View Mode Rules

An Obsidian plugin that lets you set a default view (editing or reading) per note or folder, without using note frontmatter.

Features

• Set a default view on any note or folder from the file-explorer right-click menu.
• Folder rules apply to every note inside the folder; the most specific (deepest) folder wins.
• A plugin-level global default is used as a fallback, with Obsidian's built-in behavior beneath that.
• Rules survive renames and moves; rules for deleted notes are cleaned up automatically.
• Optional: re-apply configured views when navigating into already-open tabs.
• Optional: apply configured views to tabs restored at Obsidian startup.

Resolution order

When you open a note, the plugin decides which view to use in this order:

1. A rule targeting that exact note.
2. The deepest folder rule whose folder contains the note.
3. The plugin's global default (Editing, Reading, or "Use Obsidian default").
4. Obsidian's built-in default view for new tabs.

Install

From the Obsidian community plugins browser

Available once the plugin is accepted into the community directory. Submission is pending — use one of the other methods below in the meantime.

1. Open Settings → Community plugins.
2. Turn off Restricted mode if it is on.
3. Click Browse, search for View Mode Rules, and install.
4. Enable the plugin in Settings → Community plugins.

Manual

1. Download manifest.json and main.js from the latest GitHub release.
2. Copy both files into your vault's .obsidian/plugins/view-mode-rules/ folder (create the folder if it does not exist).
3. Reload Obsidian and enable the plugin under Settings → Community plugins.

Commands

• View Mode Rules: Set current note to default editing view
• View Mode Rules: Set current note to default reading view
• View Mode Rules: Clear default view for current note
• View Mode Rules: Open settings

Settings

• Global default — fallback view when no rule matches.
• Apply on workspace restore — apply rules to restored tabs at startup (off by default).
• Apply on navigation — re-apply rules when navigating into an already-open tab (on by default).

Rules are listed in two tables (note rules and folder rules). You can edit a rule's mode inline, remove it, or add new rules by path.

Scope

Only Markdown notes are affected. Non-Markdown file types (PDFs, canvases, images, etc.) are ignored by rule resolution and by the file-menu action.

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md for build, test, and release instructions.

License

MIT