Smart Explorer
rogerdigital62 downloadsAn alternative file explorer with custom sorting, grouping, filtering, and lightweight previews.
- Overview
- Scorecard
- Updates7
A side-pane file explorer for Obsidian with flexible sorting, grouping, filtering, and inline previews.
Built for vaults with hundreds or thousands of notes where the default file tree falls short.
Features
| Category | Options |
|---|---|
| Sort | Name (A-Z / Z-A), modified date, created date, extension, file size, manual (drag-and-drop) |
| Group | Folder, extension, modified month, top-level folder |
| Filter | Search by name/path, markdown-only, attachments-only, date range (1d / 7d / 30d) |
| Preview | Headings & tags for markdown, thumbnails for images, metadata for other files |
| Settings | Default sort/group mode, preview panel toggle, hidden extensions, reset manual order |
Manual Drag-and-Drop Sorting
Switch to Manual sort mode, then drag files to reorder them exactly how you want. The custom order is saved per vault and persists across sessions. Works on both desktop and mobile (long-press to drag).
Installation
Community Plugins (recommended)
- Open Settings → Community Plugins → Browse
- Search for Smart Explorer
- Click Install, then Enable
Manual
- Download
main.js,manifest.json, andstyles.cssfrom the latest release - Create
.obsidian/plugins/smart-explorer/in your vault - Copy the three files into that folder
- Enable in Settings → Community Plugins
Usage
- Open via ribbon icon or Command Palette → Smart Explorer: Open
- Toolbar controls sorting, grouping, and filtering
- Click a file to open; preview panel shows context alongside the file list
- Defaults persist in Settings → Community Plugins → Smart Explorer
Compatibility
- Obsidian ≥ 1.7.2
- Desktop and mobile
Privacy
No network requests. All data stays local in your vault.
Development
npm install # install dependencies
npm run dev # watch mode
npm run build # type-check + production build
npm test # unit tests
License
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About
Replace the default side-pane with a fast explorer offering custom sorting (name, dates, extension, size), grouping (folder, extension, top-level, modified month) and filtering (name/path search, markdown-only, attachments-only, recent files). Preview file context without opening: first heading and tags for Markdown, image thumbnails, or file type/size/modified date for others. Persist preferred sort, group, and preview settings locally.Details
Current version
0.3.2
Last updated
5 days ago
Created
Last week
Updates
7 releases
Downloads
62
Compatible with
Obsidian 1.7.2+
Platforms
Desktop, Mobile
License
MIT
Author