Git File Sync
approvedby ClaudiaFang
Both mobile and desktop. Selectively sync the notes you choose—not your whole vault—with GitHub, GitLab, or Gitea. No local Git repository required. - This plugin has not been manually reviewed by Obsidian staff.
Git File Sync
Selective, file-by-file sync between your vault and GitHub, GitLab, or Gitea.
Push, pull, diff, and resolve conflicts — file by file, not whole-vault. Unlike full-vault sync solutions, Git File Sync gives you granular control over exactly what leaves your device, so you can keep personal notes private while sharing project files through a real Git repository.
The Sync Status View gives a bird's-eye view of your vault, letting you selectively push, pull, or diff modified files.
What's inside
- File-by-file control — Sync individual notes or selected files from a folder, not your entire vault. No lock-in to a single sync provider for everything.
- Three Git providers — GitHub, GitLab (including self-hosted), and Gitea, all behind one consistent UI.
- Review before applying — Every push, pull, and remote deletion shows a plan of additions, changes, moves, and deletions before it writes anything.
- Real rename support — Renamed files and moved folders are committed as moves, without leaving duplicate files behind remotely.
- Visual diffing — A built-in diff viewer compares local and remote versions before anything is overwritten; on desktop it opens in a dedicated pane.
- Conflict resolution — When local and remote both changed, resolve manually with a dedicated conflict tool instead of guessing which version wins.
- Works on mobile — Full support for Obsidian Mobile with a touch-friendly sync dashboard; the inline diff remains available there.
- Three interface languages — English, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese. Follow Obsidian's display language or choose one in Settings.
Sync Status View
A single dashboard shows the state of every tracked file:
- Live status and startup refresh — tracked files update as you edit or rename them, and the view refreshes automatically after Obsidian starts (configurable in Settings).
- Status filtering and search — instantly narrow the list to modified, new, remote-only, moved, or matching paths.
- Tree view and folder selection — optionally browse files as a collapsible hierarchy, select folders with tri-state checkboxes, and choose whether synced files appear in All.
- Safe moves — renamed files appear as Moved; related folder moves collapse into one row and can be pushed or reverted together.
- Visual diffs — line-by-line comparison of local vs. remote before syncing; click a path to open the local note or its remote page when available.
- Remote-only detection — spot files that exist on GitHub/GitLab/Gitea but haven't been pulled into the vault yet.
The built-in diff viewer compares local and remote changes before you push or pull.
Providers
| Provider | Hosting | Min. version |
|---|---|---|
| github.com · GitHub Enterprise | — | |
| gitlab.com · self-hosted | GitLab 13.0+ | |
| self-hosted | Gitea 1.12+ |
Gitea note: the plugin talks to the Gitea API v1 (
/api/v1) and resolves branch names to commit SHAs before fetching the file tree, which is what makes 1.12+ the floor.
Configuration
Pick a provider and supply its credentials in Settings > Git File Sync.
| Provider | Required info | Token scope | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub | Personal access token, owner, repo name | repo | |
| GitLab | Personal access token, project ID, base URL | api | |
| Gitea | Personal access token, base URL, owner, repo name | (all) |
- GitHub token: Settings → Developer settings → Personal access tokens →
reposcope. - GitLab token: User settings → Access tokens →
apiscope. Base URL defaults tohttps://gitlab.com; change it for self-hosted instances. - Gitea token: User settings → Applications → Access tokens. Point the base URL at your instance (e.g.
https://gitea.example.com).
Other settings: language (system default, English, Traditional Chinese, or Simplified Chinese); auto-refresh Sync Status on startup; branch to sync against (default main); root path prefix inside the repo; vault folder to scope which notes are tracked; and symbolic link handling (real — recreate the link, GitHub only; follow — sync the target's content; skip). See Symbolic link handling for details.
Daily workflow
Pushing:
- One note — the cloud icon in the ribbon, or the command
Push current file to GitLab/GitHub/Gitea. - Several notes — open the Sync Status View, filter to Modified, select files, click Push selected.
- From the file tree — right-click any file and choose
Push to GitLab/GitHub/Gitea. - Review the proposed changes in the plan, then choose Apply. Renames and folder moves are included as real moves.
Pulling:
- Open the Sync Status View and click Refresh status.
- Files with remote updates show as Modified or Remote only.
- Select them and click Pull selected.
- Review the plan and choose Apply. Pulling overwrites local changes — if both sides changed, the conflict tool opens instead.
Resolving a conflict:
- The Conflict Resolution window opens automatically.
- Left pane is your Local version, right pane is Remote.
- Choose Keep Local (overwrite remote on next push) or Keep Remote (accept remote, overwrite local).
On mobile: swipe from the left to open the ribbon and the Sync Status View, pull before you start editing, push when you're done.
Installation
From Community Plugins (recommended)
- Open Settings > Community plugins and turn off restricted mode.
- Click Browse, search for Git File Sync, click Install, then Enable.
Manual
- Download
main.js,manifest.json, andstyles.cssfrom the latest release. - Create
<vault>/.obsidian/plugins/git-file-sync/. - Copy the three files into that folder.
- Reload Obsidian and enable the plugin under Settings > Community plugins.
Quick start
- Configure a provider in Settings > Git File Sync (see Configuration).
- Open the Sync Status View — the list icon in the ribbon, or run
Open sync status viewfrom the Command Palette. - The view refreshes automatically after startup; click Refresh status whenever you want to check again.
- Use the status tabs, path search, or optional tree view to find files; select files or folders and choose Push selected or Pull selected.
- Review the sync plan, then choose Apply.
Commands:
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
| Open sync status view | Open the sync dashboard |
| Push current file to GitLab/GitHub/Gitea | Push the active note |
| Pull current file to GitLab/GitHub/Gitea | Pull the active note |
| Push all files | Review and push every tracked, changed file |
| Pull all files | Review and pull every tracked, changed file |
Privacy and security
- Local storage — personal access tokens are stored locally in the plugin's data folder inside your vault, and are only ever sent to the Git provider you configured.
- No telemetry — the plugin collects no usage data or analytics.
Requirements
- Obsidian 1.13.0 or later
- Desktop and mobile supported
Development
git clone https://github.com/firstsun-dev/git-files-sync.git
npm install
npm run dev # watch build
npm run build # type-check + production build
npm run test # vitest suite
npm run lint # eslint
License
MIT
Created by ClaudiaFang
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