aliases:
  - User interface/Vault switcher
  - How to/Working with multiple vaults
  - Vault switcher
permalink: manage-vaults

Manage vaults

A vault is a folder on your file system which contains your notes, attachments, and the configuration folder with Obsidian-specific settings. For more information on vaults, refer to How Obsidian stores data.

You can manage your vaults using the Vault switcher. The Vault profile opens the first time you open Obsidian.

To open the vault switcher from an existing vault, select Vault profile ( lucide-chevrons-up-down.svg > icon ) at the bottom of the left sidebar. Or, select Open another vault from the command palette.

Create new vault

On your computer, open Obsidian.
At the bottom left, select the Vault profile ( ).
A context menu will pop up. Select Manage Vaults....
To the right of Create new vault, select Create.
In Vault name, enter the name of your vault.
Click Browse to select where your new vault will be created.
Click Create.

Create vault from an existing folder

On your computer, open Obsidian.
At the bottom left, select the Vault profile ( ).
A context menu will pop up. Select Manage Vaults....
At the right of Open folder as vault, click Open.
In the file browser, select the folder you want to use as your vault.
Click Open.

Open vault from Obsidian Sync

If you want to open a remote vault using Obsidian Sync, refer to Set up Obsidian Sync.

Rename vault

Since the name of a vault and the underlying folder are the same, renaming a vault also renames the folder.

On your computer, open Obsidian.
At the bottom left, select the Vault profile ( ).
A context menu will pop up. Select Manage Vaults....
In the vault list, select More options ( ) next to the vault you want to rename.
Select Rename vault.
Enter the new name for the vault, and press Enter.

Move vault to a different folder

On your computer, open Obsidian.
At the bottom left, select the Vault profile ( ).
A context menu will pop up. Select Manage Vaults....
Close the current vault window, leaving the Manage Vaults window open.
In the vault list, select More options ( ) next to the vault you want to move.
Select Move vault, and then select the new location.

Some operating systems do not allow the vault to be moved with the Vault Switcher. In these cases, you will need to move your vault manually:

Close Obsidian.
Move your vault folder to a new location, avoiding folders synced by other services.
Reopen Obsidian.
Click the Vault profile icon at the bottom left ( ).
From the pop-up menu, select Manage Vaults....
Next to Open folder as vault, click Open.
Navigate to and select your new vault folder.
Click Open.
Verify that the vault contents are unchanged. If necessary, re-enable community plugins by navigating to Settings → Community Plugins → Turn restricted mode off.

Remove vault

Removing a vault only removes it from the vault list.

On your computer, open Obsidian.
At the bottom left, select the Vault profile ( ).
A context menu will pop up. Select Manage Vaults....
In the vault list, select More options ( ) next to the vault you want to move.
Select Remove from list.

Transfer settings to another vault

To use the same settings for another vault, use your preferred file manager (or terminal) to copy the .obsidian folder from the root of the source vault to the root of the destination vault.

You may need to restart Obsidian to apply the changes.

Where do I find the .obsidian folder?

By default, most operating systems hide folders starting with a period (.). For more information about the .obsidian folder and how to access it, refer to vault settings and config folders.