Build Your Own Read-It-Later System

Omnivore was a beloved read-it-later app for many Logseq users. However, after being acquired, it shut down, leaving users searching for alternatives. With the upcoming release of Logseq’s database version, you now have the perfect opportunity to build a personalized read-it-later system that fits your exact workflow.

This guide will show you how to leverage Send to Logseq’s powerful capture capabilities, combined with Logseq database version’s tagging and property features, to create a simple yet effective read-it-later system.

Note: Capturing page content and links with custom formatting requires Send to Logseq’s Custom Template feature, which is available with a Pro license. Learn more about Custom Templates and upgrade here.

Prerequisites

Before getting started, make sure you have:

  1. Logseq Database Version installed
  2. Send to Logseq extension installed in your browser
  3. Send to Logseq Pro license for custom template features

Setting Up Your Read-It-Later System

Step 1: Create a #read-later Tag

First, create a dedicated tag for your read-it-later items:

  1. Create a new page in Logseq called read-later
  2. Click on the page menu and select Convert to tag

create-tag

Step 2: Configure Tag Properties

Add properties to your #read-later tag to track reading status and other metadata:

configure-tag-properties

Key properties to consider:

  • ReadStatus - Track whether an item is “ToRead”, “Reading”, or “Read”
  • ReadCategory - Track content category, like History, Technology, etc.
  • ReadDate - Track when read is finished

Step 3: Configure Custom Templates in Send to Logseq

Send to Logseq supports capturing both links and full page content. Configure custom templates to automatically tag captures and set properties:

  1. Open the Send to Logseq Options page
  2. Enable the Capture content with custom template feature
  3. Update the captureLink and captureArticle templates as shown below:

Template for Capturing Links

Use this template when you want to quickly save a link to read later:

{{#captureLink}}
  {{#todo}} TODO {{/todo}} [{{content}}]({{url}}) #read-later
  ReadStatus:: ToRead
{{/captureLink}}

This template will:

  • Create a #task block with the page link for markdown graph
  • Add the #read-later tag
  • Set the ReadStatus property to “ToRead”
  • Record the capture date

Template for Capturing Full Articles

Use this template when you want to save the entire page content:

{{#captureArticle}}
  URL:: [{{title}}]({{pageUrl}})
  PageName:: {{title}} #read-later
  ReadStatus:: ToRead

  {{content}}
{{/captureArticle}}

This template works in two ways:

When capturing as a standalone page:
  • Creates a new Logseq page with the article title
  • Adds the #read-later tag to the page
  • Sets the URL, and ReadStatus as page properties
  • Captures the full article content
When capturing as a block:
  • Creates a new block with the article title
  • Adds the #read-later tag to the block
  • Sets the URL and ReadStatus as block properties
  • Captures the content as child blocks

Step 4: Start Capturing Content

With everything configured, you’re ready to build your reading list:

capture-read-it-later

Organize Your Reading Queue

With Logseq database version’s powerful querying capabilities, you can create custom views:

  • Unread items: Query all blocks/pages with #read-later and ReadStatus:: ToRead
  • Currently reading: Track items with ReadStatus:: Reading
  • Completed: Review items with ReadStatus:: Read
  • By date: Organize your reading list by capture date

Getting Help

If you have questions or need assistance setting up your read-it-later system, feel free to contact us at [email protected] or reach out on X @dytes_studio.

Happy reading and note-taking!