diff --git a/org-roam-capture.el b/org-roam-capture.el
index 100eea4..08d088c 100644
--- a/org-roam-capture.el
+++ b/org-roam-capture.el
@@ -505,7 +505,7 @@ also run Org-capture's template expansion."
   (funcall (if org-capture-p #'org-capture-fill-template #'identity)
            (org-roam-format
             template
-            (lambda (key)
+            (lambda (key default-val)
               (let ((fn (intern key))
                     (node-fn (intern (concat "org-roam-node-" key)))
                     (ksym (intern (concat ":" key))))
@@ -516,7 +516,7 @@ also run Org-capture's template expansion."
                   (funcall node-fn org-roam-capture--node))
                  ((plist-get org-roam-capture--info ksym)
                   (plist-get org-roam-capture--info ksym))
-                 (t (let ((r (completing-read (format "%s: " key) nil)))
+                 (t (let ((r (completing-read (format "%s: " key) nil nil nil default-val)))
                       (plist-put org-roam-capture--info ksym r)
                       r))))))))
 
diff --git a/org-roam-utils.el b/org-roam-utils.el
index 349c9b9..22b2b37 100644
--- a/org-roam-utils.el
+++ b/org-roam-utils.el
@@ -186,21 +186,25 @@ BEG and END are markers for the beginning and end regions."
 ;;; Formatting
 (defun org-roam-format (template replacer)
   "Format TEMPLATE with the function REPLACER.
-REPLACER takes an argument of the format variable and optionally
-an extra argument which is the EXTRA value from the call to
-`org-roam-format'.
-Adapted from `s-format'."
+The templates are of form ${foo} for variable foo, and
+${foo=default} for variable foo with default value \"default\".
+REPLACER takes an argument of the format variable and the default
+value (possibly nil). Adapted from `s-format'."
   (let ((saved-match-data (match-data)))
     (unwind-protect
         (replace-regexp-in-string
          "\\${\\([^}]+\\)}"
          (lambda (md)
            (let ((var (match-string 1 md))
-                 (replacer-match-data (match-data)))
+                 (replacer-match-data (match-data))
+                 default-val)
+             (when (string-match "\\(.+\\)=\\(.+\\)" var)
+               (setq default-val (match-string 2 var)
+                     var (match-string 1 var)))
              (unwind-protect
                  (let ((v (progn
                             (set-match-data saved-match-data)
-                            (funcall replacer var))))
+                            (funcall replacer var default-val))))
                    (if v (format "%s" v) (signal 'org-roam-format-resolve md)))
                (set-match-data replacer-match-data)))) template
          ;; Need literal to make sure it works
@@ -218,7 +222,7 @@ Adapted from `s-format'."
                     (string-width
                      (org-roam-format
                       format
-                      (lambda (field)
+                      (lambda (field _default_val)
                         (setq fields-width
                               (+ fields-width
                                  (string-to-number
diff --git a/org-roam.el b/org-roam.el
index 554da09..029c67e 100644
--- a/org-roam.el
+++ b/org-roam.el
@@ -505,7 +505,7 @@ Uses `org-roam-node-display-template' to format the entry."
   (let ((fmt (org-roam--process-display-format org-roam-node-display-template)))
     (org-roam-format
      (car fmt)
-     (lambda (field)
+     (lambda (field _default-val)
        (let* ((field (split-string field ":"))
               (field-name (car field))
               (field-width (cadr field))