An Obsidian window layout on a Mac: panes, pop outs and the rest
Split panes, open notes in new windows, and place Obsidian beside your browser or PDFs. How to arrange it for writing and research on a Mac.
Right click a note and choose Open in new window to pop it out of the main Obsidian window. Inside a window, ⌘ click a link opens it in a new tab, and dragging a tab to the side splits the pane.
Good layouts
| For | Layout |
|---|---|
| Writing | One note, sidebars hidden |
| Linking notes | Two panes side by side in one window |
| Research | Obsidian beside the browser or a PDF |
| Daily note always open | Pop it out into its own small window |
Workspaces
The core Workspaces plugin saves and restores pane layouts inside Obsidian.
Obsidian and everything else
Inside the app, panes handle layout. Outside it, a window manager does. On a ClutterFreeMac strip, the main Obsidian window and a popped out note can sit side by side, with your browser in the next column; save it as a layout to bring back each morning. See researchers' setup.
Questions
Can Obsidian open notes in separate windows?
Yes. Right click a note or tab and choose Open in new window.
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