SyncNotes Setup Guide

A practical, step-by-step guide to connect Obsidian LiveSync to your SyncNotes vault.

Recommended: use the Quick Setup URI from your Dashboard for the fastest setup.

Before you start

  • Make sure your Dashboard shows an active trial or subscription and a ready LiveSync configuration. If it says the vault is still provisioning, wait or contact support.
  • Back up your Obsidian vault before connecting it. SyncNotes synchronises notes; it is not an independent backup.
  • Do not run Obsidian Sync, iCloud, or another file-sync service on the same vault while using LiveSync.
  • Decide which device holds the notes you want to upload first. The first-device setup can replace data already stored remotely. Adding a device to an existing setup uses a different path.

Step 1: Install the plugin

  1. Open Obsidian.
  2. Go to Settings → Community plugins.
  3. If Obsidian asks, turn off Restricted mode to allow community plugins.
  4. Click Browse and search for Self-hosted LiveSync.
  5. Install, then Enable the plugin.

Plugin project: vrtmrz/obsidian-livesync

The installation screenshots illustrate where to click; the plugin version and Obsidian appearance may differ on your device.

Step 2: Set up your first desktop vault (recommended)

Use this path when your SyncNotes vault is newly provisioned and this device holds the notes you want to sync first. If another device has already initialised the remote vault, add this device instead.

1) Generate a Setup URI in SyncNotes

  1. Open your SyncNotes Dashboard and find Quick Setup (Recommended).
  2. Enter a strong Setup URI Passphrase. This is required to unlock the setup link in Obsidian.
  3. Choose whether to use E2EE. It is optional but recommended for private notes. Enter your own E2EE passphrase or click Generate, then save it in a password manager before continuing. Leaving it blank disables note encryption and path obfuscation; uploaded notes may then be readable by the service operator.
  4. Click Generate URI and check the displayed encryption status. Copy the URI; do not share it together with its Setup URI passphrase. The encrypted URI contains your storage credentials.
Quick Setup form in the SyncNotes dashboard, showing separate Setup URI and optional E2EE passphrases
Example dashboard; your account will show its own vault details. Select the image to enlarge it.

2) Import it as the first device

  1. Open LiveSync onboarding from the Welcome to Self-hosted LiveSync notice. If you dismissed it, open Settings → Self-hosted LiveSync → Quick Setup → Rerun Onboarding Wizard.
  2. Choose I am setting this up for the first time. This means this device will provide the initial notes. Do not choose this on an additional device.
  3. Choose Use a Setup URI (Recommended), paste the URI, enter its Setup URI passphrase, then click Test Settings and Continue.
LiveSync onboarding asks whether this is the first synchronising device or an additional device
First device: choose the first option.
LiveSync Setup URI import dialog with separate URI and passphrase fields
Paste the URI and enter its passphrase here.

3) Initialise only your new, empty SyncNotes vault

  1. After the connection test, LiveSync shows Setup Complete: Preparing to Initialise Server. Choose Restart and Initialise Server only if this is a new remote vault and this device contains the notes you intend to upload.
  2. Read the final overwrite confirmation carefully. Initialisation can replace remote data. If you expected existing notes on the server, stop and follow Add another device instead.
  3. If LiveSync says No Synchronisation Settings Found for a genuinely new vault, choose Use this device's settings. If existing settings were expected or the server cannot be read, cancel and check your connection; do not skip the warning.

Keep your passphrases safe: the Setup URI passphrase unlocks the link; the optional E2EE passphrase protects synced note data. Quick Setup sends supplied passphrases over HTTPS to generate the link, but SyncNotes does not store them. If you lose an E2EE passphrase, SyncNotes cannot recover encrypted notes. Changing encryption later does not automatically re-encrypt existing remote data.

Alternative: configure the first device manually

Use this only if you cannot use the Setup URI. For additional devices, copy settings from your working first device instead of re-entering credentials.

1) Choose manual Object Storage setup

  1. Open LiveSync onboarding and select I am setting this up for the first time, then Configure a remote manually.
  2. On End-to-End Encryption, choose whether to enable it. The switch is optional. If enabled, enter a strong passphrase in LiveSync and save it before syncing; the Dashboard does not configure the manual plugin settings for you. Without E2EE, uploaded notes may be readable by the service operator.
  3. On Choose a synchronisation remote, select S3-compatible Object Storage. Do not choose CouchDB or P2P for SyncNotes.

2) Enter your exact Dashboard values

LiveSync field What to enter
Endpoint URL Sync Endpoint from your Dashboard
Access Key ID Access Key from your Dashboard
Secret Access Key Secret Key from your Dashboard
Bucket Name Bucket Name from your Dashboard
Region Region from your Dashboard, exactly as shown. Do not guess from your location or keep the plugin's default auto unless the Dashboard says auto.
LiveSync S3 MinIO R2 configuration dialog with Endpoint URL, key, bucket, region, and Path-Style Access fields
LiveSync's S3/MinIO/R2 dialog. The image contains no account credentials.

3) Test before initialising

  1. Leave Use Path-Style Access enabled for SyncNotes. Leave Folder Prefix blank for a standard SyncNotes vault.
  2. Leave Use internal API off unless support recommends it for a confirmed CORS problem.
  3. Click Test Settings and Continue. If the test fails, recheck every Dashboard value; do not use Continue anyway.
  4. Follow the same new-vault initialisation safeguards described above, then verify sync below. Keep the same E2EE passphrase on future devices; SyncNotes cannot recover it.

Step 3: Verify the first sync

  1. Keep Obsidian open while LiveSync finishes initialisation. Wait for its progress indicators to settle and check its log for connection or encryption errors.
  2. Create a small ordinary test note in this vault. Leave Obsidian open until the next sync finishes. Object Storage sync is triggered by events and periodic checks; it is not instantaneous real-time sync.
  3. After adding a second device, confirm that this note appears there unchanged. Create another test note on the second device and confirm it reaches the first.

Do not treat a successful connection test alone as proof that notes are syncing. Keep an independent backup of your vault.

Step 4: Add another device

Start only after the first device has successfully synced a test note. Use a new or separately backed-up Obsidian vault on the additional device.

  1. On the working first device, open Obsidian's command palette and run Self-hosted LiveSync: Copy settings as a new Setup URI. Set a new Setup URI passphrase. Save this URI and its passphrase separately; the URI contains encrypted credentials and your current LiveSync settings.
  2. Install and enable Self-hosted LiveSync in the additional vault. Open onboarding and choose I am adding a device to an existing synchronisation setup, then Use a Setup URI (Recommended).
  3. Paste the URI from the first device, enter its new Setup URI passphrase, and choose Test Settings and Continue. Do not create a new E2EE passphrase for an already-encrypted vault.
  4. Choose Restart and Fetch Data. For a new or empty local vault, select Overwrite all with remote files, then Keep local files even if not on remote if asked. If this device already has unsynced notes, stop and review LiveSync's data retrieval choices before continuing.
  5. Keep both devices open until the initial fetch and file reflection finish. Check the test note in both directions as described above.

Never select first-device initialisation or an overwrite-server action when joining a device to an existing remote vault.

Read-only retention after access ends

If your trial ends, your remote vault remains readable for 14 days. If a paid subscription ends, it remains readable for 30 days.

  • You can continue to read, list, and download existing remote data.
  • Uploads, edits, copies, and remote deletes are rejected during this period.
  • Local edits may still be possible in Obsidian, but they will not upload while the remote vault is read-only. Keep a local backup.
  • Your existing connection details remain valid, so you do not need to reconfigure Obsidian.
  • Reactivating before deletion restores read/write access with the same connection details.

Keep your local vault up to date before the retention period ends. After that date, the remote vault is deleted according to the Terms of Service.

Troubleshooting & Tips

Connection and setup
  • Setup URI cannot be imported: Paste the complete URI and use the passphrase for that URI, not your optional E2EE passphrase. Generate a fresh URI if you cannot identify the correct one.
  • Connection test fails or returns 401/403: Check your Dashboard's subscription and vault status. For manual setup, compare the endpoint, both keys, bucket, and region exactly, with Path-Style Access enabled. Do not continue past a failed test.
  • Existing remote data was expected, but no settings were found: Cancel. Confirm you selected the correct vault and bucket before any initialisation or overwrite action.
  • Encryption key cannot be initialised: A working storage connection does not prove E2EE is configured. Use the original E2EE passphrase and settings for this vault. If the passphrase is lost, SyncNotes cannot recover encrypted data.
  • Writes are denied after setup: Check your Dashboard for a full quota, read-only retention, or a suspended vault. Do not reset LiveSync to work around an access restriction.
When sync does not finish
  • “Application initialisation has not completed”: This may appear briefly after a restart. If it persists, leave the vault unchanged and contact support with the LiveSync log; do not repeatedly initialise the remote vault.
  • “Tweaks Mismatched or Changed”: Review which device has the settings you intend to keep. Do not blindly choose either side; back up the vault before changing compatibility settings.
  • CORS error: SyncNotes normally configures the storage endpoint for Obsidian. Contact support with the exact error. Use internal API is a compatibility workaround, not a normal setup step.
  • Need help: Send support the error text, plugin version, and relevant logs or screenshots. Remove Setup URIs, passphrases, access keys, and secret keys before sharing them.
  • Before recovery or rebuild actions: Make an independent backup and follow LiveSync's current recovery instructions or support advice. Recovery flags and resets can replace data.
More detail: See LiveSync's Object Storage setup and troubleshooting guide. The mobile screenshots above cover plugin installation only; complete the desktop flow first.