Hide Obsidian Templates Folder: Clean Up Your Vault

A bloated file explorer kills your daily focus. If you rely on the built-in Obsidian templates core plugin, your sidebar constantly displays a folder full of boilerplate files you only touch when creating a new note. Keeping these reusable blocks visible creates visual noise that slows down navigation.

You don't need that folder staring back at you every time you open your vault. Hiding your templates directory takes just a couple of minutes using specialized community plugins or built-in configuration tweaks.

Let's look at how to clean up your workspace by keeping those background assets out of sight.

Why Hide Your Templates Folder?

Your templates folder serves a vital utility, but it doesn't need active real estate in your daily workflow. Once you map your template path, you rarely click into that directory manually.

Leaving it visible in the left sidebar introduces several minor friction points:

• Visual Clutter: Extra folders pull your eyes away from active projects, daily logs, and reference material.
• Accidental Edits: Misclicks can accidentally alter a master template when you meant to open a daily note.
• Graph View Pollution: Depending on your vault settings, static template files can clutter up local graphs with unhelpful links.

Cleaning up your sidebar lets you focus entirely on active writing and thought mapping.

Method 1: Using the Hide Folders Plugin

The cleanest way to remove unwanted directories from view without deleting or moving them is through a community plugin. The Hide Folders plugin by JonasDoesThings provides a lightweight toggle specifically built for this purpose.

Installation Steps

1. Open your Obsidian vault and click the Gear icon in the lower-left corner to open Settings.
2. Navigate to Community plugins in the sidebar and make sure community plugins are enabled.
3. Click Browse, search for Hide Folders, and locate the plugin by JonasDoesThings.
4. Click Install, then click Enable.

Configuration

Once enabled, you can tell the plugin which directory to hide:

1. Go back to Settings and click on Hide Folders under the plugin options.
2. In the configuration text box, enter the exact name of your templates folder, such as Templates or _templates.
3. If you use custom naming conventions, you can also use pattern matching rules like startsWith::_ or endsWith::_templates.
4. Close settings. Your templates folder immediately vanishes from the file explorer.

The plugin adds a convenient toggle button to your sidebar or command palette, letting you reveal hidden assets instantly whenever you need to update a template.

Method 2: Using File Hider for Context Menus

If you prefer an interface approach where you don't even have to type folder names into a settings panel, the File Hider plugin offers a direct right-click solution.

1. Open the Community plugins menu in your settings.
2. Search for File Hider by eldritch-oliver and install it.
3. Enable the plugin.
4. Return to your main vault view, locate your templates folder in the file explorer, and right-click on it.
5. Select Hide Folder from the context menu.

The folder disappears instantly. To manage or unhide your hidden items later, open the File Hider settings tab where you can review and remove entries with a single click.

Method 3: Advanced Structure via Dotfiles (Caution Required)

Advanced users often wonder if prefixing a folder name with a dot (like .templates) hides it natively. While dotfiles are hidden by default in many operating systems, Obsidian's core template plugin can sometimes struggle to parse hidden system directories depending on your current desktop environment and core settings.

If you attempt a dotfile workaround:

• The core Templates plugin may fail to locate the directory path, throwing configuration errors.
• It can interfere with mobile syncing across iOS and Android devices where hidden directory visibility behaves differently.

Stick with dedicated plugins like Hide Folders to avoid breaking your template automation workflow.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

When cleaning up your vault layout, watch out for these common missteps:

• Deleting Instead of Hiding: Don't delete your template files thinking you can run without them. Obsidian needs them accessible in the background to populate notes correctly.
• Forgetting the Core Plugin Path: If you hide your folder, remember to update your path settings in the core Templates plugin before hiding it, otherwise Obsidian won't know where to pull your snippets from.
• Over-Hiding Active Projects: Only hide asset directories, attachment folders, and templates. Hiding active work folders usually leads to losing track of important notes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will hiding my templates folder break my hotkeys?

No. Keyboard shortcuts or commands set up via QuickAdd or core template insertion continue to work seamlessly because Obsidian references the file path in the background, not its visibility state in the UI.

Can I still edit my templates after hiding them?

Yes. You can toggle visibility on using your plugin hotkey or command palette, make your edits, and hide the folder again immediately.

Does this delete my templates from search results?

Some hide plugins only target the file explorer tree view. If you use global search (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F), template names might still appear unless you exclude them in your global search settings.

What is the best alternative to the core templates plugin?

Many power users switch to the Templater community plugin. It offers advanced JavaScript execution, automatic folder triggers, and script-based automation for complex note generation.