Note Relay Documentation

1 Download the Plugin

Get the latest release from GitHub:

Download these three files:

• main.js
• manifest.json
• client.html

2 Install to Obsidian

1. Open your Obsidian vault folder
2. Navigate to .obsidian/plugins/ (create if doesn't exist)
3. Create a new folder: noterelay
4. Copy the three downloaded files into this folder
5. Restart Obsidian

3 Enable the Plugin

1. Open Obsidian Settings
2. Go to Community Plugins
3. Find Note Relay in the list
4. Toggle it ON

Step 1: Open Note Relay settings and go to the Local Access tab

Step 2: (Optional) Change the port from default 5474 if needed

Step 3: Set a password for local access

Step 4: Click Start Server

Step 5: Open your browser and visit: http://localhost:5474 (or your custom port)

Step 6: Enter your password and start editing!

Step 1: Subscribe to Base ($1.99/mo) or Pro ($3.99/mo) at noterelay.io

Step 2: Open Note Relay settings → Remote Access tab

Step 3: Set your Master Password (your owner password—never share this)

Step 4: Enter Your Email Address (the one from your subscription)

Step 5: Click Activate Remote Access

Step 6: Wait for confirmation: "✅ Active & Online"

Step 7: On any device, login to your dashboard

Step 8: Click Connect on your vault and enter your master password

Step 1: In Obsidian, go to Settings → Note Relay → Remote Access → Guest Access Control

Step 2: Fill in the guest form:

• Email: Guest's email address (must match their subscription)
• Display Name: Friendly identifier (e.g., "Bob from Marketing")
• Password: A unique password for THIS guest (NOT your master password)
• Mode: Read-Only or Read-Write

Step 3: Click Add Guest

Step 4: Manually share the password with your guest via Signal, Slack, or 1Password

Guest Requirements:

• Active Base ($1.99/mo) or Pro ($3.99/mo) subscription
• Login to noterelay.io/dashboard

Connection Flow:

1. Guest logs into their dashboard
2. Your vault appears in "Shared with Me" section
3. Guest clicks Connect
4. Guest enters the password YOU gave them (not their own password)
5. Done! Guest has read-only or read-write access based on your settings

What You'll Need:

• A static IP address or dynamic DNS service (like DuckDNS, No-IP)
• Access to your router's admin panel for port forwarding
• A domain name (free options: DuckDNS, FreeDNS)
• SSL certificate (Let's Encrypt via Certbot)
• Reverse proxy software (Nginx or Caddy recommended)
• Firewall configuration knowledge

Step 1: Port Forwarding

1. Log into your router's admin panel (usually http://192.168.1.1 or http://192.168.0.1)
2. Find "Port Forwarding" section (may be under "Advanced Settings" or "NAT")
3. Create a new port forwarding rule:
   • External Port: 443 (HTTPS)
   • Internal Port: 5474 (or your custom port)
   • Internal IP: Your computer's local IP (find with ipconfig on Windows or ifconfig on Mac/Linux)
   • Protocol: TCP
4. Save and enable the rule

Step 2: Dynamic DNS Setup

1. Sign up for a free dynamic DNS service (e.g., DuckDNS)
2. Create a subdomain (e.g., mynotes.duckdns.org)
3. Install the DDNS update client on your computer to keep your IP updated
4. Verify your domain resolves to your public IP: ping mynotes.duckdns.org

Step 3: SSL Certificate with Let's Encrypt

1. Install Certbot: brew install certbot (Mac) or sudo apt install certbot (Linux)
2. Stop Note Relay's local server temporarily
3. Generate certificate: sudo certbot certonly --standalone -d mynotes.duckdns.org
4. Note the certificate paths (usually in /etc/letsencrypt/live/mynotes.duckdns.org/)
5. Set up auto-renewal: sudo certbot renew --dry-run

Step 4: Reverse Proxy (Nginx Example)

1. Install Nginx: brew install nginx or sudo apt install nginx
2. Create config file: /usr/local/etc/nginx/servers/noterelay.conf
3. Add configuration:
   server {
  listen 443 ssl;
  server_name mynotes.duckdns.org;

  ssl_certificate /etc/letsencrypt/live/mynotes.duckdns.org/fullchain.pem;
  ssl_certificate_key /etc/letsencrypt/live/mynotes.duckdns.org/privkey.pem;

  location / {
    proxy_pass http://localhost:5474;
    proxy_set_header Host $host;
    proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
  }
}
4. Start Nginx: sudo nginx or sudo systemctl start nginx
5. Start Note Relay's local server in Obsidian
6. Access remotely: https://mynotes.duckdns.org

Problem: Plugin shows in list but won't toggle on

Solution:

1. Verify all three files (main.js, manifest.json, client.html) are in the plugin folder
2. Check that folder name is exactly noterelay (lowercase, no spaces)
3. Restart Obsidian completely (close and reopen)
4. Check Obsidian console for errors (Cmd+Option+I on Mac, Ctrl+Shift+I on Windows)

Problem: "Activation failed" error when validating license

Solution:

1. Verify license key format is correct: NR-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX
2. Check that you've set a remote password first
3. Confirm your license is active in the dashboard
4. Check your internet connection
5. Try clicking "Activate Remote Access" again

Problem: Vault appears offline even though plugin is running

Solution:

1. Wait 60 seconds (heartbeat interval)
2. Check Obsidian console for heartbeat errors
3. Verify internet connection is stable
4. Try clicking "Activate Remote Access" again to re-register
5. Refresh the dashboard page

Problem: "Connection failed" when clicking Connect

Solution:

1. Verify vault shows as "ONLINE" in dashboard
2. Check that Obsidian is running with plugin enabled
3. Confirm your computer is not behind restrictive firewall
4. Try refreshing both the dashboard and Obsidian
5. Check if your network blocks WebRTC connections

Problem: Error when clicking "Start Server" in Local Access tab

Solution:

1. Check if port 5474 is already in use by another application
2. Try restarting Obsidian
3. Check Obsidian console for specific error messages
4. Ensure you've set a local password first

Problem: Browser shows "Can't connect" or "This site can't be reached"

Solution:

1. Verify the server is running (check plugin status)
2. Check your configured port in Settings → Note Relay → Local Port (default: 5474, configurable)
3. Make sure you're using http:// not https://
4. Try http://127.0.0.1:PORT instead of localhost (replace PORT with your configured port)
5. Check if your firewall is blocking local connections
6. Ensure you're on the same device running Obsidian