Obsidian Publish — Docs

Docs & NotebooksSee it livepublish.obsidian.md

A standard three-column docs layout with one genuinely rare addition: a live force-directed graph of linked pages sitting above the table of contents in the right rail.

Obsidian Publish — Docs — captured interface — Page excerpt · scroll inside to explore

Source capture · 2026-08-01Open full image ↗

Navigation

Why this pattern works

Pairing a mini interactive knowledge-graph (nodes are pages, edges are links, the current page is the largest node) with a conventional auto-generated 'On this page' TOC directly beneath it in the same right rail. The graph answers 'where am I in the whole site'; the TOC answers 'where am I on this page.' Together they replace breadcrumbs entirely. Steal this for any docs product built on genuinely interlinked pages — it's wasted on a linear, tutorial-style doc set.

Design notes

Surface: Obsidian's own help/docs site, Home article, built on Obsidian Publish
Navigation: Three tiers. A left sidebar nav tree (collapsed sections with chevrons, current page highlighted in purple), a search box and language/theme switcher above it, and on the right, a self-contained pair — the graph, then the TOC — that functions as orientation rather than navigation.
Layout: Fixed left sidebar (~320px), fixed right rail (~270px), fluid centre column capped at a comfortable reading width in between. Only the centre column and the left nav tree scroll; the graph panel holds a static height.
Density: Airy. Generous line height and paragraph spacing in the centre column; the sidebar nav is a plain list with no icons, just indentation and chevrons to show depth.
Color: White throughout, purple reserved for links and the active nav item. Section cards (Core plugins, Community plugins, Themes, CSS snippets) get a hairline border only — no fill, no shadow. Colour is not how hierarchy is shown here.
Type: One sans family. A large bold H1, plain-weight H2 section heads with a hairline rule underneath, and body copy that's clearly tuned for reading, not scanning — no bold-everything, no callout boxes.
Pattern: The graph-plus-TOC stack in the right rail: a small interactive network diagram of the site's link structure sitting directly above the standard heading-based table of contents, both scoped to the same rail.
States: Populated steady-state — a mature docs site with a dense graph and a full nav tree. No loading or empty variant visible.
Don't: Don't ship the graph without the TOC underneath it, or vice versa. The graph alone is decorative and the TOC alone is generic; the pairing is what makes each one earn its space.

Make it your own

Turn this reference into a useful brief for your project. Copy it into the AI tool you already use.

Your project

Use withI want to

Tech stack

Add constraints

What should the tool respect?

Preview & edit prompt

Prompt text

# My project
[Describe the product, audience, and screen you want to improve]

Stack: Use the existing project stack
Task: Implement the interface and verify the result in the existing project.

## Tool guidance (Any AI tool)
Use available project tools to inspect, implement, and test. State any unavailable capabilities.

# Design reference: Obsidian Publish — Docs
Source: https://publish.obsidian.md/help/Home
Swipefile reference: https://swipefile.design/ref/obsidian-publish/
Captured: 2026-08-01. This is a dated reference, not a claim about the current live product.
Capture scope: a page excerpt. Do not infer unseen sections or interactions.

## Objective
Adapt the interaction and layout patterns below to my project. Use my own content and identity. Do not reproduce logos, proprietary copy, or brand assets.

## Reference notes
- surface: Obsidian's own help/docs site, Home article, built on Obsidian Publish
- nav: Three tiers. A left sidebar nav tree (collapsed sections with chevrons, current page highlighted in purple), a search box and language/theme switcher above it, and on the right, a self-contained pair — the graph, then the TOC — that functions as orientation rather than navigation.
- layout: Fixed left sidebar (~320px), fixed right rail (~270px), fluid centre column capped at a comfortable reading width in between. Only the centre column and the left nav tree scroll; the graph panel holds a static height.
- density: Airy. Generous line height and paragraph spacing in the centre column; the sidebar nav is a plain list with no icons, just indentation and chevrons to show depth.
- color: White throughout, purple reserved for links and the active nav item. Section cards (Core plugins, Community plugins, Themes, CSS snippets) get a hairline border only — no fill, no shadow. Colour is not how hierarchy is shown here.
- typography: One sans family. A large bold H1, plain-weight H2 section heads with a hairline rule underneath, and body copy that's clearly tuned for reading, not scanning — no bold-everything, no callout boxes.
- pattern: The graph-plus-TOC stack in the right rail: a small interactive network diagram of the site's link structure sitting directly above the standard heading-based table of contents, both scoped to the same rail.
- states: Populated steady-state — a mature docs site with a dense graph and a full nav tree. No loading or empty variant visible.
- dont: Don't ship the graph without the TOC underneath it, or vice versa. The graph alone is decorative and the TOC alone is generic; the pairing is what makes each one earn its space.

Useful for: Pairing a mini interactive knowledge-graph (nodes are pages, edges are links, the current page is the largest node) with a conventional auto-generated 'On this page' TOC directly beneath it in the same right rail. The graph answers 'where am I in the whole site'; the TOC answers 'where am I on this page.' Together they replace breadcrumbs entirely. Steal this for any docs product built on genuinely interlinked pages — it's wasted on a linear, tutorial-style doc set.

## Acceptance criteria
- Existing project conventions, design tokens, working functionality, and unrelated changes are preserved.
- Two or three reference principles clearly support the user's task; conflicts are resolved in favor of usability and the existing product.
- Reusable components and semantic HTML express the interface. Available licensed assets are used; important UI text is never rendered as a bitmap.
- Every visible control has a defined behavior. Loading, empty, error, success, disabled, and long-content states are specified where relevant. Demo data is clearly labeled.
- Navigation and content adapt at 375px, 768px, and 1440px without horizontal page overflow. Keyboard use, visible focus, labeled inputs, at least 44px touch targets, readable contrast, and reduced motion are supported.
- Verification distinguishes rendered behavior from proposals and identifies anything still requiring a backend or external service.

## Quality bar
Clear hierarchy, consistent spacing, restrained surfaces, and purposeful motion. Avoid decorative gradients, excessive cards, placeholder buttons, and invented metrics unless the project calls for them. Do not claim a feature is connected or tested without evidence.

Assembled in your browser. No API key or AI request needed. Changing the fields refreshes the preview.

## Objective
Adapt the interaction and layout patterns below to my project. Use my own content and identity. Do not reproduce logos, proprietary copy, or brand assets.

Obsidian Publish — Docs

Make it your own

Keep exploring