HUGE Update for Obsidian: Bases

Obsidian’s new “Bases” core plugin brings database-style filtering and sorting directly into Obsidian—using properties and a point-and-click interface—so users no longer need community plugins or heavy setup to build workable personal databases. Instead of wrestling with Data View for straightforward queries, Bases lets people create custom “views” that edit, sort, and filter notes based on file properties, turning a vault of Markdown files into something that behaves more like a structured catalog.

The workflow starts with enabling Bases under Core Plugins, then creating a new base. At first, a fresh base shows everything in the vault, which can look like a cluttered list. The value comes from adding properties to files—such as “teacher,” “topic,” and “price”—and then filtering the base using simple logic. Bases supports common query patterns: “all of the following are true” for strict matching, or “any of the following are true” for broader results. With those filters in place, a base can instantly narrow a folder like “courses to take” down to only the notes that match the selected property conditions.

A key usability feature is how Bases handles property visibility and defaults for new records. Users can choose which properties appear as columns in the table view. Once those properties are enabled for the base, new notes created from that view inherit the same property set, reducing repetitive setup. The transcript highlights a common confusion: property visibility isn’t automatically shared across every view. Switching between views (for example, from table to cards) can require re-enabling which properties are shown, and the “top” view becomes the default when returning to the base.

Bases also supports richer layouts through card views. By adding an image property (e.g., “cover image”) and attaching an image to a note, the base can render that image in the card interface. The plugin includes an “image fit” option (such as cover behavior) and lets users adjust aspect ratio handling—useful for different library-style layouts like vertical book lists or wide, cinematic thumbnails.

In practice, Bases is positioned as a way to build complex, multi-view databases—movies to watch vs. movies watched, books in a library vs. loaned books, or course catalogs—without writing code. The approach is to create one “main” view for adding new records and then use secondary views as filtered slices for specific statuses or categories. The result is a structured system built from properties and filters, delivered through a graphical interface rather than query syntax.

Overall, Bases aims to make Obsidian feel less like a plain note vault and more like a customizable database platform—fast to set up, easy to query, and flexible enough to support both table and card-style browsing.