Nova User Guide

How Intention Detection Works

Nova analyzes your message to understand your intent:

Cursor-Based Document Editing

When Nova detects an editing intent, it writes directly at your cursor position with real-time streaming updates.

Adding New Content

Place your cursor and describe what you want:

• add a paragraph about the benefits of exercise
• create an introduction for this chapter
• write a conclusion summarizing the key points
• insert a methodology section here
• add literature review using [[Research Notes]]
• create dialogue showing tension between these characters
• add error handling examples from [[API Guidelines]]
• write a detailed analysis of the current market trends
• develop a comprehensive project timeline
• create a character backstory with psychological depth

Nova can generate sophisticated content at your cursor position, from simple paragraphs to complex sections that incorporate context from referenced documents. The AI draws on its training to create detailed, contextually appropriate content based on your specific request.

Document Operations

Nova can modify document metadata and properties:

• add tags: productivity, writing
• set status to complete
• update the title property
• clean up tags

Tag and Metadata Commands

Nova includes specialized commands for document properties:

Tag Management

Frontmatter Operations

What Tag Commands Edit:

• ✅ Current document's frontmatter - Tags and properties in the active file
• ✅ Document metadata - YAML frontmatter fields
• ❌ Other documents - Commands only affect the current file
• ❌ File names or folders - Only document content and properties

Natural Language Flexibility

Nova understands natural language variations. These all work for adding content:

• "add a conclusion"
• "write a summary at the end"
• "create a new section about results"
• "I need a paragraph explaining the process"

For selection-based custom instructions, use the "Custom prompt" menu option for maximum flexibility with existing text.

Undo Integration

Nova works with Obsidian's native undo system:

• First Ctrl/Cmd+Z: Removes Nova's addition
• Second Ctrl/Cmd+Z: Restores original content (if text was replaced)
• Works like other Obsidian edits
• No special Nova-specific undo needed

When Chat Responds vs. Edits

Placeholder Syntax

Smart Fill uses HTML comment syntax for placeholders:

Basic Format:

<!-- nova: your instruction here -->

Single-Line Examples

<!-- nova: write a brief introduction -->

<!-- nova: summarize the key findings -->

<!-- nova: add a code example in Python -->

<!-- nova: explain the methodology -->

Multiline Instructions

For complex requirements, use multiline placeholders:

<!-- nova:
Write a detailed analysis that:
- Covers market trends
- Includes data from Q4 2025
- References the methodology section
-->

Insert Placeholder Command

You can also insert a placeholder using the "Nova: Insert smart fill placeholder" command, available via the command palette (Cmd/Ctrl+P) or the right-click context menu. This inserts a blank <!-- nova: --> template at your cursor so you can type your instruction directly.

Generating Content

Nova provides four ways to fill placeholders:

Key Features

Writing Effective Instructions

Best Practices:

1. Specify length: "Write a 2-paragraph summary" vs "Write a summary"
2. Define scope: "Explain the authentication flow" vs "Explain this"
3. Set tone: "Write a formal analysis" vs "Write an analysis"
4. Include examples: "Add a Python code example using FastAPI"
5. Reference context: "Summarize the findings from the methodology section above"

Canceling and Undo

Stopping Generation

Cancel placeholder fills at any time:

• Keyboard shortcut: Cmd+. (Mac) or Ctrl+. (Windows/Linux)
• Stop button: Click the stop button in Nova's interface
• Partially generated content is preserved
• Placeholder comment remains if generation was incomplete

Undoing Fills

Smart Fill integrates with Obsidian's undo system:

• First Cmd/Ctrl+Z: Removes the generated content
• Second Cmd/Ctrl+Z: Restores the original placeholder
• Works like any other edit in Obsidian

Error Handling

If placeholder generation fails:

• Placeholder preservation: The original placeholder comment stays in place
• Error notification: Nova displays a clear error message
• Continuation: When using /fill, remaining placeholders continue processing
• Retry option: Simply run /fill again or click the 📝 icon

Common Issues:

• API errors: Check your provider settings and API key
• Rate limiting: Wait briefly and retry
• Context too large: Reduce document size or remove document references
• Network issues: Check internet connection

Best Practices

Document Structure

• Use Smart Fill for repetitive sections across similar documents
• Place placeholders in logical order (top to bottom)
• Group related placeholders together
• Use descriptive instructions that reference surrounding context

Template Workflows

Create reusable templates with Smart Fill placeholders:

• Meeting notes: Placeholders for agenda, discussion points, action items
• Project docs: Sections for overview, requirements, technical details
• Research papers: Introduction, methodology, findings, conclusion
• Blog posts: Hook, main points, examples, call-to-action

Iterative Refinement

1. Start with broad placeholder instructions
2. Generate initial content with /fill
3. Review and refine the generated sections
4. Use selection-based editing or chat commands for polish
5. Save successful patterns as templates

Integration with Templater

Smart Fill works with the Templater plugin:

• Template creation: Add Smart Fill placeholders to Templater templates
• Dynamic content: Combine Templater variables with Smart Fill instructions
• Workflow: Insert template → Fill Templater variables → Run /fill

Example Template

---
title: <% tp.file.title %>
date: <% tp.date.now("YYYY-MM-DD") %>
---

# <% tp.file.title %>

<!-- nova: write an introduction based on the title -->

## Key Points
<!-- nova: generate 3-5 key discussion points -->

Performance Considerations

Document Size

• Smart Fill works best with documents under 10,000 words
• Larger documents may process slower or hit context limits
• Consider splitting very large documents into sections

Placeholder Limits

• No hard limit on placeholder count
• Processing 5-10 placeholders at once is typically optimal
• Very large batches may take longer or hit rate limits
• Use margin indicators to fill placeholders individually for fine control

Rate Limits

• AI providers have different rate limits
• If rate limited, wait briefly and retry
• Consider spreading large fill operations over time

Settings

Smart Fill can be configured in Nova settings:

• Enable/Disable: Toggle Smart Fill feature on or off
• Margin indicators: Show or hide 📝 icons in the editor
• Auto-remove placeholders: Automatically remove placeholder comments after successful fill
• Confirmation prompts: Require confirmation before filling multiple placeholders

Access settings: Obsidian Settings → Community Plugins → Nova → Smart Fill

Troubleshooting

Placeholders Not Detected

Solutions:

• Verify exact syntax:

<!-- nova: instruction -->

• Ensure "nova:" prefix is present with colon
• Check for typos in the comment syntax
• Make sure Smart Fill is enabled in settings

Margin Icons Not Appearing

Solutions:

• Check Nova settings for margin indicator toggle
• Restart Obsidian to refresh the editor
• Verify placeholders use correct syntax

Generated Content Doesn't Match Instructions

Solutions:

• Make instructions more specific and detailed
• Add context references to surrounding sections
• Try a different AI provider or model
• Use Cmd/Ctrl+Z to undo and refine the placeholder instruction

/fill Command Not Working

Solutions:

• Ensure at least one valid placeholder exists in the document
• Check AI provider configuration and API key
• Verify internet connection
• Try clicking individual 📝 margin icons instead

Quick Reference

Create a placeholder:

<!-- nova: instruction -->

Or use the "Nova: Insert smart fill placeholder" command (command palette or right-click) to insert a blank template at your cursor.

Fill all placeholders (4 methods):

• Type /fill in the Nova sidebar chat
• Command palette: "Nova: Smart fill (/fill)"
• Right-click context menu: "Nova: Smart fill (/fill)"
• Click 📝 icon in margin (fills specific placeholder)

Cancel generation:

Cmd/Ctrl + .

Undo fill operation:

Cmd/Ctrl + Z

What It Analyzes

The Writing Stats Panel

A collapsible Writing panel appears in the Nova sidebar. The collapsed summary line shows a compact readout such as "Grade 12 · 587 words · 3 min read"; expanding the panel shows full stats.

Snapshot Workflow

Writing Analysis analyzes the current note as a snapshot. After you edit the note, Nova marks those results stale with "Edited · analyze to refresh." Click Analyze to refresh the metrics. Nova does not analyze while you type, which keeps large notes responsive.

Metrics, Not Highlights

Writing Analysis stays metrics-first. It does not show its own inline highlight toggle. For editor highlights and issue-by-issue review, open Prose Linter. The Prose Linter pane adds filled, category-colored highlights to the current note while that pane is active, then clears those review highlights when you return to the main Nova sidebar.

Settings

Configure in Nova settings → General → Writing Analysis:

• Enable/disable writing analysis
• Adjust long sentence threshold (default: 25 words)
• Adjust very long sentence threshold (default: 40 words)
• Show/hide the stats panel

Opting Out Per Document

Add nova-analysis: false to any note's frontmatter to disable writing analysis for that specific document:

---
nova-analysis: false
---

Key Differentiator

What You See

Nova highlights review ranges in the editor while Prose Linter is active. Repeated phrase issues can highlight related nearby phrase occurrences together, so you can see the pattern before deciding what to change.

Opening Prose Linter

What It Reviews

It is not a grammar checker. It focuses on clarity, sentence length, prose flow, passive voice, repetition, weakeners such as adverbs and weak intensifiers, and complex words that have simpler alternatives. For weakeners, Nova recommends removing the softening word or choosing more exact wording.

Review Workflow

Markdown Awareness

Prose Linter avoids noisy warnings in YAML frontmatter, fenced code blocks, inline code, tables, URLs, wikilinks, Markdown links, tags, block IDs, and Nova Smart Fill markers. Blockquotes and callouts are treated more conservatively so quoted material does not dominate the review.

Privacy and Cost

Starting a Revision Pass

1. Select the passage you want to revise.
2. Open Smart Revision from the right-click menu or a Prose Linter issue row.
3. Choose Clarity, Tighten, Flow, or More Human.
4. Pick a posture: Conservative, Balanced, or Bold.
5. Keep the guardrails that matter: Preserve voice, Preserve meaning, Preserve Markdown, and Do not add facts.
6. When useful, add an audience, goal, protected terms or claims, and extra direction.
7. Generate the proposal and review the cards before applying anything.

Reviewing the Proposal

Privacy and Cost

Composite Score

Every note with at least 50 words gets a composite score from 0 to 100, built from four pillars:

Dashboard Layout

The dashboard has three sections:

Trend Tracking

Each time you open the dashboard, Nova takes a snapshot of your vault's writing quality. Over time, this builds trend data such as changes in passive voice. Open the dashboard regularly to add snapshots.

Settings

Configure in Nova settings → Writing Dashboard:

• Excluded folders: Skip folders like templates/, daily/, or archive/ during analysis.
• Target readability grade: The grade level your writing aims for (default: 8). Academic writing may target 12 to 14.

Caching & Performance

The dashboard caches analysis results. On repeat visits, it analyzes only files that changed. Use the rescan button to force a full analysis if needed.

Opting Out

The same nova-analysis: false frontmatter flag that disables per-document writing analysis also excludes a note from the dashboard.

Auto-Context

Nova's Auto-Context system automatically pulls in relevant notes from your vault as you write.

Quick Panel

The Quick Panel in the Nova sidebar provides a real-time view of your current context.

Document Reference Syntax

Basic Reference: [[document name]]

Manual references still work perfectly alongside Auto-Context. If you mention a note using wikilinks, Nova prioritizes that content.

Managing Context

Supported Providers

Cloud models are listed by capability tier, with newer models first within each tier. Older models removed from the main picker remain available while saved as your selection. Model access depends on your provider account.

The Claude connection test checks credentials with Haiku; it does not confirm access to every Claude model. Claude Fable 5.1 requires 30-day provider retention; zero data retention requires Anthropic authorization. Choose a model that meets your privacy needs.

Common Issues and Solutions

Best Practices