obsidian-multi-env-setup

name	obsidian-multi-env-setup
description	Configure multiple Obsidian environments for development, testing, and production. Use when managing separate vaults, testing plugin versions, or establishing a proper development workflow with isolated environments. Trigger with phrases like "obsidian environments", "obsidian dev vault", "obsidian testing setup", "multiple obsidian vaults".
allowed-tools	Read, Write, Edit, Bash(mkdir:*), Bash(ln:*)
version	1.13.0
license	MIT
author	Jeremy Longshore <[e-mail]>
tags	["saas","obsidian","testing","workflow"]
compatibility	Designed for Claude Code, also compatible with Codex and OpenClaw

Obsidian Multi-Environment Setup

Overview

Configure separate development, testing, and production vaults for Obsidian plugin work. Covers vault templates for team onboarding, environment-specific plugin settings, sync strategies, and .obsidian/ directory management across environments.

Prerequisites

• Obsidian desktop app installed
• Node.js 18+ and npm/pnpm for plugin builds
• Git for version control (recommended)
• Basic understanding of symlinks and file system operations

Instructions

Step 1: Create the Environment Structure

Set up three isolated vaults -- dev, test, and prod:

# Base directory for all environments
mkdir -p ~/obsidian-envs/{dev,test,prod}

# Dev vault: your working vault with symlinked plugin source
mkdir -p ~/obsidian-envs/dev/.obsidian/plugins/your-plugin
mkdir -p ~/obsidian-envs/dev/sandbox  # scratch notes for testing

# Test vault: clean environment for QA
mkdir -p ~/obsidian-envs/test/.obsidian/plugins/your-plugin
mkdir -p ~/obsidian-envs/test/test-data

# Prod vault: mirrors real user setup
mkdir -p ~/obsidian-envs/prod/.obsidian/plugins/your-plugin

Step 2: Symlink Plugin Source for Development

In the dev vault, symlink your plugin's build output so changes appear immediately:

# Remove the empty plugin directory in dev
rm -rf ~/obsidian-envs/dev/.obsidian/plugins/your-plugin

# Symlink to your plugin's repo (contains manifest.json, main.js, styles.css)
ln -s /path/to/your-plugin ~/obsidian-envs/dev/.obsidian/plugins/your-plugin

For hot reload during development, use the Hot Reload plugin:

# Clone hot-reload into dev vault's plugins
git clone https://github.com/pjeby/hot-reload.git \
  ~/obsidian-envs/dev/.obsidian/plugins/hot-reload

Then enable both your plugin and hot-reload in :