Create a vault

A vault is a folder on your local file system where Obsidian stores your notes. Because a vault is just a plain folder of Markdown files, you own your data completely — you can open it in any text editor, back it up with any tool, and move it wherever you like. You can keep all your notes in a single vault, or create separate vaults for different projects or areas of your life.

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Create a new empty vault

When you open Obsidian for the first time, it asks you to add a vault. To create a brand-new vault:

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Open an existing folder as a vault

If you already have a folder of Markdown files you want to use — for example, notes from another app — you can open it directly as an Obsidian vault:

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Manage multiple vaults

You can switch between vaults or create additional ones at any time using the vault switcher.

• To open the vault switcher on desktop, click the vault icon at the bottom-left of the sidebar, or press Ctrl+Shift+, (Cmd+Shift+, on macOS).
• From the vault switcher you can create a new vault, open an existing folder, or switch to any vault you’ve previously opened.

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How Obsidian stores data

Obsidian creates a hidden .obsidian folder inside your vault to store settings, plugins, themes, and workspace state. Your actual notes remain as plain .md files at the top level and in any subfolders you create. This design means:

• Your notes are readable by any Markdown editor.
• You can use standard file-system tools (Finder, Explorer, rsync, Git) to back up or move your vault.
• Deleting the .obsidian folder resets Obsidian’s settings but leaves your notes untouched.

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Next steps