Where Operon stores data

Everything Operon keeps lives inside your vault. There is no server and no account. Knowing where each kind of data sits helps you back it up, sync it, and understand what is yours versus what Operon can rebuild.

There are two stores, with a clear split between them.

Your tasks: in your Markdown

Your tasks are not in a database. They are the Markdown you can already see: an inline task is a checkbox line in a note, and a file task is a note with task frontmatter. The note is the source of truth. Operon reads and writes these files, and everything it shows you in filters, the Calendar, and the Kanban is built from them. See Markdown task storage.

This is the data you most care about, and it stays plain text you own.

Operon's settings and state: in the plugin's data

Operon's own configuration and working state (key mappings, pipelines, priorities, saved filters, Calendar and Kanban presets, and similar) live in the plugin's data files under .obsidian/plugins/operon/, not mixed into your notes. This is settings and bookkeeping, not your tasks. If it were lost, you would lose preferences and have to reconfigure, but your tasks would be untouched in your notes. See Plugin data and state files.

Table presets are the one exception. A Table preset is its .table file inside your vault; the file is the preset's single source of truth. Operon keeps only small derived bookkeeping in plugin data so it can preserve order, favorites, and the current default, and rebuilds that bookkeeping from the valid .table files it finds. Calendar, Kanban, and saved Filter presets are unaffected; they still live in the plugin's data as described above. See Table files.

Why the split matters

  • Backups. Backing up your vault backs up both stores. To move Operon settings without copying the whole vault, see Back up and restore settings.
  • Sync. Tasks sync as ordinary Markdown; settings sync with the rest of your .obsidian folder if you sync it. See Sync conflict safety.
  • Portability. Your tasks travel as plain files, readable with or without Operon.

FAQ

Is any of my data on a server? No. Everything is local in your vault.

Are Table presets stored the same way as Calendar and Kanban presets? No. A Table preset is its own .table file in the vault; Calendar and Kanban presets stay in the plugin's data. See Table files.

If I uninstall Operon, do I lose my tasks? No. Tasks are Markdown in your notes. You would lose Operon's views and settings, not the tasks.