Obsidian - CSV JSON Importer

Obsidian’s CSV/JSON Importer (by “Farlings”) turns spreadsheets into structured Obsidian notes in bulk—without manual copy/paste—by pairing a CSV (or JSON) data file with a simple Handlebars template that maps spreadsheet columns to note fields. The payoff is immediate: one row in a CSV becomes one new note, automatically named and populated with tags, text, and even formatted callouts.

Setup starts in Obsidian under Settings → Community Plugins → Browse, searching for “json csv importer” and installing/enabling the plugin. The installation includes a Readme that points to Handlebars template guidance (handlebarsjs.com), emphasizing that the templates can be simple for basic imports but also support more advanced templating patterns.

The workflow then becomes a three-part recipe. First, create or choose a destination folder in the vault (the demo uses an “import test” folder). Second, prepare a source file—CSV for the easiest path. CSV files carry data as plain text with no formatting, so the key requirement is the header row: the first row must contain column names that the template will reference.

Third, create a Handlebars template note inside Obsidian. The template is just a normal markdown note, but it includes placeholders in double curly braces that match the CSV column headers. In the demo, the template includes fields like name, price, and rarity, and it also demonstrates flexibility by mapping those values into a formatted table and a callout block. Once the template is written, the importer uses it as the “blueprint” for every generated note.

With the CSV and template ready, the importer runs from the plugin interface: select the CSV file, select the Handlebars template file from the vault (stored under Templates in the demo), choose which column should become the note name (the demo uses the “name” column), and select the output folder. After clicking import, the previously empty folder fills with newly created notes—one per CSV row—automatically populated with the mapped fields. The resulting notes show tags, the imported name, price, rarity, and the callout content working as intended.

Although the demo focuses on CSV, the importer also supports JSON. JSON can be more complex because it often contains nested structures (for example, a parent object with an “attributes” sub-object holding strength, dexterity, and constitution). In those cases, the Handlebars template must be written to access sub-layers, which requires consulting the plugin’s Readme. The demo notes that JSON can be made to work, but accuracy may take extra iteration.

Overall, the method is positioned as a practical way to ingest bulk datasets—such as large collections of D&D items, NPCs, monsters, or SRD content—into Obsidian notes quickly, especially for people who want an efficient import path without needing SQL or other data tooling.