Edit the watchlist note inside Obsidian, run the template, and the rest happens automatically:

• saves the note
• stages the file
• commits only if changes exist
• pushes to GitHub

The actual repository file is a symlink pointing into your Obsidian vault, so editing the note edits the repo file directly. No manual git workflow needed afterward.

// pushwatchlist.js

const { exec } = require("child_process");

async function pushwatchlist() {

    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {

        const cmd =
            'cd /d C:\\Users\\indig\\OneDrive\\Desktop\\Saptak && ' +
            'git add projects/watchlist/watchlist.md && ' +
            'git diff --cached --quiet || ' +
            '(git commit -m "watchlist update" && git push origin main)';

        exec(cmd, (error, stdout, stderr) => {

            console.log(stdout);

            if (stderr) {
                console.error(stderr);
            }

            // git diff --cached --quiet returns exit code 1 when changes exist
            // so ignore that specific case
            if (
                error &&
                !stdout.includes("nothing to commit")
            ) {
                reject(stderr || error.message);
                return;
            }

            resolve(stdout || "done");
        });
    });
}

module.exports = pushwatchlist;

The Templater Trigger

Run this from Obsidian. It saves the current file, waits one second so the filesystem settles, then calls the Node.js helper.

<%*
try {

    await app.commands.executeCommandById("editor:save-file");

    await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 1000));

    await tp.user.pushwatchlist();

    new Notice("✅ Watchlist pushed");

} catch (err) {

    console.error(err);

    new Notice(`❌ ${err}`, 10000);
}
%>

How The System Works

The workflow depends on a symlink.

Obsidian Note
      ↓
Symlink
      ↓
Git Repository File
      ↓
Git Add → Commit → Push

Because the repo file is linked directly into the vault:

• editing the Obsidian note edits the repository file
• no export step exists
• no sync script exists
• git operates directly on the live markdown file

The Templater script becomes the entire deployment pipeline.

The Git Flow

The command chain runs in this order:

git add projects/watchlist/watchlist.md
git diff --cached --quiet
git commit -m "watchlist update"
git push origin main

What Each Step Does

git add — stages the watchlist file only.

git diff --cached --quiet — checks whether staged changes exist.

• exit code 0 → no changes
• exit code 1 → changes exist

That exit code is intentionally used as control flow.

git commit only runs if changes exist.

git push origin main only runs after a successful commit.

Required Setup

1. Create The Symlink

Windows example:

mklink "C:\repo\projects\watchlist\watchlist.md" "C:\vault\watchlist.md"

After that:

• both paths point to the same physical file
• editing either updates both

2. Add The JS File To Templater Scripts

Place the JS file inside your Templater scripts folder.

Example:

Vault/
└── scripts/
    └── pushwatchlist.js

3. Enable User Scripts In Templater

Inside Templater settings:

Templater → User Scripts Folder Location

Point it at the scripts directory.

4. Run The Template

Run from:

Cmd/Ctrl + P

Then:

Templater: Replace templates in active file

Or bind it to a hotkey.

Notes

• Requires Git installed and available in PATH
• Requires Templater plugin
• Requires Node.js execution support in Templater
• The repository path is hardcoded
• The workflow is Windows-specific because of cd /d
• The automation is synchronous from the user’s perspective: trigger once, everything completes in sequence
• The symlink is the core architectural piece — without it, Obsidian and the repository become separate systems again