Smart Explorer

A tree-first side-pane explorer for browsing, filtering, and manually sorting your Obsidian files.

Built for vaults with hundreds or thousands of notes where the default file tree falls short, especially project folders that need a human priority order instead of only alphabetical sorting.

Features

Category	Options
Browse	Folder tree by default, with folder counts and compact hover details
Create	Create notes and folders via toolbar, context menu, or command palette — with inline name editing
Edit	Rename files inline; extensions stay fixed so only the name changes
Sort	Name (A-Z / Z-A), modified date, created date, extension, file size, manual drag order
Filter	Search by name/path, file kind (all / markdown / attachments / images), date range (1d / 7d / 30d)
View	Tree/list toggle; Manual sort automatically uses list mode for direct drag-and-drop
Commands	Open, focus search, reveal active file, new note, new folder — all in the Command Palette
Keyboard	Focus search, clear search, move through rows, and open selected files
Settings	Default sort/group mode, hidden extensions, reset manual order

Manual Drag-and-Drop Sorting

Switch to Manual sort mode to drag the handle beside a file and reorder it. The starting order matches whatever sort you were viewing ("what you see is what you drag"), shown in a toolbar hint. Use Undo to revert the last reorder. The custom order is saved per vault, keeps new files draggable, and persists across sessions. Works on both desktop and mobile.

Installation

Community Plugins (recommended)

1. Open Settings → Community Plugins → Browse
2. Search for Smart Explorer
3. Click Install, then Enable

Manual

1. Download main.js, manifest.json, and styles.css from the latest release
2. Create .obsidian/plugins/smart-explorer/ in your vault
3. Copy the three files into that folder
4. Enable in Settings → Community Plugins

Usage

1. Open via ribbon icon or Command Palette → Smart Explorer: Open
2. Use the first toolbar row for tree/list mode, sorting, new notes/folders, search, and filters
3. Click search to reveal the search box; click filters for grouping, file kind, and modified-date filters
4. Click a file to open it in Obsidian
5. Use the clear button near the file count to clear active search and filters
6. Defaults persist in Settings → Community Plugins → Smart Explorer

Keyboard & Commands

• Cmd/Ctrl+F focuses the search box
• Esc clears search text or closes the filter row
• Arrow Up/Down moves through file rows
• Enter opens the focused file
• Command Palette actions: Smart Explorer: Open, Focus search, Reveal active file, New note, New folder

Compatibility

• Obsidian ≥ 1.7.2
• Desktop and mobile

Privacy

No network requests. File writes only happen when you explicitly create a note or folder.

Development

npm install       # install dependencies
npm run dev       # watch mode
npm run build     # type-check + production build
npm test          # unit tests
npm run lint      # eslint

License

MIT