Obsidian/Q/Can a custom Obsidian plugin live in the same repository as its vault and be installed locally on desktop and iPhone?

• Can a custom Obsidian plugin live in the same repository as its vault and be installed locally on desktop and iPhone?

  • AI Answer

    • Answer/Official from the Obsidian sample plugin, Obsidian's Working Copy instructions, and the Working Copy manual:
      • Short answer: Yes, provided the repository is linked to the actual vault directory and contains the compiled plugin at <vault>/<config-folder>/plugins/<plugin-id>/. Obsidian does not load a plugin from an arbitrary source directory; its documented manual-install location is normally VaultFolder/.obsidian/plugins/<plugin-id>/.
      • Simplest cross-platform layout: keep the plugin project and its build output in the directory from which Obsidian loads it:
        • text

          vault-repo/
          ├── .obsidian/
          │   └── plugins/
          │       └── my-plugin/
          │           ├── manifest.json
          │           ├── main.js
          │           ├── styles.css
          │           ├── package.json
          │           └── src/
          └── Notes...

        • Build on desktop, exclude node_modules/, and commit main.js, manifest.json, and styles.css so the iPhone receives runnable files.
      • Cleaner monorepo alternative: keep TypeScript source under packages/my-plugin/ and have the desktop build copy only the runtime artifacts into .obsidian/plugins/my-plugin/. Both directories remain in the same repository, while Obsidian loads only the deployed copy.
      • iPhone flow with Working Copy: link the repository to the Obsidian vault folder, then pull the commit containing .obsidian/plugins/my-plugin/. Force-quit and reopen Obsidian, turn on community plugins, and enable the plugin. Working Copy performs the Git and folder synchronization; it does not run the Node.js/TypeScript build.
      • Updates: build on desktop or in CI, commit and push the new runtime artifacts, pull them with Working Copy, and restart Obsidian on the iPhone.
      • Use a real plugin directory for the portable setup. A symlink from .obsidian/plugins/my-plugin to another source directory may be convenient on desktop, but the iOS arrangement crosses app-managed storage. Committing the actual plugin directory works with both Obsidian and Working Copy.
      • The plugin must also follow the mobile runtime constraints in Obsidian/Q/Can custom Obsidian plugins run on iPhone?, including "isDesktopOnly": false and avoiding Node.js or Electron APIs at runtime.