Gitee Sync Plus

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Sync your Obsidian vault to a private Gitee or GitHub repository. Gitee Sync Plus connects directly to the platform API — no server and no local Git installation required — and works on desktop, iOS, and Android.

Features

• Two-way incremental sync between your vault and a private Git repository.
• Three-way merge using Git blob hashes and a per-device baseline (local / remote / last successful sync), so deletions and conflicts are resolved correctly across devices.
• Conflict resolution — when the same file changes on both sides, resolve each conflict by keeping local, using remote, or merging blocks; supports "apply to all".
• Git panel — a right-side source-control style view showing staged / unstaged / remote changes, with commit, pull, discard, stage/unstage, and per-file diff.
• Diff viewer — compare local and remote versions side by side or unified, revert individual change blocks, or mark a file as synced.
• Automatic sync on a timer, on startup, or on demand (ribbon, status bar, command palette, Git panel).
• Dry-run preview that writes the planned actions to a diagnostic note without touching either side.
• Secure token storage in the Obsidian keychain (no plaintext in data.json), with multiple named tokens per backend.
• Per-file or batch commits, and a configurable merge strategy (mtime / remote / local).
• Exclusion rules via a .gitignore file at the vault root.
• Bilingual UI that follows Obsidian's language (English / 中文).

How it works

The sync engine computes a Git blob content hash for every file and performs a three-way comparison between the local vault, the remote repository, and the per-device baseline (the last successfully synced state, stored locally in the plugin's localStorage — never in data.json, so it stays device-specific).

• Local-only changes are uploaded; remote-only changes are downloaded.
• Deletions propagate in both directions.
• When the same file is modified on both sides, the newer modification wins (or the configured merge strategy decides).
• Every uploaded or deleted file creates a repository commit, so previous versions remain recoverable through Git history.
• If the remote platform returns a truncated file tree, sync stops to prevent accidental mass deletion.

The plugin interface automatically follows Obsidian's language and currently supports English and Chinese.

Installation

In Obsidian, open Settings → Community plugins → Browse, search for Gitee Sync Plus, install it, and enable it.

For local development builds:

npm install
npm run build

mkdir -p "<vault>/.obsidian/plugins/gitee-sync-plus"
cp main.js manifest.json "<vault>/.obsidian/plugins/gitee-sync-plus/"

Repository and token

Gitee: Create a private repository. In Settings → Security Settings → Personal access tokens, create a token with the projects permission.

GitHub: Create a private repository. A fine-grained personal access token needs Contents: Read and write access to the repository; a classic token needs the repo scope.

Tokens are stored in the Obsidian Secret Storage (Settings → Secrets) when available, and are no longer written to data.json. You can manage multiple named tokens per backend and switch between them from the settings panel.

Configuration

Trigger sync from the ribbon icon, the Sync now command, the status bar, the timer, startup sync, or the Git panel. Use Preview sync plan to inspect planned actions without changing either side.

Git panel

The Git panel is a right-sidebar view that mirrors a typical source-control sidebar, but runs on the plugin's three-way sync model (no local Git binary required). Open it with the Open Git panel command or the optional ribbon button.

• Staged / Changes / Remote groups list every file the next sync will touch.
• Commit pushes the staged local changes (with an optional commit message; in batch mode the message applies to the whole commit).
• Pull downloads remote changes; if conflicts exist, a conflict-resolution modal appears first.
• Discard reverts a local change to the last-synced remote version (or deletes a purely-local new file).
• View diff opens the diff viewer for any changed file.
• The panel auto-refreshes (debounced) when the vault changes and shows the current owner/repo@branch target.

Conflict resolution

When a file is modified on both sides since the last sync, a conflict is detected.

• During a Pull from the Git panel, a modal lists every conflict. For each file you can Keep local, Use remote, or open the Merge editor to pick blocks (keep local / keep remote / keep both) and save the merged result. Use remote for all / Keep local for all resolve everything at once, then Confirm pull applies the choices.
• During automatic / startup / scheduled sync (no interactive prompt), the configured Merge strategy decides: mtime keeps the newer version, remote always takes the remote copy, local always keeps the local copy.

The diff viewer also lets you compare versions, revert individual change blocks, or mark a file as already-synced.

Commands

Multiple devices

Install and configure the plugin on every device with the same repository. Each device keeps its own sync baseline. A new device downloads the remote vault on its first sync and uses incremental sync afterwards.

Mobile operating systems suspend timers in the background, so enabling Sync on startup is recommended.

iOS file visibility

If a downloaded folder is visible but a file with a non-standard extension is not, open Settings → Files and links and enable Detect all file extensions. The file may already be present but hidden by Obsidian's file explorer.

Sync behavior

• Local-only changes are uploaded; remote-only changes are downloaded.
• Deletions propagate in both directions. Local deletions use Obsidian's trash, and remote history remains recoverable through Git.
• If both sides modify the same file, the newer modification wins. A modification wins over a deletion.
• Hidden paths such as .obsidian and .git are ignored on both sides.
• Sync stops if the remote platform returns a truncated file tree, preventing accidental mass deletion.
• Every uploaded or deleted file creates a repository commit, so previous versions remain recoverable.

Limitations and security

• The first sync of a large vault creates one commit per file (per-file mode) and may be limited by platform API quotas.
• Keep large attachments in an excluded folder. Individual files should preferably remain below 50 MB.
• Tokens are stored in the Obsidian Secret Storage (Settings → Secrets), no longer in data.json. No need to exclude anything when backing up the vault with other tools. On mobile / older Obsidian versions without secret storage, the token falls back to data.json.
• Do not manually push the same vault to the same repository while the plugin manages it.

Credits

This project is based on the original Gitee Sync plugin by ericquan8. The original work is retained under the MIT license (see LICENSE). Thanks to ericquan8 for the foundational implementation that this plugin builds upon.