Next-Action + Closer

Run once on startup. After that, trigger ❌add next-action & close from Cmd/Ctrl + P whenever you’re done with a note — it prompts, writes the task, and closes the tab in one move.

<%* const { vault, workspace, commands } = app;
if (!commands.commands["❌add next-action & close"]) { commands.addCommand({ id: "❌add next-action & close", name: "❌add next-action & close", callback: async () => { const file = workspace.getActiveFile(); const orConditions = [ file.path.includes("3. resource/programs"), !file, !file.path.endsWith("md"), file.path.includes("blank page"), file.path.includes("calender/"), ];

    if (orConditions.some(Boolean)) {
      await app.commands.executeCommandById("workspace:close");
      return;
    }

    const nextAction = await tp.system.prompt("Enter next action");
    if (!nextAction || !nextAction.trim()) {
      await app.commands.executeCommandById("workspace:close");
      return;
    }

    const time = tp.date.now("YYYY-MM-DD");

    const content = await vault.read(file);
    const match = content.match(/^---\s*[\s\S]*?^---\s*/m);

    let updated;
    if (match) {
      const pos = match[0].length;
      updated =
        content.slice(0, pos) +
        `\n- [ ] #next-action  ${nextAction} ➕ ${time} \n` +
        content.slice(pos);
    } else {
      updated = `- [ ] #next-action ${time} ${nextAction}\n${content}`;
    }

    await vault.modify(file, updated);
    await app.commands.executeCommandById("workspace:close");
  }
});

} new Notice("❌loaded closer"); return ""; %>

The Command

❌ add next-action & close — triggers a prompt, writes one task into the active note, then closes the tab. Three outcomes:

• Excluded path → skips the prompt entirely, closes immediately
• Empty prompt / cancelled → no task written, closes immediately
• Valid input → inserts - [ ] #next-action [text] ➕ [date] right after the frontmatter block, then closes

The task lands after the --- fence — not at the top of the body, not at the bottom. It stays out of the way of your prose but inside the file where Tasks can find it.

The Task Queries

Paste both blocks into your dashboard or daily note. Together they cover everything tagged #next-action.

Query 1 — Scheduled, Due Today, or Overdue

Surfaces tasks with a date attached that are due on or before today. Groups by date descending so the most overdue items sit at the top.

happens on or before today
group by function reverse task.happens.format("%%YYYY-MM-DD%%Do MMMM YYYY")
hide created date
tags include next-action
hide tags
show tree
not done
sort by happens reverse

Query 2 — Undated Tasks

Surfaces everything with no due or scheduled date — tasks you parked without a deadline. Groups by creation date so oldest open threads surface first.

no due date
no scheduled date
tags include next-action
group by function reverse task.created.format("%%YYYY-MM-DD%%Do MMMM YYYY")
hide created date
hide tags
show tree
not done

Excluded Paths

The script skips the prompt and just closes if the active file matches any of these conditions:

These fire via orConditions.some(Boolean) — one match is enough to skip straight to close.

How to Customise

Add an excluded path — push a new condition into the orConditions array:

file.path.includes("your/folder/here"),

Change the task format — edit the template string inside the if (match) branch. The current format writes:

- [ ] #next-action  [text] ➕ YYYY-MM-DD

Swap ➕ for a different emoji, add a due date with 📅, or drop the creation date entirely.

Change the date format — tp.date.now("YYYY-MM-DD") uses moment.js tokens. Replace with "DD MMM YYYY" for 28 Apr 2025 style.

Skip the prompt on more file types — add file.extension !== "md" as an orCondition if you work with canvas or other non-markdown files.

Notes

• Command is session-scoped — re-run on startup or chain into your startup template.
• Requires Templater. The tp.system.prompt call is a Templater API method, not native Obsidian.
• Requires the Tasks plugin for the query blocks to render.
• return "" at the end prevents Templater from inserting anything into the note body.
• The guard if (!commands.commands["❌add next-action & close"]) prevents duplicate palette entries if the template runs twice in a session.