Bases: Concatenating or flattening lists sometimes stringifies links

tawmas · April 20, 2026, 1:33pm

Steps to reproduce

I cannot pinpoint an exact reproducer, but the problem is not random, in that it always happens in the same way on the same notes in the same conditions.

I came to see the bug through a complex formula using .map(…).flat() on a property containing lists of links, but was later able to pinpoint the problem using the simpler formulas that I’m showing below.

I have a bunch of notes that are linked through a property named themes. The property contains a list of links (to parent notes, which also contain the themes property). A base embedded in these notes shows the immediate children of the note (via filter themes.contains(this)). For debugging purposes, I have added the functions themes.flat() and themes + themes to this base, as the output of these functions displays the problem.

Here is how the themes property is set up in a note that exhibits the problem:

Two notes with these values exist. They are correctly listed in both parents, however the output of themes.flat() and themes + themes is wrong in one of the two parents (the same in both cases).

This is how these two notes are displayed from the Linguistic Description note (this is the correct, expected output):

However. this is how those same two notes are displayed by the same embedded base from the other parent note (here, the second link has been converted to a string):

From this same parent note, using list concatenation (themes + themes) also converts the Linguistic Description link to a string, whereas the same works in the other parent note:

Other notes elsewhere in this hierarchy have similar problems. Having two parents is not required to trigger this problem. Across application restarts, platforms, and restricted mode on/off, it’s always the same notes having the same problem in the same parent context. I’ve just not being able to pinpoint what the conditions are.

I tried renaming the parent note to remove the & character, but that does not fix the problem. And, in any case, most of the other affected notes do not have that character in their name.

id you follow the troubleshooting guide? [Y/N]

Yes.

Expected result

Links contained in the list are not affected.

Actual result

Links contained in the list are converted to strings under conditions that I’ve been unable to pinpoint.

Environment

SYSTEM INFO:
Obsidian version: 1.12.7
Installer version: 1.12.7
Operating system: Windows 11 Home 10.0.26200
Login status: logged in
Language: en
Catalyst license: none
Insider build toggle: off
Live preview: on
Base theme: dark
Community theme: Minimal 8.1.7
Snippets enabled: 2
Restricted mode: off
Plugins installed: 10
Plugins enabled: 10
1: Style Settings v1.0.9
2: Dataview v0.5.70
3: Plugin Update Tracker v1.7.0
4: Interlinear Glossing v2.2.0
5: Omnisearch v1.28.2
6: Calendar v1.5.10
7: Templater v2.19.1
8: Current View v1.5.1
9: Minimal Theme Settings v8.2.1
10: Linter v1.31.2

Additional information

I verified that the same problem happens in restricted mode.

I also have the same behaviour on my Android phone, where my vault is synced (through the official Obsidian Sync service).

MarikBentusi · April 21, 2026, 12:41am

Possible Repro

open sandbox vault
delete all files
create the following 3 files:

Note1.md

---
prop1:
  - "[[A]]"
---

Note2.md

---
prop1:
  - "[[A]]"
prop2:
  - "[[B]]"
---

Note3.md

---
prop1: "[[Note1]]"
prop2: "[[Note2]]"
---

```base
formulas:
  Untitled: '[note["prop1"], note["prop2"]].flat()'
views:
  - type: table
    name: Table
    order:
      - file.name
      - formula.Untitled

```

Observed Result

Expected Result

The rows for Note1 and Note2 should contain actual links to the notes A and B, not strings. Essentially, those rows should behave just like Note3’s row, which successfully links to Note1 and Note2.

Notes

This isn’t exactly the behavior of OP (where the first list DOES retain its links). I have experienced that specific issue in my main vault, but couldn’t repro it in the Sandbox Vault.
Linking behavior looks normal in the properties of the respective notes, only the base is incorrect.
Behavior does not change depending on whether notes have been created. In the example below, I’ve
1. invalidated Note3’s link to Note1 by adding a whitespace to the filename
2. changed Note2’s link to “A” to have it link to Note3 (which is currently open and therefore exists).

System Info

SYSTEM INFO:
Obsidian version: 1.12.7
Installer version: 1.12.7
Operating system: Windows 10 Home 10.0.19045
Login status: logged in
Language: en
Catalyst license: insider
Insider build toggle: off
Live preview: on
Base theme: adapt to system
Community theme: none
Snippets enabled: 0
Restricted mode: on

RECOMMENDATIONS:
none