How do I install the Workspaces skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add laurigates/workspaces in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Workspaces safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. Capability flags: docs only. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Workspaces?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Workspaces free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Workspaces?

laurigates (@laurigates) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Workspaces by laurigates — Agent Skill

Name: Workspaces
Rating: 4.666666666666667 (3 reviews)
Author: laurigates

File contents

Obsidian Workspaces, Tabs & Recents

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when...	Use the alternative instead when...
Inspecting the current workspace tree, tabs, or recently opened files	Reading or writing note content — use `vault-files`
Saving / loading layouts via the Workspaces core plugin	Switching between vaults — use `vault-management`
Opening a file into a specific tab group	Triggering a generic UI command — use `command-palette`

The Workspaces core plugin must be enabled for workspace:save / :load / :delete and the workspaces list to return data. tabs, tab:open, recents, and the bare workspace tree command work without it.

Prerequisites

Obsidian desktop v1.12.4+ with CLI enabled
Obsidian must be running
For saved-layout commands: enable the Workspaces core plugin

Inspect the Current Workspace

# Tree of the active workspace (groups, splits, leaves)
obsidian workspace

# Include item IDs (needed for tab:open group=)
obsidian workspace ids

Tabs

# Open tabs in the active window
obsidian tabs

# Include tab IDs
obsidian tabs ids

# Open a file into a new tab (defaults to active group)
obsidian tab:open file="Notes/Recipe"

# Open into a specific group (use ids from `obsidian workspace ids` or `obsidian tabs ids`)
obsidian tab:open group=<group-id> file="Notes/Recipe"

# Open a non-file view (graph, file explorer, etc.)
obsidian tab:open view=graph
obsidian tab:open view=file-explorer

Recent Files

# Recently opened files (tab history)
obsidian recents

# Just the count
obsidian recents total

Saved Workspaces (core plugin)

# All saved layouts
obsidian workspaces
obsidian workspaces total

# Save the current layout
obsidian workspace:save name="Writing"

# Switch to a saved layout
obsidian workspace:load name="Writing"

# Delete a saved layout
obsidian workspace:delete name="Writing"

Common Patterns

"What is the user looking at right now?"

obsidian workspace
obsidian tabs
obsidian recents

"Open these three notes side-by-side, then save the layout"

obsidian open file="Brief"
obsidian command id=workspace:split-vertical
obsidian tab:open file="Spec"
obsidian command id=workspace:split-vertical
obsidian tab:open file="Notes"
obsidian workspace:save name="Triage"

"Restore the writing layout for a focused session"

obsidian workspace:load name="Writing"

"Open the graph view in a new tab"

obsidian tab:open view=graph

Agentic Optimizations

Context	Command
Workspace tree	`obsidian workspace`
Workspace with IDs	`obsidian workspace ids`
Open tabs	`obsidian tabs`
Recently opened	`obsidian recents`
Open file in new tab	`obsidian tab:open file=X`
Open view (graph, etc.)	`obsidian tab:open view=Y`
List saved layouts	`obsidian workspaces`
Switch layout	`obsidian workspace:load name=X`
Save layout	`obsidian workspace:save name=X`

Related Skills

vault-files — Read or write the file you just opened
command-palette — workspace:split-vertical, workspace:split-horizontal, etc.
vault-management — Switch vaults before inspecting their workspace

---name: workspacesdescription: Obsidian editor workspace: list open tabs, recent files, saved Workspaces. Use when checking what's open, switching layouts, or opening files into tabs.--- # Obsidian Workspaces, Tabs & Recents ## When to Use This Skill | Use this skill when... | Use the alternative instead when... | |---|---| | Inspecting the current workspace tree, tabs, or recently opened files | Reading or writing note content — use `vault-files` | | Saving / loading layouts via the Workspaces core plugin | Switching between vaults — use `vault-management` | | Opening a file into a specific tab group | Triggering a generic UI command — use `command-palette` | The Workspaces core plugin must be enabled for `workspace:save` / `:load` / `:delete` and the `workspaces` list to return data. `tabs`, `tab:open`, `recents`, and the bare `workspace` tree command work without it. ## Prerequisites - Obsidian desktop v1.12.4+ with CLI enabled - Obsidian must be running - For saved-layout commands: enable the **Workspaces** core plugin ## Inspect the Current Workspace ```bash # Tree of the active workspace (groups, splits, leaves) obsidian workspace # Include item IDs (needed for tab:open group=) obsidian workspace ids ``` ## Tabs ```bash # Open tabs in the active window obsidian tabs # Include tab IDs obsidian tabs ids # Open a file into a new tab (defaults to active group) obsidian tab:open file="Notes/Recipe" # Open into a specific group (use ids from `obsidian workspace ids` or `obsidian tabs ids`) obsidian tab:open group=<group-id> file="Notes/Recipe" # Open a non-file view (graph, file explorer, etc.) obsidian tab:open view=graph obsidian tab:open view=file-explorer ``` ## Recent Files ```bash # Recently opened files (tab history) obsidian recents # Just the count obsidian recents total ``` ## Saved Workspaces (core plugin) ```bash # All saved layouts obsidian workspaces obsidian workspaces total # Save the current layout obsidian workspace:save name="Writing" # Switch to a saved layout obsidian workspace:load name="Writing" # Delete a saved layout obsidian workspace:delete name="Writing" ``` ## Common Patterns ### "What is the user looking at right now?" ```bash obsidian workspace obsidian tabs obsidian recents ``` ### "Open these three notes side-by-side, then save the layout" ```bash obsidian open file="Brief" obsidian command id=workspace:split-vertical obsidian tab:open file="Spec" obsidian command id=workspace:split-vertical obsidian tab:open file="Notes" obsidian workspace:save name="Triage" ``` ### "Restore the writing layout for a focused session" ```bash obsidian workspace:load name="Writing" ``` ### "Open the graph view in a new tab" ```bash obsidian tab:open view=graph ``` ## Agentic Optimizations | Context | Command | |---------|---------| | Workspace tree | `obsidian workspace` | | Workspace with IDs | `obsidian workspace ids` | | Open tabs | `obsidian tabs` | | Recently opened | `obsidian recents` | | Open file in new tab | `obsidian tab:open file=X` | | Open view (graph, etc.) | `obsidian tab:open view=Y` | | List saved layouts | `obsidian workspaces` | | Switch layout | `obsidian workspace:load name=X` | | Save layout | `obsidian workspace:save name=X` | ## Related Skills - **vault-files** — Read or write the file you just opened - **command-palette** — `workspace:split-vertical`, `workspace:split-horizontal`, etc. - **vault-management** — Switch vaults before inspecting their workspace

Frequently asked questions

Workspaces