OpenLoops Hidden Files

An Obsidian plugin that reveals a chosen list of dot-folders (for example .claude, .github) in the native file-explorer tree — folders Obsidian hides by default.

Obsidian filters out any path starting with . at the vault-adapter level, so dot-folders never become files/folders Obsidian can show, search, or graph. This plugin injects the folders you explicitly whitelist into the live vault cache so they appear in the normal file explorer (and search, graph, and metadata cache). Injection is index-only — it never writes to disk.

Why per-folder opt-in

Revealing everything is dangerous: pointing Obsidian at a large folder such as .git makes it scan every object and can freeze the app. This plugin only ever reveals folders you name, so heavy folders are never touched unless you ask.

Usage

1. Enable the plugin (desktop only).
2. Open Settings → OpenLoops Hidden Files.
3. Under Folders, click + and pick a detected root dot-folder, or type any vault-relative path. It appears in the file explorer.
4. Remove it with the row's delete button (or disable the plugin) to hide it again. Your files on disk are never modified.

The command OpenLoops Hidden Files: Rescan hidden folders re-applies your list, useful after adding folders on disk.

You can reveal Obsidian's own config folder (.obsidian) — it's offered in the list — to browse snippets, themes, or plugin data. Note it's chatty: Obsidian rewrites files there frequently (e.g. workspace.json), so those entries re-index in the background as they change.

Limitations

• Desktop only. Mobile Obsidian does not expose the filesystem primitives the plugin relies on, so it cannot work there.
• Relies on undocumented Obsidian internals. The plugin wraps internal FileSystemAdapter methods. A future Obsidian release could change them; the plugin verifies the methods exist at load and stays inactive if they are gone, rather than breaking the app.

Security notes

• Revealing a folder exposes it to everything, not just your eyes. Once a folder is whitelisted, its files become ordinary vault files: indexed by search and the graph, and readable by every other installed plugin through the standard vault API — including sync plugins that upload your vault. Do not reveal folders that contain secrets (for example .env, .git, API keys, or tokens), especially on a managed/work machine.
• The plugin never writes to disk. It only reads directory listings and injects entries into Obsidian's in-memory cache. Removing a folder or disabling the plugin leaves your files untouched.
• Path validation. Only relative in-vault paths are accepted; entries with .. segments or absolute paths are rejected so a revealed folder cannot escape the vault.

Credits

Technique derived from the MIT-licensed dsebastien/obsidian-hidden-folders-access.

License

MIT