Obsidian Publish

Obsidian Publish is a proprietary web hosting service and static site generator integrated with the Obsidian knowledge management application. It allows users to transform their private Markdown notes and knowledge graphs into public or private websites, maintaining the interconnected structure of their vaults. The service is designed for individuals and organizations seeking to share networked knowledge without compromising the local, plain-text nature of their original files.

Overview

Launched in 2021 by the developers of Obsidian (software), the service extends the application's core philosophy of user-owned data to the web. It operates as a companion to the Obsidian Sync service, focusing specifically on public-facing content creation. Unlike traditional content management systems like WordPress or Notion, it generates sites directly from a user's existing note vault, preserving backlinks and graph view visualizations. The resulting sites are typically hosted on Fastly's content delivery network for global performance.

Features

Key functionalities include automatic graph view generation for site visitors, enabling interactive exploration of topic connections. It supports custom domains, search engine optimization controls, and flexible access control lists for site privacy. The service maintains bi-directional linking and note transclusion, mirroring core features of the Obsidian (software) desktop application. Site appearance can be customized through CSS themes, and it integrates with Google Analytics for visitor tracking. All published content remains editable within the local Obsidian (software) application, ensuring a seamless workflow.

Publishing process

Users initiate publishing by selecting specific notes or entire folders within their vault inside the Obsidian (software) application. The service then uploads and processes the Markdown files, converting them into a static HTML site. The process automatically renders wikilinks into functional hyperlinks and generates the site's navigation structure. Subsequent updates are managed through a dedicated publish panel, allowing for incremental changes. The entire workflow is designed to be non-destructive, leaving the original local files completely untouched and under the user's full control.

Use cases

Common applications include creating public digital gardens or second brain websites for sharing personal knowledge. Academics and researchers use it to publish interconnected Zettelkasten-inspired notes or project documentation. Teams utilize private sites for internal knowledge bases, standard operating procedure manuals, or project documentation. It is also employed for publishing online books, technical documentation, and community-curated wikis, leveraging its native support for non-linear narrative structures.

Comparison with other services

Compared to GitHub Pages with Jekyll, it offers a more integrated, GUI-driven workflow directly from Obsidian (software), but with less open-source customization. Versus Notion's public pages, it provides superior performance through static generation and guarantees long-term data ownership. It differs from Roam Research's sharing features by being a separate publishing layer for a primarily desktop-based tool. While similar in output to Hugo or Gatsby, it requires no command-line interaction or Git knowledge, catering specifically to the Obsidian (software) user base.

Pricing and availability

Access is offered through a monthly or annual subscription, separate from Obsidian Sync or Obsidian (software) Catalyst licenses. It operates on a software as a service model, with pricing tiers based on the number of published sites and included page views. The service is available globally, with no restrictions based on user location, and all plans include hosting on the Fastly network. A free trial period is typically offered for new users to evaluate the publishing workflow and site performance.