What was the name of that clever plugin that allowed to selectively hide or show files of the same vault depending on whether they were life-related or work-related?

From r/ObsidianMD 📅 • 📊 20 upvotes • ⭐ 8/10 • 🚀 high
*Analysis generated: Nov 18, 2025*
🔗 Source: View on Reddit
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Summary

The poster is looking for a plugin that allows selective hiding/showing of files in a single vault based on tags or metadata (life vs work). This allows keeping personal info in the work vault without cluttering search or suggestions.

Key Insights

1. Context-aware file filtering improves focus.
2. Separating work and personal life within a single vault is desired.
3. Existing plugins may not adequately address this specific need.

Enhancement Suggestions

1. Feature Request Enhancement: Expand the Plugin Concept into a “Contextual Vault” Feature. Instead of *just* hiding files, envision a broader “Contextual Vault” feature. This would involve:

Context-aware templates: Automatically apply work or life-related templates to new notes based on the active context.
Context-specific UI customization: Display different sidebars, ribbon icons, or even theme variations based on the selected context.
Contextual search filters: Automatically filter search results to only include notes relevant to the current context.

This moves beyond simple hiding to a truly integrated experience that streamlines workflows.
2. Workflow Improvement Enhancement: Suggest a Multi-Vault Approach with Inter-Vault Linking and Automations. If a perfect plugin *doesn’t* exist, steer users towards a structured multi-vault setup:

Two Separate Vaults: Clearly delineate a “Work” vault and a “Life” vault.
Inter-Vault Linking: Use Obsidian’s linking features to connect related notes between vaults (e.g., a project note in the “Work” vault linking to a personal finance note in the “Life” vault regarding project income).
Automation with Templater/QuickAdd: Suggest using plugins like Templater or QuickAdd to automate the creation of mirrored notes or summary reports that aggregate information from both vaults when necessary. This approach, while requiring more initial setup, can provide clearer separation and reduce the risk of accidentally exposing personal information at work.

3. Notetaking Improvement Enhancement: Promote the use of Dataview and Tags for Dynamic Filtering in the Current Vault. If the user is committed to a single vault, advise a robust tag and Dataview-based system. Instead of simple hiding, show how to dynamically filter notes within Obsidian using Dataview queries:

Consistent Tagging: Enforce a consistent tagging system (e.g., `#work`, `#life`, `#project/A`, `#personal/finance`).
Dataview Dashboards: Create Dataview dashboards for “Work View” and “Life View.” These dashboards would dynamically display notes matching specific tag combinations.
CSS Snippets for Visual Differentiation: Suggest CSS snippets that visually distinguish work and life notes (e.g., different background colors or borders based on tags).

This leverages existing plugin power and allows the user to keep everything in one place while still achieving context-aware filtering.

Analysis

A plugin that filters files based on context (work/life) could significantly improve focus and reduce cognitive load. If a plugin doesn’t exist, the concept is worth exploring. Similar functionality could perhaps be achieved with workspaces and advanced filtering but a plugin dedicated to this purpose would be extremely useful.
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*Curated by AI for Paul’s Vault Members*