# Obsidian Restricted Mode Restricted mode is [[Obsidian]]'s security switch: when enabled, no community plugin runs. It exists because of an honest trade-off in Obsidian's plugin model: community plugins are regular JavaScript with full access to the app, the [[Obsidian Vault|vault]], and (like any desktop app) the network and file system. There is no sandbox. ## The security model - New vaults start in restricted mode; you explicitly turn it off to enable [[Obsidian Community Plugins|community plugins]]. - Plugins in the official directory go through an initial review, but updates are not re-reviewed line by line. Trust ultimately rests on the author and the community's many eyes. - [[Obsidian Themes]] and [[Obsidian CSS Snippets]] are pure CSS and keep working in restricted mode; they can't execute code. ## When it matters - **Sensitive vaults**: for confidential content, restricted mode (or a minimal, audited plugin set) is the honest choice. - **Diagnostics**: toggling restricted mode is the fastest way to answer "is a plugin causing this?"; if the problem survives, it's core Obsidian. - **Plugin hygiene**: beyond the binary switch, review installed plugins periodically for staleness, archived repos, and suspicious updates. I automated this check for my own vault as part of my maintenance routines. ## Good to know - Restricted mode is per vault, like every setting in the `.obsidian` folder. A sandbox vault with plugins and a restricted vault for sensitive work coexist fine. - Turning restricted mode on doesn't uninstall anything; plugins are disabled, not removed, so toggling back restores the setup as it was. ## References - Plugin security: https://help.obsidian.md/Extending+Obsidian/Plugin+security ## Related - [[Obsidian]] - [[Obsidian Plugins]] - [[Obsidian Community Plugins]] - [[Obsidian Plugin API]] - [[Obsidian Vault]] - [[Obsidian Themes]] - [[Obsidian CSS Snippets]]