Different than most note-taking apps out there, an Obsidian vault is not a notebook on our server or a bundle in a special format on your computer.

In Obsidian, a vault is a plain folder on your computer. By plain, I mean it's just like a folder you created and put some files in. You can open it with your system explorer or Finder, zip it up, make a copy, or move it around.

> [!SUMMARY] The Point™
> The point is that you own this folder just like the other folder of camping photos that you created yourself.
> 
> It’s supposed to be a good thing because you get both **data ownership and privacy** this way. Just keep in mind [[#^0f681f|with great power comes great responsibility]].

No need to worry about loading your content from our servers. You know, servers can get hacked or be offline or be slow when you need it most.

No need to worry about exporting or converting if you move way from Obsidian either. The vault is just a folder that sits here—Obsidian is not going to delete any of your vault folders just because you uninstall Obsidian.

Finally, please understand that with great power comes great responsibility. Now that you’re in charge of your data, it’s also your job to back it up and keep it safe. ^0f681f

> [!Note]- A word on moving your vault folder
> Technically you can freely move your vault folder around just like how you move any other folder. But if you do, Obsidian will be confused, so make sure to open it again at the new location with Obsidian after you moved it.

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If you’re convinced Obsidian is worth a try for you, it’s time to get started:

→ [[Get started with Obsidian]]