01
Hit the hotkey
A small panel floats over whatever you're doing. No app switch, no tab hunt.
For Mac · For Obsidian
Capture the thought.
Keep the flow.
A system-wide hotkey that lands your idea in today's Obsidian daily note — with links and tags already suggested. Think it, type it, get back to what matters.
How it works
Three steps. None of them pull you out of what you're doing.
02
Type and move on
Write the note. Spillway saves and closes. Whatever you were focused on is still there.
03
Tidy up later
When you have a moment, review the links, tags, and follow-ups Spillway suggested. Accept what's useful, skip the rest.
Features
Built around the workflow Obsidian users already have.
Everything stays close to the job: capture fast, file locally, and reduce the cleanup that usually piles up later.
Open the capture panel from any app on your Mac and return to work just as quickly. No need to switch windows or find the right note first.
Every capture appends directly to today's file in Obsidian. Nothing to file, nothing to forget.
Between meetings or at day's end, accept the links and tags Spillway proposed. One pass, and you're done.
As you type, Spillway reads your vault and surfaces [[links]], #tags, and matching notes — already connected before you hit save. Accept a suggestion with Tab or keep typing. Every capture lands in your graph, not just your inbox.
If you allow it, Spillway uses what's on your calendar for context and can push action items to Apple Reminders.
FAQ
Quick answers.
How do I install it?
Download and open the installer, drag Spillway into Applications, and launch it. On first run the app walks you through connecting your Obsidian vault and granting any permissions it needs.
Your notes stay on your Mac.
Everything happens locally — captures, suggestions, and vault writes all stay on your machine. No account required, no data leaves your Mac.
What permissions does it ask for?
Spillway asks for Accessibility access to respond to the global hotkey, and file access for your vault. Calendar and Reminders access are entirely optional — only if you want meeting context or action-item sync.
Does it respect my existing daily note template?
Spillway appends captures to today's daily note. You can configure which heading they land under — for example a ## Inbox or ## Captures section — or leave it unset to append at the end of the file. It doesn't rewrite the rest of your template.
Safe to use alongside Obsidian.
Spillway and Obsidian can write to the same daily note at the same time without conflict. Spillway handles the coordination so you never end up with a corrupted file.
Download
Download Spillway.
- Native Mac app Fast, native, and feels like it belongs on your Mac. Built in Swift for macOS 14 and later.
- Direct download Open the installer and the app walks you through setup.
- Offline by default No account, no telemetry. Everything happens on your Mac.
- Built around Obsidian Daily notes, wiki links, tags — the workflows you already use.