Obsidian is a powerful app, not only due to its base feature suite, but also because of the extensive community plugin library. The community has created more than 2,700 plugins that do nearly anything you can think of, from useful options like Dataview and Templater to incredibly targeted, niche plugins like TsumugiMark. But here's a secret: not every plugin is available via the plugin library.

The library consists of vetted, verified plugins, but there are a lot of options that haven't made it that far. For example, if a plugin is still in beta testing, it might be available for public use, but not yet registered in the library. There is a specific plugin that makes it easy to test out all of these unverified and early-access tools, if you're so inclined, and it is available from the library. It's called BRAT: the Beta-Reviewer's Auto-Update Tool for Obsidian.

I can install beta plugins just by copying their GitHub repo link

There's nothing else to it

You might think it's a complicated process to install a beta plugin, but BRAT makes it simple. All you do is open the plugin from Obsidian's plugin list, select Add new plugin, and paste the GitHub link. If multiple versions of the plugin are available on the repo, you can choose the one you want to install. You can also choose whether to enable the plugin upon installing it or leave it disabled for later. After pasting the link, the last thing you have to do is click Add plugin.

Once installed, the plugin is available to test. Some plugins will be more fleshed out than others, depending on their current stage of development. Do be aware that beta-testing plugins can lead to unpredictable performance, and you might experience crashes at times. I haven't lost any data as a result of testing, but it's always a risk. If a plugin does cause problems, you can remove it just by clicking the X in the BRAT settings menu.

BRAT keeps all beta plugins automatically updated

It gets rid of the tedium of doing it yourself

If I were to manually install a beta plugin, I would have to repeat the process each time it received an update. As you might imagine, that can quickly become tiresome. BRAT circumvents this issue by performing updates with just a few clicks when one becomes available. It's as simple as clicking the refresh icon beside the plugin name in BRAT's settings. If an update is available, it will download and install it; if one isn't, you'll see a pop-up in the top-right corner of Obsidian.

There are currently almost 600 beta plugins and themes available to test out

And potentially even more

Here's the thing about beta plugins: you'll only know about them if the developer announces them. In many cases, you can find them on ObsidianStats.com, but not every plugin is available there. If you're interested in a specific project, you can ask the developer to provide a link to the GitHub repo for you to try out. I've stumbled across several interesting projects by browsing Obsidian forums and the subreddit, too.

Not everything on ObsidianStats.com is for plugins, either. While the vast majority of projects are, you can also find beta themes on there. There are only nine at the moment, though.

If you aren't testing beta plugins, BRAT isn't necessary

It's a solution looking for a problem

I love toying with software and trying out new plugins, but that's not something everyone does. If you aren't using untested plugins on Obsidian, then BRAT doesn't serve much of a purpose. The official plugin library already updates automatically, and it covers the vast majority of features that Obsidian doesn't provide by default. I love the fun of discovering a new plugin that hasn't been released to the wider world yet, but I will be the first to admit the process isn't for everyone. If you use Obsidian for school or work, then you're likely looking for something that provides reliability, not potential crashes.

But if you are a developer who likes pushing boundaries, BRAT makes the process just a tad easier

No more manual updates

This plugin isn't going to revolutionize the way you use Obsidian, but if you hate the maintenance side of testing plugins, BRAT can save a bit of time and prevent a bit of annoyance. And in the end, that's really what I'm looking for — an easier way to install and maintain plugins, as well as remove them if they don't fit what I'm looking for, don't work, or cause problems with other plugins.

It's a niche plugin, but it checks out

BRAT isn't going to suit every user, but it does make beta testing plugins and themes easy enough that I'd recommend everyone give it a shot, even if only for a few plugins here and there.