README file from
GithubShow Hidden Files — Obsidian Plugin
Reveals hidden dotfiles (.claude/, .gitignore, .env, .github/, etc.) and all file types directly in the Obsidian file explorer.
Features
- Show all file types — Exposes files with unsupported extensions (
.json,.yml,.toml, etc.) in the file explorer. Synced with Obsidian's native "Detect all file extensions" setting. - Show hidden files — Shows files and folders whose names start with a dot, which Obsidian hides by default.
Both settings are enabled by default when the plugin is activated and fully reverted when the plugin is disabled.
Note: Enabling this plugin exposes sensitive dotfiles (
.env,.git-credentials, etc.) in the Obsidian file explorer, making them viewable, editable, and deletable. Make sure you understand what these files are before modifying them.
Installation
From Community Plugins (recommended)
- Open Settings → Community plugins → Browse
- Search for Show Hidden Files
- Click Install, then Enable
Manual
- Download
main.js,manifest.json, andstyles.css(if present) from the latest release. - Create the folder
.obsidian/plugins/show-hidden-files/inside your vault. - Copy the downloaded files into that folder.
- Open Settings → Community plugins, refresh the list, and enable Show Hidden Files.
BRAT
Install via BRAT with the repo URL:
witi42/obsidian-show-hidden-files
Settings
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Show all file types | On | Toggle unsupported file extensions in the explorer. Mirrors Obsidian's native "Detect all file extensions" option. |
| Show hidden files | On | Toggle dotfiles and dotfolders in the explorer. .obsidian and .trash are always excluded. |
Building from source
git clone https://github.com/witi42/obsidian-show-hidden-files.git
cd obsidian-show-hidden-files
npm install
npm run build
This produces main.js in the project root. Copy it along with manifest.json into your vault's plugin folder to test.
For development with hot-reload:
npm run dev
How it works
- Show all file types uses Obsidian's internal
vault.setConfig('showUnsupportedFiles', …)API to toggle the native setting programmatically. - Show hidden files intercepts the vault adapter's
reconcileDeletionmethod — when Obsidian tries to hide a dotfile, the plugin re-registers it instead. A full vault rescan vialistRecursivetriggers discovery of all dotfiles on startup. - On disable, both settings are restored to their previous values and all revealed dotfiles are hidden again.
Compatibility
- Desktop only — relies on Node.js filesystem APIs for dotfile discovery.
- Requires Obsidian v0.15.0+.