Obsidian Bases Schema: .base File Structure Reference

A .base file is a YAML file with the .base extension that gives database-like views over the notes in your Obsidian vault. Each base file selects a set of notes using filters, optionally computes new values with formulas, and renders those notes in one or more views (table, cards, list, or map). Because the entire file is YAML, standard YAML rules apply — quoting, indentation, and structure all matter.

Top-Level Schema

Every .base file is built from up to five top-level keys. All keys are optional, but a useful base will have at least filters and views.

# Global filters apply to ALL views in the base
filters:
  # Can be a single filter string
  # OR a recursive filter object with exactly ONE key: and, or, or not
  and:
    - 'status == "active"'
    - not:
        - 'file.hasTag("archived")'

# Define formula properties that can be used across all views
formulas:
  formula_name: 'expression'

# Configure display names and settings for properties
properties:
  property_name:
    displayName: "Display Name"
  formula.formula_name:
    displayName: "Formula Display Name"
  file.ext:
    displayName: "Extension"

# Define custom summary formulas
summaries:
  custom_summary_name: 'values.mean().round(3)'

# Define one or more views
views:
  - type: table | cards | list | map
    name: "View Name"
    limit: 10                    # Optional: limit results
    groupBy:                     # Optional: group results
      property: property_name
      direction: ASC | DESC
    filters:                     # View-specific filters follow the same rules
      and:
        - 'status == "active"'
    order:                       # Properties to display in order
      - file.name
      - property_name
      - formula.formula_name
    summaries:                   # Map properties to summary formulas
      property_name: Average

Properties Configuration

The properties: section controls how property columns are labeled in a view. You can configure display names for three types of properties: note properties (from frontmatter), formula properties (defined in formulas:), and file properties (built-in metadata like file.ext). Each entry uses the property’s identifier as the key, and accepts a displayName field:

properties:
  # Note property from frontmatter
  status:
    displayName: "Status"

  # Formula property — prefix with "formula."
  formula.days_until_due:
    displayName: "Days Until Due"

  # File metadata property — prefix with "file."
  file.ext:
    displayName: "Extension"

  # Set an empty displayName to hide the column header
  formula.status_icon:
    displayName: ""

Setting displayName does not affect the underlying property identifier used elsewhere in the file — formula.days_until_due must still be written as formula.days_until_due in order: and summaries: blocks.

The `this` Keyword

The this keyword is a special reference that resolves to a file object depending on where the .base file is rendered:

Context	`this` refers to
Main content area	The `.base` file itself
Embedded in a note (`![[MyBase.base]]`)	The file that embeds the base
Sidebar	The active file in the main content area

This makes this useful for creating context-aware bases — for example, a base embedded in a project note can use this to automatically filter for notes that link back to that project, without hardcoding the project name.

Summaries Configuration

The summaries: top-level section lets you define custom summary formulas that can then be referenced by name in a view’s summaries: map. Custom summary expressions receive a values list and can call any list function on it.

summaries:
  custom_summary_name: 'values.mean().round(3)'

Inside a view, map any property to either a built-in summary name or a custom one:

views:
  - type: table
    name: "Stats"
    order:
      - price
      - rating
    summaries:
      price: Sum
      rating: custom_summary_name

Built-in summary formulas:

Name	Input Type	Description
`Average`	Number	Mathematical mean
`Min`	Number	Smallest number
`Max`	Number	Largest number
`Sum`	Number	Sum of all numbers
`Range`	Number	Max − Min
`Median`	Number	Mathematical median
`Stddev`	Number	Standard deviation
`Earliest`	Date	Earliest date
`Latest`	Date	Latest date
`Range`	Date	Latest − Earliest
`Checked`	Boolean	Count of true values
`Unchecked`	Boolean	Count of false values
`Empty`	Any	Count of empty values
`Filled`	Any	Count of non-empty values
`Unique`	Any	Count of unique values

View Types

Each entry in the views: list must have a type field. The four supported types are table, cards, list, and map.

Table
Cards
List
Map

The table type renders notes as rows in a spreadsheet-like grid. Use order: to specify which columns appear and summaries: to show aggregate values in the footer row.

views:
  - type: table
    name: "My Table"
    order:
      - file.name
      - status
      - due_date
    summaries:
      price: Sum
      count: Average

The cards type displays notes as a visual card gallery. List image properties first in order: to use them as card covers.

views:
  - type: cards
    name: "Gallery"
    order:
      - file.name
      - cover_image
      - description

The list type shows a simple vertical list of notes with selected properties displayed inline.

views:
  - type: list
    name: "Simple List"
    order:
      - file.name
      - status

The map type plots notes on an interactive map. It requires latitude and longitude properties on your notes and the Maps community plugin.

views:
  - type: map
    name: "Locations"
    # Map-specific settings for lat/lng properties

Complete Examples

The following three examples demonstrate complete, working .base files that cover common use cases.

Task Tracker Base

A task management base that groups active tasks by status, shows priority labels and days until due, and separates completed tasks into their own view.

filters:
  and:
    - file.hasTag("task")
    - 'file.ext == "md"'

formulas:
  days_until_due: 'if(due, (date(due) - today()).days, "")'
  is_overdue: 'if(due, date(due) < today() && status != "done", false)'
  priority_label: 'if(priority == 1, "🔴 High", if(priority == 2, "🟡 Medium", "🟢 Low"))'

properties:
  status:
    displayName: Status
  formula.days_until_due:
    displayName: "Days Until Due"
  formula.priority_label:
    displayName: Priority

views:
  - type: table
    name: "Active Tasks"
    filters:
      and:
        - 'status != "done"'
    order:
      - file.name
      - status
      - formula.priority_label
      - due
      - formula.days_until_due
    groupBy:
      property: status
      direction: ASC
    summaries:
      formula.days_until_due: Average

  - type: table
    name: "Completed"
    filters:
      and:
        - 'status == "done"'
    order:
      - file.name
      - completed_date

Reading List Base

A reading tracker that covers both books and articles, shows estimated reading time, and separates the to-read queue from the card gallery.

filters:
  or:
    - file.hasTag("book")
    - file.hasTag("article")

formulas:
  reading_time: 'if(pages, (pages * 2).toString() + " min", "")'
  status_icon: 'if(status == "reading", "📖", if(status == "done", "✅", "📚"))'
  year_read: 'if(finished_date, date(finished_date).year, "")'

properties:
  author:
    displayName: Author
  formula.status_icon:
    displayName: ""
  formula.reading_time:
    displayName: "Est. Time"

views:
  - type: cards
    name: "Library"
    order:
      - cover
      - file.name
      - author
      - formula.status_icon
    filters:
      not:
        - 'status == "dropped"'

  - type: table
    name: "Reading List"
    filters:
      and:
        - 'status == "to-read"'
    order:
      - file.name
      - author
      - pages
      - formula.reading_time

Daily Notes Index

An index of daily notes that uses a regex filter to match only date-named files, estimates word count from file size, and shows the day of the week.

filters:
  and:
    - file.inFolder("Daily Notes")
    - '/^\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}$/.matches(file.basename)'

formulas:
  word_estimate: '(file.size / 5).round(0)'
  day_of_week: 'date(file.basename).format("dddd")'

properties:
  formula.day_of_week:
    displayName: "Day"
  formula.word_estimate:
    displayName: "~Words"

views:
  - type: table
    name: "Recent Notes"
    limit: 30
    order:
      - file.name
      - formula.day_of_week
      - formula.word_estimate
      - file.mtime

Base files must be valid YAML with no syntax errors. Strings that contain special characters (:, {, }, [, ], #, |, >, !, etc.) must be quoted. Formula expressions that contain double quotes should be wrapped in single quotes, e.g. 'if(done, "Yes", "No")'. Always validate the file opens correctly in Obsidian after editing.

Obsidian Markdown

Obsidian Bases

JSON Canvas

Obsidian Bases Schema: .base File Structure Reference

Top-Level Schema

Properties Configuration

The `this` Keyword

Summaries Configuration

View Types

Complete Examples

Task Tracker Base

Reading List Base

Daily Notes Index

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Obsidian Markdown

Obsidian Bases

JSON Canvas

Documentation Index

​Top-Level Schema

​Properties Configuration

​The this Keyword

​Summaries Configuration

​View Types

​Complete Examples

​Task Tracker Base

​Reading List Base

​Daily Notes Index

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Top-Level Schema

Properties Configuration

The `this` Keyword

Summaries Configuration

View Types

Complete Examples

Task Tracker Base

Reading List Base

Daily Notes Index