Template Workbench

Describe the note you want. Your agent edits and tests its templates against your Zotero library, so you do not need to write Liquid or Eta yourself.

When to use it

Use the Template Workbench when you know how the rendered Markdown should look. Describe the result in plain language. The Workbench can also help an agent diagnose incorrect output or rendering errors.

How the parts fit together

The Template Workbench is a set of ZotLit commands in the Obsidian CLI. It lets an agent inspect current template state and source. The agent can also inspect template data from your Zotero library and render changes in memory. The Workbench also configures managed frontmatter through the same CLI.

The ZotLit skill is published with the identifier zotlit-template. Its current template workflow uses the Workbench to inspect, edit, and test templates. Claude Code, Codex, and pi can use it.

The Workbench Guide is the live usage guide built into ZotLit. It matches the commands in your installed plugin version. The ZotLit skill sends the agent to this guide for current instructions.

For current command help, use:

obsidian help zotlit
obsidian zotlit:template-guide

Inspection and editing have separate boundaries

The Workbench inspects Zotero data and renders templates in memory. These operations do not write to your vault or Zotero library.

Your agent edits template files through its vault-aware file tools. Those edits change files in the selected vault. You can ask the agent to show the rendered Markdown before it finishes.

Frontmatter commands write to plugin settings, not vault files or Zotero data.

JavaScript templates keep their consent boundary

Liquid remains available without extra consent. Eta templates and JavaScript managed frontmatter fields require the JavaScript Templates gate.

You enable this gate explicitly on each device. The Workbench does not change this setting. An agent must ask you to enable it in ZotLit settings.

Managed frontmatter configuration

Managed frontmatter fields are YAML properties in literature note frontmatter whose values come from template expressions. ZotLit re-evaluates them on every note update. The Workbench can manage these field templates through CLI commands: an agent can list configured fields, evaluate them against a Zotero item, and add, patch, reorder, or remove entries.

These commands write to the plugin's settings service. The settings modal, template compilation, and frontmatter sync all observe the same change. For manual configuration in the UI, see Configure frontmatter properties. For field mechanics and merge strategies, see Frontmatter reference.

For the full command reference, use the built-in guide:

obsidian zotlit:template-guide topic=frontmatter

Template Workbench and Template Data Explorer

The Template Workbench gives an agent data and in-memory rendering through the command line. The agent can then edit and test your template files.

The Template Data Explorer is a visual sidebar for you. It lets you browse current template data and copy paths or snippets while editing templates yourself.

Both use the same side-effect-free data resolution. Browsing and rendering do not create notes or import attachments.

See also