AI Comments

Add AI-powered analysis to your archived posts using local CLI tools. All processing happens on your device for complete privacy.

Overview

AI Comments lets you generate intelligent analysis of archived content using AI CLI tools installed on your computer. You can get summaries, fact-checks, sentiment analysis, and more - all without sending your data to external servers.

Why Local AI?

1. Privacy: Your content never leaves your device. All AI processing happens locally.
2. No API Costs: Use your existing AI CLI subscriptions - no additional fees per analysis.
3. Full Control: Choose which AI model to use and customize prompts.

Desktop Only

AI Comments requires desktop Obsidian with Node.js CLI tools. This feature is not available on mobile devices.

Supported AI CLI Tools

You need at least one of the following CLI tools installed:

Tool	Provider	Best For
Claude Code	Anthropic	General analysis, web search
Gemini CLI	Google	Fast responses
Codex	OpenAI	Code-related content

Recommendation

Claude Code is recommended for most users. It has the easiest setup and includes web search capabilities for fact-checking and glossary features.

→ See AI CLI Setup Guide for detailed installation instructions

When AI Comments Appear

AI Comments are available when all of the following conditions are met:

1. Desktop Only: You're using Obsidian on macOS, Windows, or Linux (not mobile)
2. Post is Archived: The post has been successfully archived with content
3. CLI Detected: At least one AI CLI tool is installed and authenticated
4. Platform Enabled: The platform is not excluded in settings

When these conditions are met, you'll see an "Add AI Comment" banner below archived posts in Timeline View.

Comment Types

Summary

Generate a concise 2-3 sentence overview of the content. Great for quickly understanding long posts.

Fact Check

Verify claims in the content using web search. Returns verdicts with sources for key claims. Best used with Claude Code (has built-in web search).

Critique

Get a balanced critical analysis including:

• Key strengths of the argument
• Potential biases or limitations
• Alternative perspectives to consider

Sentiment

Analyze the emotional tone of the content:

• Overall sentiment (positive/negative/neutral)
• Emotional indicators
• Tone description

Glossary

Identify and explain technical or specialized terms in the content. Uses web search to find accurate definitions with sources. Ideal for:

• Technical articles
• Medical content
• Industry-specific jargon
• Academic papers

Connections

Find related notes in your Obsidian vault. The AI scans your vault and suggests:

• Existing notes that relate to the content
• Potential new notes to create
• Wikilinks you can add

Vault Integration

Connections uses your vault's metadata to find relevant notes. Enable "Vault Context" in settings for best results.

Reformat

Improve the markdown formatting of archived content without changing the actual text. Useful when:

• Post content has broken line breaks or spacing
• Content could benefit from section headers
• Inline lists need proper bullet formatting
• Visual hierarchy needs improvement

The AI will only modify formatting (headers, lists, emphasis) while preserving the original words, links, media embeds, and comments section.

Apply Changes

After generating a Reformat comment, click the Apply button (checkmark icon) to replace the post body with the reformatted version. The original content is preserved in the AI comment history.

Custom

Use your own prompt for specialized analysis. When you select "Custom" from the type dropdown, an input field appears where you can enter your specific request or question about the content.

How It Works

1. Click "Add AI Comment": Banner appears on archived posts
2. Select Type: Choose analysis type from dropdown
3. Processing: AI CLI runs locally (progress shown)
4. Result Saved: Comment added to your markdown file

AI Comments are stored in your note's ## AI Comments section:

## AI Comments

### 🤖 Claude · Summary · Dec 16, 2024

This post discusses the impact of AI on creative industries,
highlighting both opportunities and challenges...

---

Plugin Settings

Configure AI Comments in Settings → Social Archiver → AI Comments:

Setting	Description
Enable AI Comments	Toggle the feature on/off
Default CLI	Preferred AI tool when multiple are installed
Default Type	Default analysis type for new comments
Output Language	Language for AI responses (Auto, English, Korean, etc.)
Platform Visibility	Which platforms show the AI Comment banner
Vault Context	Enable vault scanning for Connections feature

Platform Visibility

Control which platforms show the AI Comment banner:

• Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok, etc.
• Blog/News: Substack, Medium, Tumblr, etc.
• Video/Audio: YouTube, Podcasts
• Exclude Specific: Hide banner for selected platforms

Web Sharing

AI Comments are included when you share posts to the web:

• Comments appear below the post content on social-archive.org
• Each comment shows the AI tool, type, and generation date
• Long comments are collapsible for better readability

Troubleshooting

AI Comment Banner Doesn't Appear

Possible causes:

• Using mobile Obsidian (desktop only)
• No AI CLI tool installed
• CLI not authenticated
• Platform excluded in settings

Solutions:

1. Verify CLI installation with claude --version (or equivalent)
2. Check authentication status
3. Restart Obsidian after installing CLI tools
4. Check platform visibility settings

Generation Fails or Times Out

Possible causes:

• CLI not properly authenticated
• Network issues (for web search features)
• Very long content

Solutions:

• Re-authenticate your CLI tool
• Check internet connection
• Try a simpler analysis type (Summary vs Fact Check)

Poor Quality Results

Solutions:

• Try a different AI tool
• Use the Custom type with a more specific prompt
• Specify output language in settings

Privacy & Security

Local Processing

All AI processing happens locally on your device using CLI tools. Your content is processed by the AI models but never stored on external servers beyond what's required for the API call.

Each AI tool has its own privacy policy:

• Claude Code: Anthropic Privacy Policy
• Gemini CLI: Google Privacy Policy
• Codex: OpenAI Privacy Policy