Settings Guide
Complete reference for all Unearthed Local settings and configuration options.
General
Keep App Running in Background
When enabled, closing the window minimizes to system tray instead of quitting the app.
- Useful for auto-sync and keeping the KOReader API server running
- Access the app from the system tray icon
- Right-click tray icon to fully quit
Private Mode
Masks sensitive file paths and data in the UI and error messages for screen sharing or recording.
- Hides Obsidian vault paths, API URLs, and database paths
- Useful when creating tutorials or sharing screenshots
Run on System Startup
Automatically launch Unearthed when you log into your computer.
- Windows: Managed via in-app toggle
- macOS: Use Dock → Options → Open at Login (no in-app setting)
- Linux: Creates .desktop file in ~/.config/autostart/
macOS Dock
Show in Dock
macOS only. When disabled, the app runs solely from the menu bar without a Dock icon.
- Automatically enables 'Keep App Running in Background' when disabled
- The tray/menu bar icon is used to access the app instead
- This setting only appears on macOS
Keyboard Shortcuts
All keyboard shortcuts in Unearthed Local are fully customisable. Remap any shortcut to your preferred key combination — your custom bindings are saved automatically and take effect immediately.
Custom Keyboard Shortcuts
Click any shortcut in the list to remap it. Press your desired key combination (including modifier keys like Ctrl, Shift, or Alt) and save.
- Open via Settings → Keyboard Shortcuts, or press Ctrl/Cmd + /
- Supports modifier combinations: Ctrl/Cmd, Shift, Alt
- Changes apply instantly — no restart required
- Custom bindings are persisted across sessions in settings.json
- Use 'Reset' to restore any shortcut to its default binding
55+ shortcuts available
Shortcuts cover every part of the app: global navigation, Home tab, RSS Feeds tab, Kindle tab, Library tab, Search Modal, Article Viewer, and Article Highlighter. See the Features → Keyboard Shortcuts page for the complete reference.
API Endpoint (KOReader)
Unearthed runs a local HTTP server that KOReader can send highlights to. The API URLs are automatically generated based on your network interfaces.
API URLs
Automatically detected local network addresses where the API server is accessible.
- Multiple URLs may appear if you have VPN or multiple network adapters
- Try each URL in KOReader if one doesn't work
- Format: http://[IP_ADDRESS]:6543
- Copy button available for each URL
Secret Token
Authentication token that KOReader must provide to send data to this app.
- Can be any text you choose
- Must match exactly in KOReader plugin settings
- Leave empty to disable authentication (not recommended)
Obsidian
Location
The folder where your Obsidian vault is located. This is where the Root Folder will be created.
- Use the Browse button to select your vault folder
- Must have write permissions to this location
- Can be any folder, doesn't have to be an Obsidian vault
Root Folder
The main folder name created inside your vault location where all books will be organized.
- Books are organized as: [Location]/[Root Folder]/Books/
- Articles go in: [Location]/[Root Folder]/Articles/
- Change this to match your vault structure
Auto Export to Obsidian
Automatically export all highlights and notes to your Obsidian vault every hour.
- Requires an Obsidian vault location to be configured
- Only new or changed highlights are written on each export (smart export)
- Runs alongside Auto Fetch from Kindle for a fully automated pipeline
Include Article Content in Obsidian Export
When enabled, the full article content is exported alongside your quotes and notes when exporting articles to Obsidian.
- Only applies to articles (RSS / Web Page imports), not Kindle books
- Disabled by default — enable if you want a full local copy of article text in your vault
- Article content is appended after the quotes section in the exported Markdown file
Daily Reflection
Daily Note Date Format
The date format used for your Obsidian daily note filenames. Supports full moment.js-compatible token replacement.
- Tokens: YYYY, YY, MMMM, MMM, MM, M, DD, D, Do, dddd, ddd, dd, d, DDD, DDDD, w, ww, W, WW, E, e, Q
- Slashes create subfolders: YYYY/MM-MMMM/YYYY-MM-DD-dddd → 2025/02-February/2025-02-10-Monday
- Escaped literals: [Week] WW → Week 06
- Must match your Obsidian daily notes plugin settings
Daily Reflection Location
The folder where your Obsidian daily notes are stored.
- Use Browse button to select the folder
- Typically something like: YourVault/Daily Notes/
- Must match your Obsidian daily notes plugin folder
Create Obsidian Daily Note if it doesn't exist
Automatically create a daily note file if one doesn't exist for today.
- When disabled, Unearthed waits for you to create the note manually
- When enabled, creates the file immediately on startup
Add Daily Reflection on Startup
Automatically append a random quote to your daily note when the app starts.
- Works together with 'Create Daily Note' setting
- If both are disabled, no automatic reflection is added
- If 'Create' is off but 'Add' is on, waits for manual note creation
Append Under Heading
Optional. Insert daily reflections under a specific markdown heading instead of appending at the end of the file.
- Example: ### Daily Reflection
- Finds the heading in your daily note and inserts content below it
- If the heading is not found, falls back to appending at the end
- Respects heading hierarchy — content is placed before the next same-level heading
💡 How these work together:
If "Create Daily Note" is disabled but "Add Reflection on Startup" is enabled, Unearthed will wait until you create your daily note in Obsidian, then automatically add the reflection to it.
Kindle Settings
Kindle URL
The URL where you'll log into Amazon to sync Kindle highlights.
- Default works for most users
- Change to your regional Amazon domain if needed (e.g., amazon.co.uk)
- This is where the in-app browser navigates when establishing connection
Auto Fetch from Kindle
Automatically fetch new highlights from Kindle every hour in the background.
- Requires 'Keep App Running' to be enabled
- Syncs silently without interrupting your work
- Manual sync always available via 'Refresh Kindle Books' button
File Name
Source (Book) Filename Template
Template for generating Markdown filenames from book metadata.
- Available variables: {{title}}, {{subtitle}}, {{author}}, {{type}}, {{origin}}, {{asin}}
- Example: '{{title}} - {{author}}' → 'Atomic Habits - James Clear.md'
- Keep it simple to avoid filesystem issues
Replace Spaces In Filename With
Character to replace spaces with in generated filenames.
- Common options: space ' ', underscore '_', dash '-'
- Use underscore for wiki-link compatibility
- Leave as space for human-readable names
Source (Book) Filename Lowercase
Convert all filenames to lowercase.
- Useful for consistent naming across platforms
- Example: 'Atomic Habits.md' → 'atomic habits.md'
Include ignored books in CSV export
When exporting to CSV, include books marked as 'ignored' in a separate 'Ignored' subfolder.
- Ignored books are excluded from Obsidian export by default
- This setting only affects CSV exports
Template Settings
Customize how your exported Markdown files are formatted using template variables. Leave empty to use the default templates.
Quote Colors
Quote Color Mode
How highlight colors are displayed in exported Markdown files.
- none: No color styling applied
- background: Gradient background behind text
- text: Colored text only
Custom Color Values
Override the default hex color values for each highlight color. All 10 colors are customizable.
Yellow
#ffd700
Blue
#4682b4
Pink
#ff69b4
Orange
#ffa500
Red
#ff4d4f
Green
#52c41a
Olive
#b5b35c
Cyan
#13c2c2
Purple
#a259d9
Gray
#888888
Values to Clean
Select which metadata fields should have special characters removed or replaced during export. This helps avoid issues with filenames and formatting.
Book Fields
- Title
- Subtitle
- Author
- Type
- Origin
- ASIN
Quote Fields
- Content (quote text)
- Note (personal annotation)
- Location
- Color
ℹ️ What gets cleaned:
Special characters like /, \, :, *, ?, ", <, >, | are removed or replaced to ensure compatibility with filesystems and Markdown formatting.
Database Utilities
⚠️ Advanced Settings
These utilities are for troubleshooting and advanced users only.
Show Database Path
Displays the full file path to your local SQLite database.
- Useful for manual backups or inspection
- Location varies by platform (AppData on Windows, Application Support on macOS)
Delete Database
Permanently removes all locally stored books and quotes.
- ⚠️ This action cannot be undone
- Requires double confirmation
- Use this to start fresh or troubleshoot corruption issues
- You can re-sync from Kindle/KOReader after deletion
Reset All Settings
The settings modal includes a "Reset to Defaults" button that restores all settings to their original values.
This does not affect your database or exported files—only the configuration settings.