Folders and files
| Name | Name | Last commit date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
A tree-first side-pane explorer for browsing, filtering, and manually sorting your Obsidian files.
Built for vaults with hundreds or thousands of notes where the default file tree falls short, especially project folders that need a human priority order instead of only alphabetical sorting.
| Category | Options |
|---|---|
| Browse | Folder tree by default, with folder counts and compact hover details; closed folders render lazily and long flat lists use windowed rendering, so large vaults stay fast |
| Create | Create notes and folders via toolbar, context menu, or command palette — with inline name editing |
| Edit | Rename files inline; extensions stay fixed so only the name changes |
| Sort | Name (A-Z / Z-A), modified date, created date, extension, file size, manual drag order |
| Filter | Search by name/path, extension, file kind (all / markdown / non-markdown / images), date range (1d / 7d / 30d) |
| View | Tree/list toggle — the mode is remembered between sessions; Manual sort automatically uses list mode for direct drag-and-drop |
| Commands | Open, focus search, reveal active file, new note, new folder — all in the Command Palette |
| Keyboard | Full keyboard navigation: arrows move through rows, Home/End jump, arrow keys open and close folders, Enter opens files, and Alt+Arrow reorders files in Manual mode |
| Settings | Default sort/group mode, hidden extensions, reset manual order |
Switch to Manual sort mode to drag the handle beside a file and reorder it, or keep your hands on the keyboard and use Alt+ArrowUp / Alt+ArrowDown on the selected file. The starting order matches whatever sort you were viewing ("what you see is what you drag"), shown in a toolbar hint. Use Undo to revert the last reorder. The custom order is saved per vault, keeps new files draggable, and persists across sessions. Works on both desktop and mobile.
- Open Settings → Community Plugins → Browse
- Search for Smart Explorer
- Click Install, then Enable
- Download main.js, manifest.json, and styles.css from the latest release
- Create .obsidian/plugins/smart-explorer/ in your vault
- Copy the three files into that folder
- Enable in Settings → Community Plugins
- Open via ribbon icon or Command Palette → Smart Explorer: Open
- Use the first toolbar row for tree/list mode, sorting, new notes/folders, search, and filters
- Click search to reveal the search box; click filters for grouping, extension, file kind, and modified-date filters. Extension and file-kind filters can be combined.
- Click a file to open it in Obsidian
- Use the clear button near the file count to clear active search and filters
- Defaults persist in Settings → Community Plugins → Smart Explorer
- Cmd/Ctrl+F focuses the search box
- Esc clears search text or closes the filter row
- Arrow Up/Down moves through rows; Home/End jump to the first/last row
- Arrow Right/Left opens/closes the focused folder in tree mode
- Enter or Space opens the focused file or toggles the focused folder
- Alt+ArrowUp / Alt+ArrowDown moves the selected file in Manual sort mode (announced via screen reader)
- Command Palette actions: Smart Explorer: Open, Focus search, Reveal active file, New note, New folder
- Obsidian ≥ 1.7.2
- Desktop and mobile
No network requests. File writes only happen when you explicitly create a note or folder.
npm install # install dependencies
npm run dev # watch mode
npm run build # type-check + production build
npm test # unit tests
npm run lint # eslint
npm run verify # lint + production build + all tests