Obsidian Bases View Builder
Build and maintain database-like note views in Obsidian.
The skill primarily describes creating and editing .base files in a local Obsidian vault, with no evidence of malware, credential theft, or covert exfiltration. However, it instructs file writes and in-Obsidian testing without explicit user confirmation, backup, rollback, permission boundaries, or sensitive-data guidance, so points are deducted.
The workflow, schema, filter, formula, and troubleshooting sections are broadly consistent and include diagnostics for missing properties, YAML quoting, and Duration errors. There is no committed test suite, CI coverage, compatibility matrix, or execution evidence; under static calibration the score remains below 10.
Invocation conditions are clear for .base files, views, filters, and formulas, and the map view notes a Maps community-plugin dependency. Non-fit cases, Obsidian version requirements, input/output boundaries, and language support are not sufficiently defined, so points are deducted. Core functionality does not depend on unreachable overseas online services.
The documentation is well organized and includes schema guidance, a reference file, examples, troubleshooting, and repository-level MIT licensing. The selected skill lacks explicit versioning, changelog, maintenance ownership, and update path, while dependency and compatibility assumptions are scattered, so points are deducted.
The material can directly guide creation of Bases files, filters, formulas, views, and common fixes, and the examples are practically reusable. No statically verifiable rendered results or execution evidence are supplied, so manual validation remains necessary; the score is capped at 7 under static calibration.
The skill provides auditable structured documentation, examples, and references to official Obsidian documentation. It provides no committed tests, CI coverage, or third-party execution evidence, and independent reproduction was not performed in this static review, so only limited credit is warranted.
- This is a static source review only; Obsidian, YAML parsing, and examples were not executed or independently tested.
- User confirmation, backup, and rollback procedures should be established before writing to a vault.
- Confirm the target Obsidian version, Bases availability, and the Maps community-plugin dependency; formula and filter examples still require environment-specific validation.
What does this skill do, and when should you use it?
This skill focuses on Obsidian Bases `.base` files, using YAML to define filters, formulas, properties, views, and summaries. It supports table, cards, list, and map views, along with date calculations, conditional logic, and common file-property references. It also documents YAML quoting, formula types, and null-checking pitfalls. It is suited to Obsidian users who want structured task trackers, reading lists, or daily-note indexes.
Creates .base files with valid YAML; filters notes by tags, folders, properties, or dates; defines reusable computed formulas; configures table, cards, list, or map views and their display order; sets grouping, result limits, and summary formulas; checks YAML syntax and property/formula references; and guides validation by opening the file in Obsidian.
- An Obsidian user wants a grouped and summarized task table for notes with task tags and status properties.
- A reader wants a book-and-article library with author, page count, reading status, and card or table views.
- A user wants to index daily notes by date, showing weekday, estimated word count, and modification time.
- A user needs to combine tag, folder, date, and property filters while reusing the same scope across multiple views.
What are this skill's strengths and limitations?
- Covers the `.base` workflow from creation and filtering through formulas, views, and validation.
- Includes configuration examples for table, cards, list, and map views.
- Explains common failure points involving Duration values, date arithmetic, null checks, and YAML quoting.
- Uses YAML and open file formats that can be inspected and edited directly in Obsidian.
- Its scope is limited to Obsidian Bases; sibling capabilities for Markdown, JSON Canvas, Obsidian CLI, and web extraction are outside this profile.
- Final rendering must be tested in Obsidian, and map views depend on the Maps community plugin.
- The source does not document an automated test suite, supported version range, or recovery behavior.
How do you install this skill?
This skill is one of five skills in kepano/obsidian-skills. Install it through the marketplace with /plugin marketplace add kepano/obsidian-skills, followed by /plugin install obsidian@obsidian-skills; alternatively run npx skills add https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills. For manual installation, copy the repository's skills/ directory into the Codex skills path, typically ~/.codex/skills; for Claude Code, place the repository contents in /.claude at the root of the Obsidian vault.
How do you use this skill?
After installation, use a prompt such as: Create a .base file for my Obsidian task notes, filter for active tasks, calculate days until due, and show a grouped table by status. The agent should create the .base file in the vault, check its YAML and references, and have the user open it in Obsidian to confirm that the view renders correctly. Map views additionally require latitude/longitude properties and the Maps community plugin.