Obsidian
Overview
Obsidian is the Markdown-first knowledge management app used to maintain this documentation vault. In this project, it functions as the authoring layer for a Docusaurus-powered site, which means the same files can be edited as plain local Markdown, linked together as a knowledge graph, versioned with Git, and then published as structured documentation.
What Is Obsidian?
Obsidian is a local-first note-taking and knowledge management application built around ordinary files and folders. Instead of storing content in a proprietary online database, it works directly with Markdown documents on disk.
That matters in documentation workflows like this one because the vault is not just a personal notes space. It is also:
- a documentation workspace
- a knowledge base
- a snippet library
- a reference library
- a source of truth for a published documentation site
Obsidian fits that model well because it lets the content remain file-based, portable, linkable, and easy to process with external tools such as Docusaurus, Git, and custom build-time transforms.
Why Obsidian?
Obsidian is used in this documentation workflow because it aligns well with the way the vault is structured and maintained.
- It is local-first, so the content remains ordinary files inside the repository.
- It is Markdown-based, so the same source files can be edited, searched, versioned, and published without format conversion.
- It supports internal linking and backlinks well, which matches a graph-oriented documentation structure.
- It handles mixed use cases well, including docs, reference material, snippets, procedures, and working notes.
- It does not force the content into a rigid database or page-builder model.
- It works well alongside Git and Docusaurus, which are both central to this project.
In practice, Obsidian gives the flexibility of a note-taking environment while still keeping the repository usable as a conventional file tree.
Obsidian vs Other Note-Taking Apps
Compared with many note-taking tools, Obsidian is a better fit for file-based documentation workflows because it prioritizes files, links, and long-term ownership of content.
- Compared with SaaS-first tools such as Notion, Obsidian is less database-driven and less dependent on a hosted workspace.
- Compared with simpler note apps such as Apple Notes or Google Keep, Obsidian is much better suited to large, linked, technical documentation vaults.
- Compared with more document-oriented tools such as OneNote, Obsidian works more naturally with Git, Markdown, and static-site tooling.
- Compared with purely outliner-style tools, Obsidian is a better fit for mixed documentation, reference, and publishing workflows.
In documentation systems like this one, the important distinction is that Obsidian treats the vault as a real filesystem project rather than as content trapped inside an app.
Vault Scale In Practice
At the time of writing on 2026-03-19, this repository contains:
38,608files5,503directories44,111total items
That count excludes .git but includes the rest of the working tree, such as Docusaurus files, build artifacts, dependencies, Obsidian support files, and site assets.
Obsidian handles a vault of this size very easily in day-to-day use, with no perceived slowdown during normal navigation, searching, linking, or editing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Obsidian Used For Here?
Obsidian is used as the authoring and knowledge-management layer for the vault. The same files are then used by Docusaurus to build the public documentation site.
Why Use Obsidian Instead of Another Note-Taking App?
Because this project benefits from local Markdown files, internal links, Git compatibility, and a flexible vault structure. Obsidian supports all of that without forcing the content into a proprietary hosted format.
Can Obsidian Handle Large Vaults?
Yes. This documentation workspace is already large, with tens of thousands of files and thousands of folders, and Obsidian handles it without any perceived slowdown in normal use.
Is Obsidian Only for Personal Notes?
No. It works well for personal notes, but it is also a strong fit for technical documentation, internal knowledge bases, linked reference material, and publishing workflows built on plain Markdown files.
Can the Same Obsidian Vault Power a Documentation Site?
Yes. That is exactly how this repository works. The vault is maintained in Obsidian-style Markdown and then processed by Docusaurus to generate the published site.