Obsidian Bases - The Complete Guide to Creating Databases

Introduction to Obsidian Bases
📌 Obsidian has released Bases, a new built-in feature allowing users to create databases directly from their notes for automatic information listing.
✨ This feature is part of the core plugin in Obsidian version 1.9, simplifying database creation compared to previous community plugin solutions.
🧠 Obsidian itself is described as a "digital second brain" software that manages notes, projects, and tasks, utilizing the Markdown format for data longevity and local storage for security.

Understanding Properties (Metadata)
📌 Properties (or metadata) act as the "identity card" for a note, crucial for sorting and utilizing Bases.
✍️ Properties can be added manually in the note header (e.g., setting a status or deadline) or are automatically recorded by Obsidian (e.g., creation date, tags, folder location).
🔄 Proper upfront planning of properties enables better organization and visualization within the new database views.

Creating and Configuring a Database in Bases
🛠️ A new database is initiated either via the command palette or by clicking "Create New Base", by default indexing all files in the vault.
📊 Bases offers two primary views: a List/Table view (similar to Excel) and a Card view (useful for visual data like book covers).
🔍 Data can be narrowed down using filters based on criteria like the containing folder (using `is` or `contains`), allowing for the creation of multiple, reusable views within one database.

Database Views and Actions
🗂️ Users can create and duplicate different views (e.g., "Ressources," "Notes Permanentes") and customize which columns (properties) are displayed in each view.
➕ The "New" button in the database interface allows for creating new notes that automatically adhere to the active view's filter criteria.
🗑️ Notes can be deleted directly from the database view, which simultaneously deletes the actual file from the vault.
📤 Data can be copied as a simple Markdown table or exported as a CSV file.

Advanced Features and Formula Capabilities
🧮 Bases supports the creation of Formula properties, allowing for calculations involving numbers (e.g., `CA + 50`) or date manipulation (e.g., date + 7 days).
💡 Advanced filtering is possible using the "Advance Filter" section, where users can input specific syntax for highly customized data queries.
🔗 The database structure itself is stored as a Markdown file, meaning advanced users can directly edit the underlying text structure if desired.

Pros and Cons of Obsidian Bases
👍 Simplicity and Accessibility: It makes creating powerful databases accessible to a wider range of users compared to older, more complex plugins like DataView.
🖼️ Versatility: Bases can visualize not just notes but also images and other file types.
🔗 Seamless Integration: Features like creating or deleting notes directly from the base provide smooth workflow integration.
👎 Limitations: Currently lacks simultaneous bulk editing of tags across multiple notes and lacks features like a Calendar view.
⚠️ It is still less powerful than the DataView plugin for very complex grouping or advanced customization needs.

Key Points & Insights
➡️ Update Obsidian Regularly: Ensure you have the latest installer version for smooth updates and to guarantee access to features like Bases (introduced in v1.9).
➡️ Leverage Properties: Systematically define and use properties (metadata) as they are the foundation for filtering, sorting, and displaying information effectively in Bases.
➡️ Start Simple with Views: Begin by creating basic filtered views (e.g., by folder) and duplicate them to create dashboards for specific statuses (e.g., "To Read," "In Progress").
➡️ Utilize Dynamic Linking: Embed database views into dedicated dashboard notes (using the `#viewName` syntax) to create a centralized, dynamically updating summary of your knowledge base.

📸 Video summarized with SummaryTube.com on Feb 25, 2026, 03:47 UTC