Obsidian Bases: tested guides
Bases is the Obsidian core plugin that turns notes into table and card views driven by filters and formulas. Each guide below was run against purpose-built test notes or a 1,781-file test vault, with the expected result worked out before the run.
Everything here was tested on Obsidian 1.13.7, the public release at the time, on macOS 15.3.1 with a free account. Bases ships with Obsidian and is on by default, so there is nothing to install. The Kanban layout is not in 1.13.7: it arrived in 1.14.0, which was still Catalyst early access only when we tested on September 23, 2026.
The filter guides cover the full list of operators and functions (38 views, each result count checked independently), and/or/not nested six levels deep, how contains() behaves on text, lists and numbers, and a "modified in the last 7 days" filter. Two details are easy to miss: a base counts PDFs, images and other attachments as files unless you filter them out, and embedding a base needs the .base extension that you normally leave off a link.
Coming from Dataview? Start with the verdict page, which lists where Dataview is still the better choice, then the migration guide, which maps each Dataview clause to its Bases equivalent.
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Obsidian Bases contains(): 3 Behaviours, Tested
Tested against 15 purpose-built probe notes: contains() ignores case, matches substrings on text, matches whole elements on lists, and throws on numbers.
Fix -
Embedding an Obsidian Base: 11 Syntaxes Tested
Eleven ways to embed a base, each in its own note. Two work identically, one fails silently, and the extension you normally omit is mandatory here.
Advanced -
Obsidian Bases Filter Syntax, Tested on 38 Views
Every Bases operator and function run against a 1,781-file vault, with the result count independently verified. One display quirk will mislead you.
Advanced -
Obsidian Bases: Managing Attachments, Tested
Bases indexes PDFs, images and CSVs as first-class files, with working size and extension properties. It also counts your .base files as attachments.
Workflow -
Obsidian Bases: Files Modified in Last 7 Days
The filter is two lines. The problem is that it silently includes your PDFs and images, and the result count tells you almost nothing. Tested on 1,781 files.
Advanced -
Obsidian Bases Nested Filters: 6 Levels, Tested
Six levels of and/or/not nesting, each result computed independently before the run. All six matched exactly — and the rule I used to check them was wrong.
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Bases vs Dataview: Which Should You Use?
A verdict after three hours of testing Bases against known answers: what it gets right, its four traps, and where Dataview is still the correct choice.
Verdict -
Dataview to Bases: Translating Your Queries
Each Dataview clause mapped to its Bases equivalent and verified against known answers, plus the three habits that translate cleanly but behave differently.
Advanced