aliases:
  - Sync settings
  - Selective syncing
  - Obsidian Sync/Select files and settings to sync
  - Settings profile
description: This page explains the Sync settings and guides you in selecting which files to sync.
mobile: false
permalink: sync/settings
publish: true

Sync settings and selective syncing

When you create a remote vault and connect to it, the Sync Core plugin becomes the place for managing your remote vault.

Sync settings

Remote vault
This section shows your currently connected remote vault. It includes a Disconnect button to disconnect from the remote vault and a Manage button to view all remote vaults your account has access to (including shared vaults via collaboration).

If your remote vault is located in a third-party sync service, you will see a red error message. Follow the steps in Switch to Obsidian Sync to resolve this.

Sync status
Displays the current sync status of the remote vault. This section includes either a Pause or Resume button, depending on the status.

Device name
Assign a unique name to the device currently syncing. This helps track activity in the sync log.

Deleted files
Contains a button to View or Restore deleted files. For more details, see Version history.

Storage usage
Displays a progress bar showing how much of your sync storage is used.

It may take up to 30 minutes for the current usage to update due to server-side processing.

Contact support
Provides instructions on how to contact Obsidian support, including options to Copy debug info and Email support.

You can also choose what to sync in the Sync Core plugin's settings. This section covers selective sync and vault configuration sync, along with their associated caveats.

Selective syncing

Files synced to your remote vault contribute to your storage limit. By default, Obsidian Sync activates selective sync for the following file types:

Images
Audio
Videos
PDFs

To sync additional file types, toggle the Sync all other types option.

The default vault configuration sync settings include:

Other file types
Main settings
Appearance
Themes and snippets
Hotkeys
Active core plugin list
Core plugin settings

To sync community plugins, manually enable Active community plugin list and Installed community plugin list.

Change the file types you want to sync

Open Settings → Sync.
Under Selective sync, enable the file types you want to sync.
Restart the application to apply the new settings. On mobile or tablet, this may require a force-quit.

Note that your Sync plan defines the maximum file size you can sync. The Standard plan allows syncing files up to 5MB, while the Plus plan supports files up to 200MB.

Adding a file to the Excluded files list does not remove it from the remote vault if it has already been synced. Configure your Sync settings before syncing to avoid using unnecessary storage.

Exclude a folder from syncing

By default, Obsidian syncs all files and folders in your vault. To exclude a specific folder from syncing:

Open Settings → Sync.
Next to Excluded folders, select Manage.
Check the box next to the folder you want to exclude.
Select Done.

Always excluded from sync

Hidden folders (folders starting with a dot) are not synced

Folders that begin with a . (e.g., .hidden) are treated as hidden folders and are not synced. The only exception is the Configuration folder, typically named .obsidian.

Common examples of hidden folders that are not synced include .vscode, .git, and .idea.

Sync settings are not synced

Sync settings do not sync across devices. You need to configure them separately on each device as needed.

Updating your synced vault settings

To modify sync settings across multiple devices, follow these steps:

The terms "primary" and "secondary" devices are for clarity only; Sync does not differentiate between them.

Primary device

The primary device acts as the source of truth. Changes made here are synced across all other devices.

Go to Settings → Sync.
Activate the desired settings under Vault configuration sync.
Reload or restart Obsidian. On mobile or tablet, a force-quit may be required.
Allow time for the settings to sync with your remote vault.

Secondary device(s)

Secondary devices (such as your phone) receive updates from the primary device.

Go to Settings → Sync.
Enable the necessary settings under Vault configuration sync.
Wait for changes to download from the remote vault.
Reload or restart the app to apply the synced settings. On mobile or tablet, a force-quit may be required.

Reloading of settings

Certain settings can be hot reloaded, while others require a restart:

Hot-reloadable: Most Obsidian configurations, including hotkeys and properties, appearance settings, and configurations for already-enabled core plugins.
Requires reload: CSS changes (e.g., CSS snippets, Themes), graph view configurations, and core plugin states (e.g., enabling/disabling Daily Notes).

Community plugins typically do not support hot reloading and require a restart when new settings are applied.

Plugin developers: Learn how to integrate hot-reload functionality with Obsidian Sync.

Settings profiles

Obsidian Sync can sync multiple configuration folders to the same remote vault, allowing you to create separate profiles (e.g., one for mobile, another for your laptop).

Create a settings profile

To create a new settings profile:

Open Settings → Files and links.
Under Override config folder, enter a name for your profile, starting with a period (.), e.g., .obsidian-mobile.
Relaunch Obsidian to apply the changes.

Note

Changing the settings profile will require reconfiguring your sync settings. To avoid redownloading plugins and themes, copy your existing .obsidian folder and rename it to match your new profile (e.g., .obsidian-mobile) before making changes.