Template Variables

Template variables are placeholders in your template files that get replaced with real values when Atlas creates a note. They use double curly brace syntax: {{variable_name}}.

Built-in Variables

These placeholders are replaced automatically — you don’t need to provide values for them.

Variable	Replaced With	Example Output
{{date}}	Today’s date in YYYY-MM-DD format	2026-02-24
{{day}}	Day of the week	Monday
{{time}}	Current time in HH:MM format	14:35
{{title}}	The note’s title (from what you name the note)	Henderson Kickoff

Usage Examples

# {{title}}

**Date:** {{date}} ({{day}})
**Created at:** {{time}}

When Atlas creates a note titled “Q1 Planning” on a Monday at 9:15 AM, this becomes:

# Q1 Planning

**Date:** 2026-02-24 (Monday)
**Created at:** 09:15

Custom Variables

You can define any placeholder in your template — not just the built-ins. Custom variables follow the same {{variable_name}} syntax.

# {{project}} — Client Meeting

**Client:** {{client_name}}
**Date:** {{date}}

## Agenda

## Notes

When you ask Atlas to create a note from this template, you can specify the values:

“Create a note from the client-meeting template. Project is Henderson Rebrand, client is Acme Corp.”

Atlas will replace {{project}} with “Henderson Rebrand” and {{client_name}} with “Acme Corp”.

What Happens to Unfilled Variables

If Atlas doesn’t have a value for a custom variable, it leaves the placeholder in the note as-is. You’ll see {{client_name}} in the final note as a clear reminder to fill it in.

Tip

Use descriptive variable names that make unfilled placeholders obvious. {{client_name}} is better than {{cn}} because you’ll immediately know what to fill in when you open the note.

Variables in Frontmatter

Variables work in YAML frontmatter too:

---
title: {{title}}
date: {{date}}
client: {{client_name}}
project: {{project}}
tags: [meeting, client]
---

# {{title}}

This lets you build notes with structured metadata that tools like Obsidian and other markdown apps can read.

Tips for Using Variables Effectively

• Use {{date}} everywhere — putting the date in headings and filenames makes notes easy to find later
• Combine built-ins with custom variables — a template might use {{date}} (auto-filled) alongside {{client_name}} (you provide it)
• Keep variable names consistent across templates — if you use {{client_name}} in one template, use the same name in others so you build muscle memory
• Document your custom variables — a brief comment at the top of the template listing the variables it expects helps when you return to a template after a long gap

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Next: Using Templates