Can I use existing folder structure in Obsidian's vault?

[eltaho]

TL;DR Since Obsidian uses a file/folder structure similar to the files/folders system on the computer I would like to use my existing folders/files inside of Obsidian’s vault. Why I shouldn’t do that?

I have a certain decimal folder structure where I store all my files and I would like to implement the same folder structure within Obsidian as well. Then I thought, wait… it would be great if I could use my existing folder structure in the Obsidian’s vault. So my notes and files all live in one place, sometimes even without embedding those files in the notes. From folder maintenance perspective it is also a nice bonus.

What are the risks of doing that?
The one that comes to my mind is, if I accidentally delete the folder from the Obsidian app all my files within that folder will be gone as well.

What else am I missing?

• Will that setup overwhelm my Obsidian vault? Is there any limitation?
• Is there any privacy related issues? For instance, some plugin that can get access to my files?

[ryanjamurphy]

@eltaho

I would like to use my existing folders/files inside of Obsidian’s vault

This is what Obsidian is designed for. You pick a folder, and it creates a vault on top of that folder. Have you tried that? Maybe I’m not understanding your question(s).

[bobkitz]

I did exactly that. I had an existing structure and just opened it as a vault. Over the following weeks, using Obsidian led to more insights into the different kinds of files/assets in my vault, and I improved upon my original organizational structure. Have fun.

[eltaho]

Thanks for the reply. It’s great to know that users has already implemented this setup.