How to Batch Edit Note Properties in Obsidian

Batch-editing YAML front matter in an Obsidian vault can be painful when every note needs the same property changes. A faster workflow uses the Obsidian Linter plugin to apply metadata updates across many notes in one action—adding, removing, or replacing properties without opening each file one by one.

The core setup is straightforward: install and enable Obsidian Linter, then use its options that operate on YAML front matter (Obsidian “properties” are essentially a wrapper around YAML). In the plugin settings, enabling “insert YML attributes” lets a user specify which key/value pairs should be written into the front matter. For example, adding a property like writing to daily notes can be done by turning on the attribute insertion option, then using the command palette to run a Linter command that links files and applies the property. The workflow supports different scopes: link the current file for a single note, link all files in the current folder for a subset (such as a daily notes directory), or link all files in the vault for global changes.

A practical example shows how scope matters. After removing a writing property from a single daily note, linking only that file brings the property back. Linking all files in the daily notes folder (e.g., the review and daily subfolder) removes or adds the property across every daily note in that directory, demonstrating true batch behavior. The transcript also notes a small UI quirk: a “link all files” option appeared in the command palette at one point but later wasn’t visible, so a hotkey was added to restore the ability to “lint all files in the current folder.”

Removing properties follows the same pattern. In Linter settings under the YAML front matter section, enabling “remove YML keys” and listing keys (such as reading) deletes those properties from the targeted notes. Linking the daily notes folder after this change results in the reading property disappearing from all notes in that folder.

Replacing a property requires combining operations: remove the old key and add the new one. For instance, changing a property named medium (currently set to book) into tag (set to book) is handled by configuring Linter to remove medium and insert tag with the desired value.

Beyond simple key/value edits, Linter can transform metadata formats. It can convert inline metadata into YAML front matter properties (moving tags into the properties section). It can also control what happens to the original inline tags after conversion—either leaving them in place or removing them entirely.

For users comfortable with scripting, the transcript mentions an alternative approach via a Python-based “obsidian metadata” repository. But for non-technical users, Obsidian Linter is positioned as the more accessible, one-click way to keep metadata consistent across a vault, especially for daily notes and other structured collections.