Question 1

Is this really free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Completely free, no credit card required. It is the PDF version of a guide I published on my blog, packaged so you can read it offline and keep it.

Question 2

What format is the guide?

Accepted Answer

A 62-page PDF with a table of contents and clickable links. The living version is also published on dsebastien.net and is updated as the tooling evolves.

Question 3

I am new to Obsidian. Should I start here?

Accepted Answer

Not yet. Start with the free Beginner's Guide to Obsidian, get a working vault, then come back to automation.

Question 4

Do I need to be a developer?

Accepted Answer

No for Layer 1 (everything inside Obsidian). Layer 2 and 3 get more technical (command line, Git, MCP, AI agents), and the guide explains each concept before using it.

Question 5

Which plugins does it cover?

Accepted Answer

Templater, QuickAdd, Dataview, Bases, Linter, Meta Bind, Commander, Auto Note Mover, Obsidian Git, Local REST API, MCP servers, and many more, always tied to the job they do rather than as a list.

Question 6

Does it cover AI agents on the vault?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the whole of Layer 3: instruction files, skills, hooks, MCP, multi-agent workflows, scheduled agents, vault maintenance that runs itself, and the risks (including how to keep AI out of your vault when you want to).

Question 7

I want all of this pre-built. Is there a shortcut?

Accepted Answer

That is exactly what the Obsidian Starter Kit is: the vault structure, note types, templates, automations, and the AI skills library from the guide, ready to use.