Show All Hidden Files

approved

by Anatolii Kmetiuk

This plugin has not been manually reviewed by Obsidian staff. Reveals every dot-prefixed hidden file and folder in the Obsidian file explorer.

↓ 45 downloadsUpdated 8d agoMIT
Install in ObsidianView on GitHub

Show All Hidden Files

An Obsidian desktop plugin that reveals every dot-prefixed hidden file and folder in the current vault, at any depth.

This plugin intentionally has no default exclusions. It can reveal sensitive or high-volume paths such as .obsidian, .git, .venv, .env, .trash, and .DS_Store.

Usage

  1. Install and enable Show All Hidden Files.
  2. Run Show All Hidden Files: Rescan hidden files from the command palette if hidden files were created after startup.
  3. Optional: add exact file or folder names in Settings > Community plugins > Show All Hidden Files > Ignored names to keep those names hidden anywhere in the vault.

The plugin also enables Obsidian's unsupported-file visibility setting while it is active, so non-Markdown hidden files can appear in the file explorer.

Behavior

  • Reveals any vault-relative path with a segment beginning with ..
  • Keeps ignored names hidden by exact file or folder name, independent of path.
  • Skips ignored folders and any hidden files or folders inside them.
  • Works for root-level and nested hidden paths.
  • Does not rename, delete, or modify vault files.
  • Does not follow symlinked directories during scans, to avoid recursive loops.
  • Restores patched Obsidian internals and the previous unsupported-file setting when disabled.

Compatibility

This is desktop-only. It depends on Obsidian's local filesystem adapter and undocumented internals, so it may need updates if Obsidian changes those internals.

Security and privacy

  • Uses Node.js filesystem APIs to scan the current vault.
  • Uses undocumented Obsidian internals to register hidden paths in the file explorer.
  • Reveals hidden files that may contain secrets or configuration.
  • Does not use telemetry.
  • Does not make network requests.
  • Does not require an account or external service.
  • Does not include ads or paid features.

Development

Install dependencies:

npm ci

Build the plugin:

npm run build

The build writes main.js, which Obsidian loads locally. main.js is generated and is not committed to the repository.

Release

Releases are created by GitHub Actions when a semantic version tag is pushed. The tag must exactly match manifest.json's version, for example 0.1.0.

The release workflow builds the plugin and attaches:

  • main.js
  • manifest.json

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