The Duplicate Note script in QOwnNotes copies Zola's TOML front matter into a new post

4 April, 2026 - Categories: blogging, notetaking apps, Zola - Tags: QOwnNotes, scripting, front matter

By Steven Rosenberg

I got a little deeper into QOwnNotes today. My goal was to script a way to easily start a new post with Zola front matter already in the note. For now I found an existing script in QOwnNotes called Duplicate Note.

I created a note with the "raw" Zola post TOML front matter, and now I can select the note, right-click and duplicate it to begin the new post.

I still have to name the note, though I don't have to type in a file name when exporting to the blog folder. And it's a time-saver because I don't have to leave QOwnNotes to find the front matter and copy/paste it into the new post.

Go to Scripting -> Find scripts in script repository, or click alt-shift-I to get to the pre-made scripts and then search for Duplicate note. Then select and install the script.

There is documentation for making your own scripts, and that's something I will leave for later. I think the move is adding a button or menu entry to automatically generate a "blank" note with all the TOML front matter in it. But for now, Duplicate note should do the job.