Sync Sentry

Keep multi-device vaults healthy. If you sync your vault with iCloud (or any file-level sync), three things break constantly — Sync Sentry watches all three from a single dashboard:

1. File activity — undo any file operation

Obsidian has no history of file operations: if you accidentally drag a note into the wrong folder or delete something, there is nothing to undo. Sync Sentry records every move, rename, delete and create:

• Timeline grouped by day, with MOVE / RENAME / DELETE / CREATE badges and full old path → new path detail
• Folder operations show how many items were affected
• One-click Undo per entry: moves go back where they were, deletions are restored from the Obsidian trash
• Filter by type, search by path, live updates while the dashboard is open
• Each device writes its own journal file (no sync conflicts) — you can see and undo operations made on your other devices too

2. Plugins — repair, update, profiles

File-level sync loves to lose plugin files (iCloud eviction, partial sync), leaving plugins "enabled" but broken:

• Startup self-check: plugins that are enabled but missing on disk are re-downloaded automatically from GitHub
• Check for updates: see local vs latest version for every plugin, with per-plugin Update buttons and Update all
• Profiles: save the current set of enabled plugins as a named profile (e.g. Writing, Dev, Minimal) and re-apply it with one click on any device — missing plugins are downloaded, the rest are enabled/disabled live, no restart needed

3. Layouts — workspace snapshots that actually sync

workspace.json is per-device state and cannot be meaningfully synced. Sync Sentry saves named layout snapshots instead:

• Save current layout, then Apply it on any other device
• Snapshots live in the plugin's data file, so they travel with your vault sync
• Desktop and mobile layouts are incompatible by nature — snapshots are tagged 🖥️/📱 and only compatible ones are offered

Usage

Click the shield icon in the ribbon (or run Sync Sentry: Open dashboard) to open the dashboard with its three tabs. Everything is also available as commands:

• Undo last file operation
• Save / Restore workspace layout
• Apply plugin profile…
• Scan and repair missing plugins

Recommended companion settings

• Settings → Files and links → Deleted files → Move to Obsidian trash (.trash) — required for restoring deletions
• Enable the core File Recovery plugin — it snapshots file contents, complementing Sync Sentry's file operations history
• On macOS, disable Optimize Mac Storage for iCloud Drive; on Windows, set the vault folder to Always keep on this device — this prevents most plugin-file eviction in the first place

License

MIT