Rename a file or folder with one of [, ], ^, # Through the file explorer.
User should be restricted from renaming files and folders with reserved characters…
files and folders get renamed… links update… no way to change them back now because they are no longer detectable
Inline titles in notes still doesn’t let you rename with reserved characters… which is good
I tried this on iPad and was able to rename with reserved characters. A warning popped up, and pressing Return didn’t submit the name, but when I tapped outside the sidebar, the name was accepted.
I had made a link to the file that I renamed, and it was not updated to match the new name.
The new name still appeared in quick switcher and link suggestions. Accepting it in quick switcher navigated to the note. Accepting the link suggested produced a link to the name.
After restarting the app those things were still true, but when I navigated away from the note that contained the link and came back, the link to the bad name was emptied out, leaving only the brackets.
SYSTEM INFO:
Operating system: ios 26.1 (Apple iPad13,1)
Obsidian version: 1.9.14 (241)
API version: v1.9.14
Login status: logged in
Language: en
Catalyst license: none
Live preview: on
Base theme: adapt to system
Community theme: none
Snippets enabled: 30
Restricted mode: off
Plugins installed: 44
Plugins enabled: 18
1: Folder Note Core v1.3.5
2: Shortcut Launcher v1.1.0
3: Regex Find/Replace v1.2.0
4: Smart Random Note v0.2.1
5: Smart Typography v1.0.18
6: Sort & Permute lines v0.7.0
7: Word Sprint v0.3.1
8: Commander v0.5.4
9: Wrap with shortcuts v1.3.0
10: Custom File Explorer sorting v3.1.6
11: Hider v1.5.1
12: Style Settings v1.0.9
13: Notebook Navigator v1.5.1
14: Journals v2.1.10
15: File Diff v1.1.2
16: Kanban v2.0.51
17: Regex Mark v1.11.0
18: CodeScript Toolkit v11.1.6
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Custom theme and snippets: for cosmetic issues, please first try updating your theme and disabling your snippets. If still not fixed, please try to make the issue happen in the Sandbox Vault or disable community theme and snippets.
Community plugins: for bugs, please first try updating all your plugins to latest. If still not fixed, please try to make the issue happen in the Sandbox Vault or disable community plugins.
If you try to put invalid character to the note name, it resists harder. But if you do it with the folder name, it shows an inline warning, but it accepts the rename.
Yes a warning does appear, but it still lets you do it… I assume its not by design because it doesn’t let you do it with inline titles on notes.
And if this is intentional, this is terrible. Why would I want to rename my links to a form where they are no longer detectable…
I think there is a misunderstanding here. Those characters are NOT forbidden. You are warned that if you use those, linking to/from those files may not work.
There are characters that are actually forbidden by the filesystem, like :, and you wound be able to use those
Because some users do want to use those characters, even if it means links won’t work.
This is simply not a good idea. If a top level folder is renamed with with invalid characters… links… the blood of obsidian… are all made redundant.
Additionally, if this was an intentional design, why don’t inline titles allow you to change them?
If obsidian wants to continue allowing users to use these characters, which I highly advise against, at least allow a setting for users to ban the naming of files and folders with these reserved characters.
That’s a recently introduced bug.
Should I make an FR asking for a setting to ban the naming of notes and folders using reserved characters?
Sure, you can open a FR for it.
