Obsidian Bases

Product Introduction

1. Obsidian Bases is a core plugin that transforms any collection of notes into a structured database, enabling users to organize and manage information such as projects, travel plans, and reading lists. It leverages Markdown files and their embedded properties to create dynamic, filterable views without requiring external databases or complex setups. Data remains stored locally, ensuring full control and privacy while integrating seamlessly with existing Obsidian workflows.

2. The core value of Obsidian Bases lies in its ability to unify note-taking and data management through customizable views, formulas, and filters. Users can dynamically sort, analyze, and visualize notes as structured datasets while retaining the flexibility of plain-text Markdown. This bridges the gap between free-form knowledge organization and structured data querying, empowering users to build personalized systems for productivity, research, and planning.

Main Features

1. Users can create and embed bases using .base files or code blocks within Markdown notes, enabling database-like interactions such as table views, card layouts, and property-based filtering. Bases automatically parse metadata like tags, frontmatter, and inline properties to generate structured representations of notes. Views are fully customizable, allowing users to define columns, formulas, and filters without altering the original note content.

2. Multiple view types, including tables, cards, and dynamic lists, let users visualize the same dataset in different layouts for specific workflows. Table views display notes as rows with properties as columns, while card views group notes into visual containers with customizable previews. Views support real-time updates, ensuring changes to notes or properties reflect instantly across all linked bases.

3. Advanced functions and formulas enable calculations, conditional formatting, and data transformations within bases. Users can reference properties like dates, numbers, or text fields to create dynamic formulas for sorting, filtering, or deriving new metadata. Filters operate on Boolean logic, ranges, and regex, allowing precise control over which notes appear in a view.

Problems Solved

1. Obsidian Bases addresses the challenge of managing scattered, unstructured notes by providing a systematic way to query and organize information. Traditional note-taking tools lack built-in mechanisms to filter, sort, or analyze notes based on metadata, leading to inefficiencies in large vaults. Bases solve this by turning notes into queryable datasets without sacrificing Markdown’s simplicity.

2. The plugin targets users who need structured data management within a note-taking environment, such as researchers, project managers, and content creators. It is particularly valuable for those managing complex projects, tracking interrelated notes, or requiring quick access to specific subsets of information.

3. Typical use cases include tracking project milestones with date filters, aggregating research materials by topic or status, and managing inventories or reading lists with dynamic sorting. For example, a user can create a base to display all notes tagged “#client-project” with due dates in the next month, sorted by priority.

Unique Advantages

1. Unlike standalone databases or spreadsheet tools, Obsidian Bases operates natively within Obsidian, eliminating the need to export or sync data externally. All data remains stored in Markdown files, ensuring compatibility with existing plugins and workflows. This integration avoids the friction of switching between apps for note-taking and data analysis.

2. The plugin introduces innovative view configurations, allowing multiple layouts (e.g., table and card views) to coexist for the same dataset. Users can toggle between views to suit different contexts, such as reviewing tasks in a table or brainstorming ideas in a card layout. This flexibility is absent in rigid, single-view databases.

3. Competitive advantages include seamless synchronization with Obsidian’s property system, real-time updates, and extensibility via the core plugin ecosystem. Bases require no additional infrastructure, making them lightweight yet powerful compared to tools like Notion or Airtable, which rely on cloud storage and proprietary formats.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. How is data stored in Obsidian Bases? Data remains in local Markdown files, with properties defined via frontmatter, inline fields, or tags. Bases generate views by reading these properties without modifying the original files, ensuring data integrity and portability.

2. Can I embed a base within a regular note? Yes, bases can be embedded as code blocks in Markdown notes using the .base syntax or saved as standalone .base files. This allows inline databases to coexist with prose, diagrams, or other content.

3. What view types are supported? Bases currently support table and card views, with tables organizing notes into rows/columns and cards displaying notes as customizable tiles. Future updates may expand layout options based on user feedback.