4 changes you need to make before opening a new Obsidian vault.

Obsidian has been the best note-taking app for many years. In fact, you can create multiple vaults, each dedicated to a different aspect of your work and personal life: one vault for writing, another for personal notes, and several vaults for projects.

One thing all Obsidian vaults have in common is how they're set up. Themes, shortcuts, templates, and even most plugins are the same across all vaults, which keeps things organized and allows for seamless switching between vaults.

Keyboard shortcuts are essential, so they are given top priority.

Increase your typing speed with custom keyboard shortcuts.

If you have to type a lot, like several hours a day, you'll instinctively try to avoid switching between keyboard and mouse whenever possible. That's also one reason many people use compact 70% keyboards. The first thing to do in any new Obsidian vault is to set up shortcuts that allow you to maintain a typing flow without reaching for the mouse.

You can configure them in Settings > Hotkeys . Obsidian already has some useful default shortcuts, but a few custom shortcuts will make a big difference. Ctrl + P opens the Command Palette — the quickest way to run any command by name. Ctrl + O opens the Quick Switcher to switch between notes without touching the sidebar. Ctrl + E switches between edit and read modes. Many people use it constantly when reviewing drafts.

Theme

Make your vault look like the thing you want to open.

A visually appealing workspace is always more welcoming than Obsidian's simple default interface. You can view themes in Settings > Appearance > Themes > Manage . AnuPpuccin is among the top 3 most downloaded themes in the Obsidian community. Themes are a matter of personal preference. Some people prefer minimalist, monochrome setups, and Obsidian has many such themes. The important thing is to choose something that makes you genuinely want to open the application, rather than just tolerating it.

You should also install the Style Settings plugin along with any theme you choose. Most popular themes offer additional options through it, such as accent colors, font sizes, and sidebar layout tweaks, so you can customize the look without having to edit the CSS yourself.

Bookmark configuration

Quick access to notes you frequently review.

Bookmarks in web browsers often accumulate and are forgotten within weeks. But bookmarks in Obsidian are different because the vaults are much more concentrated than the open web. Each vault contains a few notes that are opened almost daily, and bookmarks keep them always within a click of your sidebar.

The marked-up notes typically include article publication checklists, lists of late-night ideas, "do tomorrow" notes for tasks needing immediate attention, and anything else you fear you'll forget if it's not right in front of you when you open the vault. Keeping the lists concise is what makes them useful.

Adding bookmarks is simple. Right-click any note in File Explorer and select Bookmark . You can also open the Command Palette with Ctrl + P and search for "bookmark". Once a note is bookmarked, it will appear in the Bookmarks panel in the sidebar. Pin it, and it will always be visible. Many people often pin it right at the top of the left sidebar, above the file manager, so that the most important notes are the first things they see.

Plugins

A few good plugins are better than a hundred installed plugins.

The plugin ecosystem is what makes Obsidian such a versatile tool, but in experience, too many plugins tend to slow things down rather than help. Keep the list short and only add plugins that you'll remember if they disappear.

The most widely used plugin is Obsidian Digital Garden, as it allows you to publish your Obsidian vault as an online website without paying for Obsidian Publish. It can be used to share some selected notes publicly while keeping the rest of the vault private. Additionally, Tasks helps track to-do items within your notes with due dates and filters. Quick Switcher++ extends the default switcher with the ability to search by title and symbols within notes. It's a lifesaver when your storage vault grows beyond a few hundred files.

Markdown Table Editor makes working with tables much easier. If you've ever tried formatting Markdown tables manually, you'll know how quickly columns get misaligned. This plugin handles that intuitively. Obsidian Git automatically backs up your datastore to a Git repository on a regular schedule. It runs in the background and maintains a version history that you don't need to manage. And Claudian connects directly to Claude AI inside Obsidian, useful for brainstorming and drafting when you want to stay in the application.