Prompt for metadata in Templater templates

Templater templates can pause and ask for metadata using the same value prompts MetaEdit shows in its own flows. This recipe covers calling autoprop() from a template, handling null results, and the two ways to get the answer into the note: printing an inline Dataview field or writing typed frontmatter with addOrUpdateProperty().

Prerequisites

• The Templater community plugin.
• MetaEdit 1.9.0 or later (Obsidian 1.12.7+, desktop or mobile) with the “Auto Properties” toggle on and the properties you want to prompt for defined in settings. This recipe uses the status (Single) and genres (Multi) Auto Properties from Build a reading tracker.

How autoprop() behaves

autoprop(propertyName) opens the Auto Property value prompt for the named property and resolves with the user’s choice:

• a string for a “Single” Auto Property
• a string[] for a “Multi” Auto Property
• null when nothing could be prompted, or the prompt was cancelled

It only prompts - it never writes to any file. Writing is your template’s job, which is exactly what makes it composable. Matching is exact and case-sensitive: autoprop("status") finds an Auto Property named status, not Status.

Call it from a Templater execution block:

<%*
const {autoprop} = this.app.plugins.plugins["metaedit"].api;
const status = await autoprop("status"); // "Reading", or null
%>

Variables declared in a <%* %> block stay in scope for the rest of the template, including later <% %> interpolations.

Handle null every time

autoprop() resolves null in exactly three cases:

1. The “Auto Properties” toggle is off in MetaEdit’s settings.
2. No enabled Auto Property has that exact, case-sensitive name.
3. The user cancelled the prompt (Esc, or clicking outside).

So treat null as a normal outcome, not an error. The two useful patterns:

// Fall back to a default:
const status = (await autoprop("status")) ?? "To Read";

// Or skip the write entirely:
const genres = await autoprop("genres");
if (genres !== null) {
  // write it
}

Templates must degrade gracefully

Because a switched-off “Auto Properties” toggle also yields null, a template that interpolates the raw result would print the text null into the note. Always default with ?? or guard with an if.

Two ways to write the answer

Print an inline Dataview field

The simplest option: put the key:: value line in the template body and interpolate the result. Join Multi results yourself - the array is yours to format (when MetaEdit writes an inline field itself, it joins with ", ", so match that):

Status:: <% (await autoprop("status")) ?? "" %>
Genres:: <% (await autoprop("genres"))?.join(", ") ?? "" %>

This is the pattern the classic “New Task” template uses; see API examples. It is a good fit when the values belong in the note body and downstream queries read inline fields, as in the task dashboard.

Write typed frontmatter with addOrUpdateProperty()

addOrUpdateProperty(propertyName, propertyValue, file) creates the frontmatter key when the note has no such property, and updates the existing one otherwise (an existing inline field or tag with that name wins over creating YAML). The value is written verbatim, so types survive: a string[] from a Multi prompt becomes a real YAML list, numbers stay numbers. Details in Properties API.

Timing matters, though. Templater writes the rendered template into the note after your code runs, so frontmatter written mid-render can be overwritten by Templater’s own output. Wrap the writes in tp.hooks.on_all_templates_executed, which fires once Templater has finished writing the file:

tp.hooks.on_all_templates_executed(async () => {
  const file = tp.file.find_tfile(tp.file.path(true));
  await api.addOrUpdateProperty("status", status, file);
});

The file argument takes a TFile or a vault-relative path. An unresolvable file is a silent no-op - no error, no write - so prefer passing the TFile from tp.file.find_tfile.

Choosing between them

You want	Use
Values visible in the note body, queried as inline fields	Print key:: value lines
Real typed frontmatter: lists, numbers, dates	addOrUpdateProperty()
Another instance of a field, without touching existing ones	appendDataviewField()

The complete New Book template

This template combines both approaches: typed frontmatter for the reading tracker schema, and one inline field printed straight into the body.

<%*
const api = this.app.plugins.plugins["metaedit"].api;

// Prompt for everything up front. autoprop only prompts - it never writes.
const status = (await api.autoprop("status")) ?? "To Read";
const genres = (await api.autoprop("genres")) ?? [];
const author = (await tp.system.prompt("Author")) ?? "";

// Write the typed frontmatter after Templater finishes writing the note.
tp.hooks.on_all_templates_executed(async () => {
  const file = tp.file.find_tfile(tp.file.path(true));
  await api.addOrUpdateProperty("author", author, file);
  await api.addOrUpdateProperty("status", status, file);
  await api.addOrUpdateProperty("genres", genres, file);
  if (status === "Reading") {
    await api.addOrUpdateProperty("started", tp.date.now("YYYY-MM-DD"), file);
  }
});
-%>
# <% tp.file.title %>

Recommended by:: <% (await tp.system.prompt("Recommended by")) ?? "" %>

## Notes

- [ ] First impressions

How it holds together:

• The prompts fire in order as the note is created: the status picker, the genres multi-select, then two plain Templater text prompts.
• The ?? defaults mean a cancelled prompt, or the “Auto Properties” toggle being off, still produces a valid note instead of null text or a rejected write.
• genres reaches addOrUpdateProperty() as an array, so it lands in frontmatter as a real YAML list.
• started is only written when the book begins as Reading. addOrUpdateProperty() creates missing keys, so nothing needs seeding.
• The frontmatter writes run inside on_all_templates_executed, after Templater’s own write; the “Recommended by” line is ordinary template output, so it needs no hook.

Creating a note from the template yields:

---
author: Frank Herbert
status: Reading
genres:
  - Sci-fi
  - Classics
started: 2026-07-01
---
# Dune

Recommended by:: Alice

## Notes

- [ ] First impressions

There is no rating yet - add it when you finish the book via “New YAML property”, where it adopts the Number type automatically (Create properties).

Related pages

• Auto Properties guide - defining choice lists, Single vs Multi, learn-as-you-go values.
• Auto Properties API - autoprop(), getAutoProperties(), and setAutoProperties() in full.
• Properties API - update(), addOrUpdateProperty(), appendDataviewField(), and friends.
• API examples - more copy-paste starting points, including the New Task template.