Reading and Writing View
The difference between Obsidian Writing View and Reading View, and why most Time Garden interactivity only works in one of them.
Obsidian has two ways of showing the same note. Knowing the difference fixes 80% of "wait, my Time Garden looks wrong" moments.
The Two Views
✏️ Writing View (Edit Mode / "Live Preview")
This is the view you'll be in 95% of the time. It's a hybrid — you see formatted text while you can also click into any line and edit the markdown directly.
- Headings look like headings, but click into one and you see the
#symbols. - Wikilinks render as colored text, but you can still edit them inline.
- This is where you actually journal.
📖 Reading View (Preview Mode)
This is "read-only" mode — markdown is fully rendered, like a finished webpage. Nothing is editable. Some elements only fully render in this view.
You almost never need this view in Time Garden, but it's worth knowing it exists.
How to Switch Between Them
The keyboard shortcut
Mac: Cmd + E Windows/Linux: Ctrl + E
Or click the little book icon in the upper-right of any note. That toggles between writing and reading.
You can also choose your default view in Editor Settings under "Default editing mode".
Why It Matters For Time Garden
Most Time Garden interactivity only works in Writing View.
The buttons, sliders, and inputs you see throughout your daily/weekly/monthly notes are powered by the MetaBind plugin — and they only function in Writing View. If you click an "AI" button in Reading View and nothing happens, that's why.
A few specific cases to know about:
- AI buttons (Rate, Summarize, Wheel of Life, Q&A) → only work in Writing View
- Rating sliders → only adjustable in Writing View
- Editable alias / summary fields → only editable in Writing View
- Charts and dataview tables → render in both views
- Banner images → render in both views
A Common Bug This Causes
If your note titles seem to disappear when editing but appear in Reading View, you're not crazy — it's a known interaction between two settings. The fix is on the Daily note bugs page.
Source Mode (Optional Third Mode)
Hidden inside Writing View is Source Mode, which shows the raw markdown with no rendering at all — like editing in a code editor. You probably never need it for journaling, but it's how plugin developers debug. Toggle it in Editor Settings if you're curious.
TL;DR
| Writing View | Reading View | |
|---|---|---|
| What you'll use | Almost always | Rarely |
| Editable | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Time Garden buttons | ✅ Work | ❌ Don't work |
| Charts | ✅ Render | ✅ Render |
| Toggle | Cmd/Ctrl + E | Cmd/Ctrl + E |
Stay in Writing View. Time Garden's there.