🧩 TriliumNext Script Manager (Scripts, Widgets & Render Notes)

A self-contained script manager that lives inside TriliumNext. Install, update, and remove scripts, widgets, and render notes with a single click — no external tools, no CLI, no wrappers.

Terminology note: TriliumNext uses the official Trilium terms scripts, custom widgets, launch bar widgets, render notes, backend scripts and themes — there is no official "plugin" concept. This tool was previously called "Plugin Manager"; the docs now use the official terms.

Render Note → Fetch registry → Show cards → Install / Update / Uninstall

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How it works

The Script Manager is a JS Frontend Render Note. On load, it fetches a registry (a JSON file hosted anywhere public), renders a card-based UI, and lets you install, update, or remove scripts/widgets.

Two installation methods:

Method	How it works	Token needed?
sourceUrl (recommended)	Downloads the .js/.jsx source directly and creates a code note	❌ No
zipUrl (fallback)	Downloads a ZIP for manual import via Options → Import	✅ Yes

For the sourceUrl method, no ETAPI token is required — the script is created as a code note in one atomic backend call. No HTTP, no ZIP, no deadlock.

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Features

• Install scripts/widgets from a remote or local registry with one click
• Update detection — cards turn yellow when a newer version is available
• Uninstall — removes the script note cleanly
• Remote registry with automatic fallback to local note content
• Source indicator — shows remote/local source and last fetch time
• Dual mode — sourceUrl (zero-config) or zipUrl (legacy) per entry
• Inherits the active TriliumNext theme via CSS variables

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Quick Start

1. Create the required notes

Plugin Manager         ← Code note, MIME: application/javascript;env=frontend  (paste the JS code)
├── plugin-registry    ← Code note, MIME: application/json  (registry JSON + config labels)
└── Installed          ← Text note  (receives installed scripts as child notes)

2. Add labels

On plugin-registry:

Label	Value	Required
#pluginRegistry	(no value — marks the note)	✅
#registryUrl	URL to your registry.json	optional

On Installed:

Label	Value	Required
#installedPlugins	(no value — marks the note)	✅

ℹ️ #etapiToken and #triliumPort are no longer required when your registry uses sourceUrl entries (recommended). They are only needed if you plan to install legacy zipUrl-based scripts.

3. Paste the code

1. Create a Code note with MIME application/javascript;env=frontend
2. Paste the contents of trilium-plugin-manager-v4.js
3. Add a ~renderNote relation pointing to the note where you want the panel to appear
4. Open the target note

4. (Optional) Set up a remote registry

Create a public GitHub Gist with a registry.json file. Copy the Raw URL and add it as #registryUrl on the plugin-registry note.

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Registry format

{
  "plugins": [
    {
      "id": "weekly-planner",
      "name": "Weekly Planner",
      "version": "1.0.0",
      "author": "your-github-username",
      "description": "Weekly planning board with columns.",
      "tags": ["productivity", "planning"],
      "sourceUrl": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/user/repo/main/planner.jsx",
      "labels": [ { "name": "widget" }, { "name": "readOnly" } ],
      "zipUrl": "https://github.com/user/repo/raw/main/planner.zip"
    }
  ]
}

Field	Required	Description
id	✅	Unique identifier — used to track installation state
name	✅	Display name shown in the UI
version	✅	Semver string (1.0.0)
author		Author name
description		Short card description
tags		Array of tag strings
homepage		URL to the script's docs or repository — shows a "How to" button on the card
sourceUrl		Raw URL to the .js/.jsx source file
labels		Array of { "name", "value" } applied to the created note in the single-file flow — e.g. widget, readOnly
manifestUrl		Raw URL to a manifest.json for multi-note scripts (see below)
zipUrl		Legacy URL to a Trilium export ZIP

At least one of sourceUrl, manifestUrl or zipUrl must be provided.

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Script formats

Single-file (sourceUrl)

A single .js or .jsx file. The Script Manager downloads it and creates one code note.

sourceUrl → download → create code note → done

Multi-note (manifestUrl)

For scripts that need multiple notes (widget + handler + config + render note). The manifestUrl points to a JSON file describing the notes to create:

{
  "notes": [
    {
      "title": "My Plugin",
      "type": "text",
      "content": "Open this note to use the script.",
      "children": [
        {
          "title": "My Plugin Code",
          "type": "code",
          "mime": "application/javascript;env=frontend",
          "sourceUrl": "code.js"
        },
        {
          "title": "My Plugin Config",
          "type": "text",
          "content": "Configure the script here."
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "relations": [
    { "type": "renderNote", "from": "My Plugin", "to": "My Plugin Code" }
  ],
  "labels": [
    { "note": "My Plugin Code", "name": "readOnly", "value": "" },
    { "note": "My Plugin Config", "name": "myPluginConfig", "value": "" }
  ]
}

Each note can have a recursive children array: the parent note (e.g. the render note) is created first and the children (code, config, related notes) are created inside it, building a real tree in Trilium instead of flat notes. Notes with sourceUrl fetch the source file (relative to the manifest URL). Labels and relations from the manifest are applied automatically (labels/relations reference notes by title).

manifestUrl → download manifest → for each note: create + create its children → apply labels → create relations → done

ZIP (zipUrl, legacy)

Downloads the ZIP to the user's browser for manual import via Options → Import. Requires an ETAPI token.

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Install flows

manifestUrl install

1. Downloads the manifest JSON
2. Creates all notes described in the manifest
3. Applies labels and ~renderNote relations
4. ✅ No token, no ZIP, no deadlock

sourceUrl install

1. Backend downloads the source file via HTTPS
2. Creates a code note with MIME application/javascript;env=frontend
3. Sets #pluginId, #pluginVersion, #pluginName labels
4. Applies labels from the registry entry (e.g. widget, readOnly)
5. ✅ Done

zipUrl install (legacy)

1. Downloads the ZIP to the user's browser
2. User imports manually via Options → Import

Update detection

On every load, the manager compares the version field in the registry against the #pluginVersion label on each installed note:

• Same version → green card, ✓ v1.0.0
• Registry is newer → yellow card, ↑ v0.5.0 → v1.0.0
• Not installed → default card + Install button

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Files

File	Description
trilium-plugin-manager-v4.js	Main file — paste into a JS Frontend note
trilium-plugin-manager-v4.html	Legacy HTML version (kept for reference)
registry.json	Example registry with official scripts
PLUGIN_DEV_GUIDE.md	Guide for creating and publishing scripts
MANIFEST_GENERATOR.md	Fill-in-the-blank prompt to generate manifest.json

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Roadmap

• Script changelog field
• Startup update badge
• One-click "Export as script" helper note

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License

MIT

☕ Support this project

🇧🇷 Pix: ricardograca@ricolandia.com
💳 PayPal: Donate
🧡 GitHub Sponsors: github.com/sponsors/ricolandia

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Screenshots