Configuration

Configure Obsidian Portable settings, plugins, themes, and workspace layouts

Obsidian Portable stores all configuration and application data in the Data/ObsidianAppData directory, making your settings portable across computers.

Application Data Location

When you launch Obsidian Portable, the application uses:

--user-data-dir="Data/ObsidianAppData"

This ensures all settings, plugins, and configurations remain within the portable directory.

The Data/ObsidianAppData folder contains all Obsidian application data, separate from your actual note vaults.

Configuration Files

Main Configuration File

Obsidian stores vault references and application settings in:

Data/ObsidianAppData/obsidian.json

This file contains:

• Recently opened vaults and their paths
• Vault-specific settings references
• Application-level preferences

Do not manually edit obsidian.json while Obsidian is running. The launcher automatically updates paths when drive letters change.

Path Management

The launcher configuration (App/AppInfo/Launcher/ObsidianPortable.ini) defines how paths are updated:

[FileWrite1]
Type=Replace
File=%PAL:DataDir%\ObsidianAppData\obsidian.json
Find=INITIALDATADIR
Replace=%PAL:Drive%%PAL:PackagePartialDir:DoubleBackslash%\\Data

[FileWrite2]
Type=Replace
File=%PAL:DataDir%\ObsidianAppData\obsidian.json
Find=%PAL:LastDrive%%PAL:LastPackagePartialDir:DoubleBackslash%\\
Replace=%PAL:Drive%%PAL:PackagePartialDir:DoubleBackslash%\\

These operations:

• Replace the initial data directory placeholder
• Update paths when the package location changes
• Update paths when the drive letter changes
• Update paths when moved within the PortableApps directory

Vault Configuration

Each vault has its own configuration stored within the vault folder:

Vault Configuration Directory

YourVault/.obsidian/

This hidden folder contains:

• app.json - Application settings for this vault
• appearance.json - Theme and appearance settings
• workspace.json - Current workspace layout
• hotkeys.json - Custom keyboard shortcuts
• core-plugins.json - Enabled core plugins
• community-plugins.json - Enabled community plugins
• plugins/ - Installed community plugin files
• themes/ - Installed custom themes

Each vault maintains its own settings, allowing different configurations for different projects.

Accessing Settings

1. Open Settings

   Click the gear icon in the lower-left corner, or press Ctrl + ,

2. Navigate categories

   Settings are organized into categories:

   • Editor
   • Files & Links
   • Appearance
   • Hotkeys
   • Core plugins
   • Community plugins
3. Apply changes

   Changes are saved automatically

Appearance and Themes

Built-in Themes

Obsidian includes default light and dark themes:

1. Open Settings → Appearance
2. Choose “Light” or “Dark” base theme
3. Adjust accent colors and fonts

Installing Custom Themes

1. Open theme browser

   Settings → Appearance → Manage (under Themes section)

2. Browse available themes

   Browse the community theme gallery

3. Install theme

   Click “Install and use” on your preferred theme

Themes are downloaded to:

YourVault/.obsidian/themes/

In portable mode, themes are stored per-vault. To use the same theme across vaults, install it in each vault or copy the theme folder.

Appearance Settings

Customize the interface:

• Font settings: Change editor font, size, and monospace font
• Window frame: Native or hidden frame style
• Translucency: Enable window translucency (Windows 10+)
• Zoom level: Adjust interface scaling
• CSS snippets: Add custom CSS for advanced styling

Plugin Management

Core Plugins

Obsidian includes built-in plugins:

1. Open Settings → Core plugins
2. Toggle plugins on/off:
   • File explorer
   • Search
   • Quick switcher
   • Graph view
   • Backlinks
   • Outgoing links
   • Tag pane
   • Page preview
   • Templates
   • Daily notes
   • And more…

Core plugins are part of Obsidian and do not require separate installation.

Community Plugins

Install third-party plugins to extend functionality:

1. Enable community plugins

   Settings → Community plugins → Turn off Safe mode

2. Browse plugins

   Click “Browse” to open the community plugin directory

3. Install plugins

   Search for plugins and click “Install” then “Enable”

Community plugins are stored in:

YourVault/.obsidian/plugins/

Managing Installed Plugins

In Settings → Community plugins:

• Enable/disable: Toggle plugins without uninstalling
• Update: Check for plugin updates
• Uninstall: Remove plugins you no longer need
• Configure: Access plugin-specific settings

Some plugins may affect performance. If Obsidian becomes slow, try disabling plugins to identify the cause.

Plugin Data Portability

When you store vaults in the portable Data/ directory, all plugins and their configurations move with the vault.

To sync plugin configurations across vaults:

1. Copy .obsidian/plugins/ from one vault to another
2. Copy .obsidian/community-plugins.json to enable the same plugins

Workspace Layouts

Understanding Workspaces

Workspaces save your pane arrangement, including:

• Open notes and their positions
• Sidebar visibility and width
• Plugin pane locations

Managing Workspaces

1. Arrange your layout

   Open notes and arrange panes as desired

2. Open workspace manager

   Press Ctrl + P and type “workspace”

3. Save workspace

   Select “Manage workspace layouts” and save with a name

Loading Workspaces

To switch between saved workspaces:

1. Open Command Palette (Ctrl + P)
2. Type the workspace name
3. Select to load that workspace layout

Workspaces are stored in:

YourVault/.obsidian/workspace.json

Hotkeys and Keyboard Shortcuts

Customizing Hotkeys

1. Open Settings → Hotkeys
2. Search for the command you want to modify
3. Click the ”+” icon to add a new hotkey
4. Press your desired key combination

Editor Commands

Customize shortcuts for formatting, lists, and editing operations

Navigation

Set hotkeys for switching notes, opening sidebars, and moving between panes

Plugin Commands

Assign shortcuts to plugin-specific commands

Workspace Switching

Quick-switch between saved workspace layouts

Hotkey Portability

Custom hotkeys are saved in:

YourVault/.obsidian/hotkeys.json

Hotkey configurations are vault-specific and portable when the vault is in your portable directory.

Advanced Configuration

CSS Snippets

Customize Obsidian’s appearance with CSS:

1. Create snippets folder

   Navigate to YourVault/.obsidian/snippets/

2. Add CSS files

   Create .css files with your custom styles

3. Enable snippets

   Settings → Appearance → CSS snippets → Toggle on

Example snippet:

/* Custom heading colors */
.markdown-preview-view h1 {
  color: #ff6b6b;
}

.markdown-preview-view h2 {
  color: #4ecdc4;
}

Configuration Backup

Regularly back up your configuration:

1. Entire portable installation: Copy the whole folder
2. Application data only: Copy Data/ObsidianAppData/
3. Per-vault settings: Copy .obsidian/ from each vault

Backing up the entire Data/ folder preserves both application settings and any vaults stored within the portable directory.

Syncing Settings Across Vaults

To use consistent settings across multiple vaults:

1. Configure one vault as desired
2. Copy specific files from .obsidian/ to other vaults:
   • appearance.json - Theme and appearance
   • hotkeys.json - Keyboard shortcuts
   • core-plugins.json - Core plugin enablement

Do not copy workspace.json between vaults as it contains vault-specific file references.

Portable-Specific Settings

Directory Move Support

Obsidian Portable is configured to handle directory moves:

DirectoryMoveOK=yes

This allows you to:

• Move the entire portable folder to a new location
• Rename the parent folder
• Change drive letters

Paths are automatically updated on next launch.

UNC Path Support

Obsidian Portable supports network paths:

SupportsUNC=yes

You can:

• Run from network shares
• Open vaults on network drives
• Use UNC paths like \\server\share\vault

Network performance may affect Obsidian’s responsiveness. For best results, use local or fast network storage.

Configuration Best Practices

1. Regular exports: Export your settings periodically
2. Test changes: Try new plugins and themes in a test vault first
3. Monitor performance: Disable unnecessary plugins
4. Keep backups: Back up both vaults and application data
5. Document customizations: Keep notes about custom CSS or advanced configurations

Resetting Configuration

If you need to reset settings:

Reset Application Settings

1. Close Obsidian
2. Rename or delete Data/ObsidianAppData/
3. Restart Obsidian (creates fresh application data)

Reset Vault Settings

1. Close Obsidian
2. Rename or delete YourVault/.obsidian/
3. Reopen the vault (creates default settings)

Resetting configuration will remove all customizations, installed plugins, and themes. Back up first if you want to preserve specific settings.