TUTO OBSIDIAN dévore Notion avec le plugin DB folder

Obsidian can mimic Notion-style database tables using the DB Folder plugin—turning a folder of notes into a structured, filterable “database” driven by frontmatter fields. The setup hinges on having DataView enabled, after which DB Folder adds a table interface where each row corresponds to a note and each column maps to a specific metadata field (frontmatter or inline fields). The payoff is practical: entries can be edited from the table, sorted, searched, and even used to automatically organize notes into subfolders.

The walkthrough begins with installing and activating DB Folder in Obsidian, then creating a new database table (example: “My books”) inside a sandbox folder. Adding a row creates a new note entry, and clicking a row opens that note in a linked table view. Column layout matters: the first column can be kept as the “title/link” so it stays visible while working. Crucially, DB Folder stores table data as readable YAML in the note’s frontmatter. When a column is created, it has an identifier (often lowercase) that must remain stable; changing the column’s display name doesn’t break the underlying mapping because the identifier continues to drive which frontmatter key gets updated.

From there, the guide shows two-way synchronization between the table and the notes. A field can be created in the table and then reflected in the note’s frontmatter (e.g., author, year, status to read). Alternatively, a field written directly in a note can be pulled into the table by creating a column that references an existing frontmatter key. This bidirectional workflow supports incremental migration from manual note-taking to structured databases.

The most powerful part comes from column types. Beyond plain text, DB Folder supports select lists, checkboxes, dates, relationships, formulas, and tags. A “type” column set to Select enables controlled categories like “novels,” “essays,” and “classics,” each with custom labels and colors. A “tags” column behaves like multi-select taxonomy: adding tags in the table populates Obsidian’s tag system, and those tags appear as clickable items across the vault. The example then adds a formula column that composes values from other fields (e.g., author + year) to create a cleaner “bibliography” string.

Finally, the plugin can reorganize notes automatically. Using “group by” settings, notes are moved into subfolders based on a single Select field (e.g., type). Changing a note’s category in the table triggers relocation to the corresponding folder. The guide also introduces inline fields (stored in the body rather than frontmatter), plus optional features like task extraction into a “tasks” column—though it warns that some settings (like removing fields or overriding column configuration) can be destructive.

Overall, DB Folder turns Obsidian folders into database-like systems: structured metadata, controlled vocabularies, computed fields, search and filtering, and automatic folder classification—without locking data into a proprietary format. It’s positioned as a practical bridge for anyone who liked Notion’s database workflow but wants Obsidian’s local control and readable note files.