Templates

Templates in Octarine allow you to create reusable blocks of content that can be quickly inserted into any note. Unlike page-level templates in other apps, Octarine treats templates as insertable blocks, giving you the flexibility to use multiple templates within a single note.

The Basics

Templates are stored in a dedicated .templates folder in your workspace. Each template is a standard markdown file containing the content structure you want to reuse. When applied, the template's content is inserted at your cursor position, not as a new note.

• Block-based approach: Templates represent content blocks, not entire pages
• Multiple templates per note: Use several templates to build different sections of the same note
• Standard markdown files: Templates are regular .md files you can edit with any text editor
• Instant insertion: Template content appears immediately at your cursor location

Creating Templates

Navigate to template creation through these methods:

• Click the Templates icon in the sidebar to open the Templates view
• Press New template

When creating a template:

• Give it a descriptive name that explains its purpose
• Include any markdown formatting, headers, lists, or task structures
• Add placeholder text where variable content will go

Template Variables

Templates support inline variables that get replaced when the template is inserted or used to create a new note. Variables use double curly braces and can include an optional format for dates and times.

Available variables:

• {{title}}: Current note title (filename without .md)
• {{date}}: Current date in yyyy-MM-dd
• {{date:FORMAT}}: Current date with a custom date-fns format
• {{time}}: Current time in HH:mm
• {{time:FORMAT}}: Current time with a custom date-fns format

Example:

# {{title}}

Created: {{date:MMMM d, yyyy}} at {{time}}

Variables work in template body content, and they also resolve in template frontmatter when you create a new note from a template.

Using Templates

Apply templates to your notes using these methods:

• On an empty line, press / and search for your template name

The template content inserts at your current cursor position. You can then edit the inserted content as needed, replacing placeholders with actual information.

Creating notes from templates

Create a new note with content from a template pre-populated by using CMD/Ctrl + K and choose the Create note from template command with your template selected.

Any property assigned to the template is also applied to the new note.