Trigger phrases

Natural-language commands open the matching flow directly from the chat.

| Phrase | Action |
|--------|--------|
| "save that", "save this to vault", "save that as a note" | Save-chat modal |
| "save this to folder X", "put this in folder X" | Direct save (no modal) |
| "create folder X", "make a new folder X" | Create folder |
| "log this to my daily note", "add this to my daily note" | Daily-note flow |
| "save this as a daily note" | Daily-note flow |
| Any message containing "Daily Note" | Daily-note flow |

Toggle via the setting **Trigger phrases active**. German equivalents are documented in [README.de.md](README.de.md).

### Vault setup

- **PARA folder structure** – `00 Kontext`, `01 Inbox`, `02 Projekte`, `03 Bereiche`, `04 Ressourcen`, `05 Daily Notes`, `06 Archiv`, `07 Anhänge`. Alternative minimal template (just Inbox and Archive). Checkboxes per folder; existing folders are detected.
- **Default context files** – when `00 Kontext` is created, the plugin writes three starter templates into it: `Biographie.md`, `Schreibstil.md`, `Recherchevorgaben.md`.
- **Sort existing folders in** – after the setup the plugin offers to move remaining top-level folders into the PARA structure or rename them. Assignment modal per external folder. Moves run through `fileManager.renameFile`, so wikilinks are updated automatically. Conflict dialog per case: merge, rename or skip.

### Persistent context

Every `.md` file in `00 Kontext/` is automatically passed as background context to the model on **every** chat request. Filenames become subheadings, frontmatter is stripped. Hard cap at 8000 characters (configurable). This way the AI knows you, your writing style and your research preferences in every session.

### Persistence

Messages and the loaded note context survive an Obsidian restart. The last chat is back as soon as you open the chat view (capped at the last 50 messages).

## Requirements

### 1. Install Ollama

**macOS / Linux:**
```bash
curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh
```

**Windows:** installer at [ollama.com/download](https://ollama.com/download).

### 2. Pull a model

```bash
ollama pull gemma3:12b
```

Recommended models by hardware:

| Model | RAM | Strength |
|-------|-----|----------|
| `gemma3:12b` | ~8 GB | Best German output, low hallucination – **recommended** |
| `llama3.1:8b` | ~5 GB | Very stable, broad use |
| `qwen2.5:7b` | ~5 GB | Multilingual, structuring |
| `gemma3:4b` | ~3 GB | For older or weaker hardware |

> **Note on model size:** 7B and 8B models hallucinate more than 12B models. For reliable German output we recommend `gemma3:12b` on systems with at least 16 GB RAM.

### 3. Run Ollama

Ollama runs in the background after installation. Check with:
```bash
ollama list
```

## Installation

### Via the Obsidian Community Plugin store (recommended)

1. **Obsidian → Settings → Community plugins → Browse**
2. Search for **"Local Ollama with Web Search"**
3. **Install** → **Enable**

Updates will then be delivered automatically by Obsidian.

### Via BRAT (for pre-store beta versions)

1. Install and enable the [BRAT plugin](https://github.com/TfTHacker/obsidian42-brat) in Obsidian
2. Open BRAT settings → **Add Beta Plugin**
3. Enter the URL `https://github.com/Geolech/obsidian-local-ollama`
4. Click **Add Plugin** → enable the plugin

### Manual

1. Download the latest version from [Releases](https://github.com/Geolech/obsidian-local-ollama/releases)
2. Copy `main.js`, `manifest.json` and `styles.css` into `.obsidian/plugins/local-ollama-websearch/` inside your vault
3. Restart Obsidian → enable the plugin in Settings

## Setup

1. **Obsidian → Settings → Local Ollama**
2. Pick a **model** from the dropdown (populated automatically from Ollama)
3. **Vault setup** (optional, one-off): the **Create structure…** button at the bottom of the settings tab creates the PARA folders and writes the starter files into `00 Kontext/`
4. **Fill in the context files:** put your content into `00 Kontext/Biographie.md`, `Schreibstil.md`, `Recherchevorgaben.md` – from that point on the AI knows you in every session

The plugin connects to `http://localhost:11434` automatically – no further configuration needed.

## Shortcuts and buttons

| Action | Shortcut / button |
|--------|-------------------|
| Send a local query | `Ctrl + Enter` or **Local Query** |
| Start a web search | `Shift + Enter` or **Web Search** |
| Save the chat log to the vault | **Chat log** (header) |
| Daily-note entry | **Daily Note** (header) |
| Clear the chat | **Clear** (header) |
| Load a chat from a note | **Load chat from active note** (quick actions) |

All actions are also available as command palette entries.

## Settings (overview)

- **Language** – German or English
- **Model** – dropdown of all locally installed Ollama models
- **System prompt** – behaviour instruction, with a reset to default
- **Save to vault** – fallback folder, trigger phrases, default tags, open file after save
- **Vault setup** – PARA scaffolding and sorting existing folders
- **Context folder** – path, "load automatically" toggle, character cap, default files at setup
- **Daily Note** – path pattern with `{YYYY}` / `{MM}` / `{DD}` placeholders, append-by-default

## Changelog

See [CHANGELOG.md](CHANGELOG.md).

## License

MIT – Frank Lechtenberg, TH OWL