In-File Navigation History

An Obsidian plugin that adds back / forward navigation through cursor and scroll positions — including jumps within a single note.

Obsidian's built-in back/forward only steps between files. This plugin remembers where you were, so going "back" returns you to the exact cursor position and scroll offset you left — whether the jump crossed files or just followed a heading/block link inside the same note.

Features

• Per-pane history of cursor + scroll positions.
• Captures cross-file jumps (Quick Switcher, command palette, links to other notes, graph, etc.).
• Captures same-file jumps via internal links, heading/block links, and outline / file-tree clicks.
• History is persisted across restarts and tied to each pane.
• Works in both editing and reading modes.
• Mobile-compatible (not desktop-only).

Usage

The plugin adds two commands:

• In-File Navigation History: Go back (cursor + scroll position)
• In-File Navigation History: Go forward (cursor + scroll position)

No hotkeys are assigned by default. To bind them, open Settings → Hotkeys, search for "navigation history", and assign keys you like — for example:

Installation

From the Community Plugins list

1. Open Settings → Community plugins and disable Restricted Mode.
2. Click Browse, search for "In-File Navigation History", and install.
3. Enable the plugin.

Manual

1. Download main.js and manifest.json from the latest release.
2. Copy them into <your-vault>/.obsidian/plugins/in-file-nav-history/.
3. Reload Obsidian and enable the plugin under Settings → Community plugins.

Via BRAT

Add beaurancourt/obsidian-in-file-nav-history as a beta plugin in BRAT.

How it works

Each pane (leaf) keeps a back/forward stack of { path, cursor, scroll } snapshots. The plugin watches editor activity to detect when a pane's file or position changes, and records the position you left behind. Navigating "back" reopens the file in the same pane (if needed) and restores the cursor and scroll via Obsidian's ephemeral state.

License

MIT