A **vault** is a folder on your file system which contains your notes, [[attachments]], and the [[configuration folder]] with Obsidian-specific settings. For more information on vaults, refer to [[How Obsidian stores data]]. You can manage your vaults using the **Vault switcher**. The *Vault profile* opens the first time you open Obsidian. To open the vault switcher from an existing vault, select **Vault profile** ( ![[lucide-chevrons-up-down.svg#icon]]) at the bottom of the [[Sidebar|left sidebar]]. Or, select **Open another vault** from the [[command palette]]. ## Create new vault 1. On your computer, open Obsidian. 2. At the bottom left, select the **Vault profile** ( ![[lucide-chevrons-up-down.svg#icon]]). 3. A context menu will pop up. Select **Manage Vaults...**. 3. To the right of **Create new vault**, select **Create**. 4. In **Vault name**, enter the name of your vault. 5. Click **Browse** to select where your new vault will be created. 6. Click **Create**. ## Create vault from an existing folder 1. On your computer, open Obsidian. 2. At the bottom left, select the **Vault profile** ( ![[lucide-chevrons-up-down.svg#icon]]). 3. A context menu will pop up. Select **Manage Vaults...**. 3. At the right of **Open folder as vault**, click **Open**. 4. In the file browser, select the folder you want to use as your vault. 5. Click **Open**. > [!tip] Open vault from Obsidian Sync > If you want to open a remote vault using Obsidian Sync, refer to [[Set up Obsidian Sync]]. ## Rename vault Since the name of a vault and the underlying folder are the same, renaming a vault also renames the folder. 1. On your computer, open Obsidian. 2. At the bottom left, select the **Vault profile** ( ![[lucide-chevrons-up-down.svg#icon]]). 3. A context menu will pop up. Select **Manage Vaults...**. 4. In the vault list, select **More options** ( ![[lucide-more-horizontal.svg]] ) next to the vault you want to rename. 5. Select **Rename vault**. 6. Enter the new name for the vault, and press `Enter`. ## Move vault to a different folder 1. On your computer, open Obsidian. 2. At the bottom left, select the **Vault profile** ( ![[lucide-chevrons-up-down.svg#icon]]). 3. A context menu will pop up. Select **Manage Vaults...**. 4. Close the current vault window, leaving the **Manage Vaults** window open. 5. In the vault list, select **More options** ( ![[lucide-more-horizontal.svg]] ) next to the vault you want to move. 6. Select **Move vault**, and then select the new location. Some operating systems do not allow the vault to be moved with the Vault Switcher. In these cases, you will need to move your vault manually: 1. Close Obsidian. 2. Move your vault folder to a new location, avoiding folders synced by other services. 3. Reopen Obsidian. 4. Click the **Vault profile** icon at the bottom left ( ![[lucide-chevrons-up-down.svg#icon]]). 5. From the pop-up menu, select **Manage Vaults...**. 6. Next to **Open folder as vault**, click **Open**. 7. Navigate to and select your new vault folder. 8. Click **Open**. 9. Verify that the vault contents are unchanged. If necessary, re-enable community plugins by navigating to **Settings → Community Plugins → Turn restricted mode off**. ## Remove vault Removing a vault only removes it from the vault list. 1. On your computer, open Obsidian. 2. At the bottom left, select the **Vault profile** ( ![[lucide-chevrons-up-down.svg#icon]]). 3. A context menu will pop up. Select **Manage Vaults...**. 4. In the vault list, select **More options** ( ![[lucide-more-horizontal.svg]]) next to the vault you want to move. 5. Select **Remove from list**. ## Transfer settings to another vault To use the same settings for another vault, use your preferred file manager (or terminal) to copy the `.obsidian` folder from the root of the source vault to the root of the destination vault. You may need to restart Obsidian to apply the changes. > [!note] Where do I find the `.obsidian` folder? > By default, most operating systems hide folders starting with a period (`.`). For more information about the `.obsidian` folder and how to access it, refer to [[How Obsidian stores data#Vault settings|vault settings]] and [[Configuration folder|config folders]].