Zim Notebook Import turns basic wiki pages into linked Markdown notes

Name: Zim Notebook Import
Author: theluckystrike

Review Zim paths, convert text and links, and check the report.

Install in Obsidian

Directory page Source on GitHub

MIT · no telemetry · core features free

An imported garden note shows headings, nested lists, page links and a fenced code block. — Open larger

version: 1.2.0
released: 2026-10-21
downloads: 27
review: Passed
health: Excellent
license: MIT
listed for: Desktop, Mobile
obsidian: 1.13.4 or later

The review tested the desktop app on macOS. No physical phone or tablet test ran.

Directory facts fetched 2026-10-23 07:28 UTC from community.obsidian.md/users/theluckystrike.

About Zim Notebook Import

You have a Zim Desktop Wiki notebook and want to move its basic page text and links into your vault.

Copy your Zim notebook folder into the vault, then review the paths before writing to a new folder. Zim Notebook Import converts basic page syntax and maps supported links to the new notes. Your source files stay in place.

The report names unresolved links and recognized unsupported sections. Pro saves import choices and compares the current source with a snapshot from a completed import.

The demo shows a source plan, an imported garden note and its conversion report.

Free features

Review a source folder

The plan lists source and output paths, the first note's text, issue counts and conflicts. An existing destination or a case-insensitive output collision blocks the batch. The importer rereads the source before writing and stops if it changed after review.

The import plan lists three garden pages with output paths and detected issues. — Open larger

Convert basic page text

Convert supported headings, emphasis, basic lists, checkbox tasks and triple-quoted code blocks. Child, root and section-relative page links use the mapped note paths when the target resolves. Missing or ambiguous targets keep their source links and appear in the report.

Keep source properties

The zim_source property records the original vault path, and a supported creation-date header supplies zim_created. Pages without that date keep no guessed date. The _ character becomes a page-name space, and filename cleanup happens before link mapping.

The soil note shows its source path and creation date above retained table text. — Open larger

Read the import report

Open Zim import report.md in the destination to see created-note counts and detected issues by source path and line. Images, table lines, underline and recognized object blocks remain source text. Other file extensions stay in the source folder and appear in the report.

The report lists source locations for unsupported content and an unresolved page link. — Open larger

Pro features

Pro costs $5 a month or $15 one time through GitHub Sponsors. One sponsorship turns on Pro in every plugin that has it.

Save import rules Pro

Choose tree or flat folders, and spaces or hyphens in page names, during a free import. Pro saves your source, destination and naming choices for the next command. A later conversion still needs a new destination.

The import dialog shows flat folders, hyphen page names and the Save rules button. — Open larger

Compare a later source Pro

Pro lists added, changed and removed source paths, plus an unchanged count. It compares source text with the snapshot from a completed import and doesn't merge edited output notes. The snapshot stores imported source text in the plugin's vault settings.

The later preview lists one changed garden source page and two unchanged pages. — Open larger

See how Pro works

Set up Zim Notebook Import

needs

Obsidian 1.13.4 or later
A folder of Zim Desktop Wiki .txt pages inside your vault.
A new destination folder separate from the source.

steps

Copy your Zim notebook folder into the vault, keeping the page directory structure.
Run Zim page import from the command palette.
Enter the source folder and a new destination path relative to the vault.
Select Review plan and inspect paths, conflicts and detected issues.
Select Write new notes, then compare the output and report with your originals.

If the app can't find a new plugin yet, try again later. Obsidian says a plugin that passes the review shows in the app within 24 hours.

How to import Zim notebooks into Obsidian

Known limits of Zim Notebook Import

The source must be a folder of Zim Desktop Wiki .txt pages inside your vault, rather than a .zim web archive.
Full Zim syntax, attachments, equations and complete table conversion are outside this version.
Missing or ambiguous page links remain source links and appear in the report.
An unsupported or incomplete Zim header keeps the page text without basic conversion.
Each conversion needs a new destination folder separate from the source.
A failed write can leave partial output; keep it for review and use a fresh destination for your retry.
The later preview compares source snapshots and does not merge edited output notes.
A completed import stores a source-text copy in the plugin's vault settings, including after a free import.
Rendering imported HTML or remote image links can make Obsidian request those resources.
Physical mobile devices, Windows and Linux app runs, production notebook sizes and network-mounted vaults remain untested.

Questions about Zim Notebook Import

Can I import a .zim archive?

No. This importer reads Zim Desktop Wiki .txt pages, while .zim web archives use a different format. Attachments, equations and full table conversion are outside this version.

Can I import into a folder that already exists?

No. The destination must be new and separate from the source. Existing destinations and planned path conflicts block the batch before writing.

What happens if a write fails?

A partial destination can remain, and the error states how many notes were created. Keep that output for review and choose a fresh destination for your retry.

Does a later preview update my notes?

No. Pro compares the source snapshot with the current source pages. To convert again, review a new plan and use a new destination.

Can imported text make network requests?

Before GitHub sign-in, the plugin sends no requests of its own. Imported HTML or remote image links can make Obsidian request their hosts when you render a note or the report.

Network use

Sign-in sends the client ID and device codes to github.com; api.github.com receives your token and a sponsorship query, without vault data. Successful Pro checks wait seven days; failed checks can retry after six hours, and Refresh checks when you're signed in. Imported HTML or remote images can make Obsidian contact their hosts when you render a note or the report.

Read the full network disclosure

Questions or ideas?

Tell me what is broken in Zim Notebook Import, or what it should do next.

Send feedback

Zim Notebook Import 1.2.0, MIT license