TL;DR
Obsidian Bases is a free core plugin that transforms your notes into an editable, filterable database inside Obsidian. Now publicly available, it delivers lightning-fast performance, easy property filtering, dynamic card views, and seamless note generation. This guide breaks down key features, compares Bases with DataView and Notion, and walks you through getting started with Bases, along with some more advanced use cases you might find helpful related to AI & Project Management.
Introduction: The Power of Organizing Your Notes In A Database
If youâre like me, youâve probably noticed that every day you gather more and more data and informationânotes, PDFs, articles, videos… it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the information, information overload. The reality is, your notes only become truly valuable when you can actually find them, connect ideas, and surface meaningful insights. Thatâs exactly why the new Obsidian Bases plugin is such a game-changer. It helps you simplify everything by turning all of your scattered notes into something you can see and interact with at a glance.
Obsidian Bases was in beta longer than any other plugin, as the team worked to implement the core plugin in a stable, impactful way to transform your Obsidian vault.
Bases recently left beta and is now available to everyone. This plugin turns your vault into a dynamic, editable database, so you can finally filter, organize, edit, and visualize your notes the way youâve wanted all along.
What Is Obsidian Bases? Your Notes, Transformed Into A Database
Bases works by transforming your notes into an editable table where you can filter your vault by properties and connections. It takes your notes and turns them into something way easier to understand and manage by unlocking the power of properties. Using YAML front matter (aka Obsidian Properties) means your data stays clean and compatible, which is important because it future-proofs your system. In other words, it gives your notes a massive upgradeâthey become part of a structured database without losing their markdown benefits, letting you continue using Obsidian as you always have, but with the added benefit of transparent and effortless organization.
Bases is a core plugin. A core plugin is one that is built directly into Obsidian, rather than part of the community plugin directory. Rather than worrying about implementing Bases into your core workflow with a risk of incompatibility in the future, you can be assured that Bases is here to stay, and will continue to evolve alongside Obsidian.
My Favourite Key Features
1. Effortless Filtering & Direct Property Control
One of the best things about Bases is how quickly you can add columns such as tags, status, due dates, or any custom property with just a clickâand get instant access to that information. You can even bulk-edit those properties right inside the table, which saved me loads of time when cleaning up my vault. Plus, instead of struggling with complicated coding queries, Bases lets you easily filter your entire vault to surface just what you need.
2. Dynamic Views & Visuals
Bases lets you create multiple custom views, each with unique filters, so you can look at your notes from different perspectives. The card view is especially usefulâit displays notes as visual cards complete with cover images, making it much easier to scan through your data quickly.
You can think of Bases Views as a snapshot of your vault in different organization configurations. Want to make a view that pulls in all of your articles? Done! A view that organizes your projects? Done!
Each view is saved as part of the core base, which means it can be reused across your vault. You can even embed views into specific notes, which makes creating Maps of Content or “hub” notes easier than ever.
That said, views are much better shown than explained, so I recommend checking out my video for visual examples.
3. Automated Note Generation (Template Generator)
Another huge time saver is how Bases lets you generate new notes from a template tied to your current view. This means when you hit âNew,â you get a note pre-filled with the correct properties automatically, cutting down all the repetitive setup work.
Effectively, each Base becomes a template generator. Once you’ve constructed a view that you find valuable, you can create new notes with a single click that import all of the features and properties of that base. In other words, you can easily add notes that are automatically sorted into that Base without you needing to do anything else.
4. Embedding & Dynamic Dashboards
You can embed these bases right inside any note to create project-specific dashboards that update dynamically based on filters. This turns your vault into a living, breathing workspace where everything relevant to a project is just a glance away.
Not only can you embed the Base into a note, you can also embed specific views that are dynamic. For example, you can use a [this.note] property, so the embedded view automatically changes for every note that it is a part of. The view embedded in the “Flow State” map of content will automatically pull notes related to Flow States. The view embedded in the “Vibe Coding” map of content will automatically pull in notes related to Vibe Coding.
It’s incredibly powerful, especially for project management organization in Obsidian, which I get into more in the next article (or this video here).
5. Lightning-Fast Performance & Native Integration
A key concern of mine was that sorting all of these notes into a single database would end up slowing down my vault, but the opposite happened!
Bases loads everything instantlyâeven in vaults with thousands of notesâsomething that older solutions struggled with. Since itâs a core Obsidian plugin, itâs also very stable and gets regular updates.
Each Base starts with EVERY note in your vault in that Base, allowing you to whittle it down to the views that you actually want for that specific Base.
This is far more effective than trying to import notes based on specific properties, since you are filtering by them instead.
How Obsidian Bases Compares With DataView and Notion
| Feature | Obsidian Bases | DataView | Notion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use | Click-to-add columns, user-friendly UI | Requires complex queries | GUI-based cloud tool |
| Property Editing | Edit note properties directly | Read-only query results | Editable databases |
| Vault Integration | Unified local vault | Vault-wide queries | Cloud-based separate databases |
| Performance | Instant load, thousands of notes | Slower at scale | Dependent on internet & server |
| Visual Options | Tables and card views | Tables only | Multiple views (boards, calendars) |
What I find exciting is how Bases narrows the gap with Notion by combining speed, flexibility, and local vault powerâa winning combination for anyone serious about productivity.
All with the added benefit of operating in future-proofed markdown, locally on your computer.
Your data is yours, and now you can visualize it effortlessly in Obsidian, keeping even thousands of notes organized as you continue building your personal knowledge management system, your second brain.
Get Started With Obsidian Bases Today
Getting started is straightforward: just head to Settings > Core Plugins in Obsidian and toggle Bases on. Then open the command palette (Ctrl/Cmd + P) and create your first base. From there, you can start filtering your existing notes or add custom properties to fit the way you work.
I walk through a complete installation & setup of your first base in this video, so I recommend checking it out to help you see how Bases can actually be used in practice.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is Obsidian Bases free?
Yes, itâs completely free as a core plugin available to every Obsidian user.
Can I batch edit note properties?
Yes, Bases allows you to edit properties right inside the tables for easy bulk updates.
How does Bases handle properties?
By using YAML front matter (Obsidian Properties), Bases keeps your data organized and compatible with markdown standards.
Conclusion: Simplify Your Organization & Unlock Your Vaultâs Full Potential
Bases is more than just a pluginâitâs a fundamental shift in how you manage information in Obsidian. It makes your vault faster, smarter, and easier to navigate, which is exactly what note-taking should be about. This update fundamentally changes the game by simplifying complex workflows and helping you focus on the work that matters.
Give it a try and share how youâre using Bases to transform your notesâitâs great to learn from everyoneâs workflows.
If you do, please let me know in the comments of my videos, as the more we can share how we use these new tools together, the more we can accelerate our learning and use them more effectively.
Call to Action & Resources
If you found this helpful, please like and subscribe to the Wanderloots YouTube channel to support new content. For exclusive templates and project management kits, check out my Obsidian Templates, including a full Bases Project Management Kit.
Explore these playlists to go deeper:
If you’re looking to go even deeper into Obsidian Bases, using it for my favourite purpose – project management – I recommend checking out this video where I walk through how to organize Obsidian Bases for Project Management, including how to leverage AI for helping you roadmap your projects effectively.
