Obsidian Bases Views
Turn Obsidian notes into queryable tables, cards, and lists with native dynamic views.
The skill declares only Read/Write, keeping permissions relatively narrow, and does not request shell execution or credentials. Points are deducted because Write can modify the vault directly without confirmation, preview, backup, or rollback guidance; the recommended external marketplace substrate also lacks sufficient data-flow and dependency-boundary disclosure.
The file format, filters, formulas, views, and common formula pitfalls are documented with examples, including date-duration handling and null guards. However, there are no dedicated tests, compatibility checks, or diagnosable abnormal-input procedures for this skill. Under static calibration it cannot exceed 10, so it receives 7.
Triggers, intended use cases, and important boundaries are fairly clear, including vault-only rendering and the distinction from Dataview syntax. Points are deducted because non-fit scenarios, Chinese-language validation, and mainland-China network reachability are not addressed, while the preferred substrate depends on an external marketplace.
The documentation is readable and layered, with installation guidance, formula/view examples, limitations, and version references. Repository context provides an MIT license, security policy, and maintenance contact. Points are deducted for the absence of a skill-specific changelog, stable version declaration, FAQ, and explicit update ownership.
The material is directly usable for composing common .base files and covers filters, formulas, properties, views, embedding, and save locations. However, the examples have no in-file rendering or execution evidence, and syntax compatibility is uncertain as Bases evolves; the static ceiling therefore limits this to 7.
Links to official Bases documentation, the preferred kepano substrate, and Anthropic research provide some traceability. Key examples lack dedicated tests or third-party execution evidence, and the repository CI shown does not cover this skill's critical Bases paths, so the score is limited to 3.
- Write access may directly alter the user's vault; confirm target files and maintain a recoverable backup before use.
- The document recommends the external kepano/obsidian-skills marketplace; verify its reachability, version, and content before installing it.
- Formula and view examples were not executed in this static review and must be validated in the user's actual Obsidian version.
- Do not mix the documented Bases syntax with Dataview syntax; upgrades may change supported functions or view fields.
What does this skill do, and when should you use it?
This is the dedicated Obsidian Bases skill within the claude-obsidian repository. It creates and edits .base files that define filters, formulas, property labels, and views in YAML. It supports table, cards, and list views over note properties, file metadata, and computed values. It fits users who want native Obsidian database views, but it is only one of the repository's 15 skills and does not provide the repository's ingestion, querying, or maintenance workflow.
Reads and edits Obsidian .base files; defines global or view-level filters; uses note properties, file properties, and formula properties; creates table, cards, and list views; configures ordering, grouping, display names, and limits; supplies YAML examples for wiki dashboards, entity indexes, and source lists; explains embedding .base files in notes and recommends saving dashboards under wiki/meta/.
- An Obsidian user wants a dynamic wiki dashboard grouped by note type.
- A knowledge manager needs to filter concept, entity, and source notes by tags, folders, or links.
- A project or reading-list owner wants queryable views based on status, dates, and calculated formulas.
- A user migrating from Dataview wants native Bases syntax without from, where, or root-level sort.
What are this skill's strengths and limitations?
- Focused coverage of native Obsidian Bases filters, formulas, properties, and three view types.
- Includes concrete YAML examples for wiki dashboards, entity indexes, and source lists.
- Clearly distinguishes Bases syntax from Dataview syntax.
- Uses Read and Write tools, making it suitable for editing vault files.
- Only covers .base file authoring and editing, not the repository's ingestion, retrieval, question-answering, or lint skills.
- Requires an Obsidian version supporting Bases; the README specifies v1.9.10+.
- The document recommends kepano/obsidian-skills as the authoritative substrate, positioning this skill as a fallback.
- The source provides no independent test results or cross-client verification for this individual skill.
How do you install this skill?
No standalone installation procedure is documented for this skill. The repository README documents collection installation with: git clone https://github.com/AgriciDaniel/claude-obsidian; cd claude-obsidian; bash bin/setup-vault.sh. Then open the folder as an Obsidian vault and open Claude Code in the same folder. The source does not explain how to install only skills/obsidian-bases/SKILL.md.
How do you use this skill?
Place skills/obsidian-bases/SKILL.md in a supported Agent Skills client and ask for a request such as “Create an Obsidian Bases database view” or “Add a dynamic table filtered by status for my wiki notes.” Follow the supplied YAML structure; define formulas before referencing them, access .days when subtracting dates, and guard nullable properties with if().
How does this skill compare with similar options?
Compared with Dataview, it uses native Obsidian Bases .base YAML with views, order, and groupBy; the README presents dashboard.base as the primary dashboard and Dataview as an optional legacy fallback. Compared with kepano/obsidian-skills' obsidian-bases skill, this skill describes itself as a fallback rather than the authoritative reference.