How to Set Up a Digital Garden With Obsidian For Free
Based on Prakash Joshi Pax's video on YouTube. If you like this content, support the original creators by watching, liking and subscribing to their content.
Use a GitHub digital garden template repository as the starting point, then clone it locally with GitHub Desktop.
Briefing
A free way to publish an Obsidian-style “digital garden” online is to mirror Obsidian notes into a GitHub repository and let Netlify host them as a static site—no Obsidian Publish subscription required. The approach keeps the core garden features people expect from Obsidian workflows: wiki-style links, backlinks, and a graph view that visualizes how notes connect. It also lets the owner control which notes go public, since only the files pushed to the repository become available online.
The setup starts with a GitHub template repository (linked in the guide) that’s designed for a digital garden layout. After creating a GitHub account, the user selects “Use this template,” creates a public repository, and then clones it locally using GitHub Desktop. With the template in place, Netlify is used to deploy the repository as a static website. The deployment typically takes a few minutes, after which the site loads with the expected features—clickable notes, wiki links, backlinks, and a graph panel at the bottom of each note.
Once the site is live, the guide shows how to customize the Netlify site name (resulting in a default address like a Netlify subdomain). For those who want a branded URL, a custom domain can be added through Netlify’s domain settings, with the additional requirement to update DNS records (CNAME) at the domain provider—though the walkthrough postpones that step.
The next phase is importing the actual Obsidian notes. On the local machine, the user copies selected folders from an Obsidian vault (for example, references and other chosen note collections) into the cloned GitHub repository under a dedicated folder named “_nodes.” After copying, the changes are committed and pushed to the GitHub remote. Netlify detects the new commits and automatically rebuilds and redeploys the site, making the newly added notes appear in the graph view and note pages.
Because the template may not include a navigation menu, the guide recommends adding a simple “explore” entry point so visitors know where to start. If a custom homepage is desired, the index file can be edited locally: the walkthrough points to “pages/index.md” inside the repository. After updating the homepage content, the changes are pushed again, triggering another Netlify rebuild. The result is a functioning digital garden online—built from Obsidian notes, hosted for free via GitHub + Netlify, and structured to support linked, discoverable knowledge over time.
Cornell Notes
The workflow for a free digital garden publishes Obsidian notes by pushing them into a GitHub repository template and hosting the resulting static site on Netlify. The template provides wiki links, backlinks, and a graph view on each note page, so connections between notes remain visible. After Netlify deploys the template, selected Obsidian folders are copied into the repository’s “_nodes” directory, then committed and pushed to GitHub. Netlify automatically rebuilds the site when new commits arrive, adding the new notes to the live garden. If visitors need guidance, the homepage can be customized by editing “pages/index.md” in the repository and pushing the update again.
How does this approach avoid paying for Obsidian Publish while still getting an online “garden” experience?
What are the two main platforms involved, and what does each do?
Where do Obsidian notes need to go inside the GitHub repository?
How can the site’s homepage and navigation be improved for visitors?
What’s required to use a custom domain with the Netlify-hosted garden?
Review Questions
- What sequence of steps turns a GitHub template into a live digital garden site on Netlify?
- Why does committing and pushing changes to GitHub trigger a rebuild on Netlify, and what does that rebuild include?
- Which repository file is used to customize the homepage, and where is it located?
Key Points
- 1
Use a GitHub digital garden template repository as the starting point, then clone it locally with GitHub Desktop.
- 2
Deploy the cloned repository to Netlify as a static site; the initial build should take a few minutes.
- 3
Add Obsidian notes by copying selected vault folders into the repository’s “_nodes” directory.
- 4
Commit and push changes to GitHub; Netlify automatically rebuilds and updates the live site.
- 5
Customize the site name in Netlify, and optionally add a custom domain by updating DNS with a CNAME record.
- 6
If visitors lack navigation, edit “pages/index.md” to create a clearer homepage entry point and exploration path.