▶️ How to email a "Note to Self" to your Obsidian vault

What This Workflow Does

This helper consists of two parts: an AppleScript and a Shortcuts workflow. The AppleScript is a Mail rule that triggers the Shortcuts workflow. The Shortcuts workflow then takes the email and turns it into a note in your Obsidian vault.

This basically adds a "Note to self" ability to your Obsidian vault(s), which uses what you already have and use: your existing email account and macOS.

Good to know:

For obvious reasons, your Mac and the macOS Mail app must be running for this work. (Mail can be in the background, though.)
It makes use of Mail's rules feature and AppleScript, both of which are not available on iOS — this is a macOS-only workflow.

Download & Installation

Download Apple Shortcuts workflow "Mail to Obsidian note.shortcut". Double-click the downloaded file to install the workflow in Shortcuts.

Download AppleScript "Send Mail to Shortcuts.scpt". Copy or move the downloaded .scpt file into the folder ~/Library/Application Scripts/com.apple.mail/ . (If you have trouble finding that directory: open a Finder window, open the menu entry "Go" → "Go to Folder…" (or press ⇧⌘G ), then paste the path ~/Library/Application Scripts/com.apple.mail/ into the following prompt, and hit Enter.)

Requirements

Actions for Obsidian
macOS Mail app + an existing email account
Obsidian

Explainer video

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Workflow Screenshot

Screenshot of the workflow in Shortcuts app

Workflow history / Change log

2023-06-22

First version.