# Self-hosting Obsidian Vault with Retype ![](images/2026-02-25-self-hosting-obsidian-vault-with-retype.png) If you use [Obsidian](https://obsidian.md/), chances are you’ve thought about publishing your vault online. Maybe it’s a personal digital garden, a team knowledge base, or project documentation. [Obsidian Publish](https://obsidian.md/publish) is a great option, and if you prefer to self-host and have full control over where your site is deployed, [Retype](https://retype.com/) is worth a look. [Retype](https://retype.com/) transforms your existing Obsidian vault into a fast, beautiful, and fully self-hosted website with no migration required. You keep your files. You own your content. And with [GitHub](/hosting/github-pages.md), [Cloudflare](/hosting/cloudflare.md), [Netlify](/hosting/netlify.md), or any web server, you can host your website for free. --- ## Start With Markdown, Stay Organized Most teams just want to write and update content without hassle. [Markdown](/guides/markdown.md) fits this need with plain text, easy to read, and easy to version. Editors like Obsidian build on this foundation with features like page linking, advanced components, and WYSIWYG editing. !!!tip With Markdown, there’s no weird file format, your docs stay portable, easy to back up, and free from vendor lock-in. Obsidian, like Retype, **is offline-first**. All documents remain stored as plain Markdown files on your device. !!! --- ## A Workflow That Actually Works Here's where Retype elevates the entire workflow: >>> Start with collaborative editing [Obsidian](https://obsidian.md/) gets you visual markdown editing and collaborative authoring. Your entire team can contribute without learning complex syntax. >>> Maintain everything in standard Markdown Your content stays portable and future-proof. No vendor lock-in means you can migrate easily at any time. Git integration tracks every change and enables branch-based workflows for major updates. >>> Generate professional sites instantly Retype transforms your markdown into a fast-loading and optimized website. >>> Self-hosting your website Write in Obsidian, generate your website with Retype, and host anywhere for free with no recurring monthly fees. Host on [GitHub](/hosting/github-pages.md), [Cloudflare](/hosting/cloudflare.md), [Netlify](/hosting/netlify.md), or your own website hosting. >>> !!!tip Community Key Read about the free [Community](/blog/2025-06-06-new-gitHub-pages-community-key.md) key if hosting on [GitHub Pages](/hosting/github-pages.md) and unlock [Pro](/pro/pro.md) features for your project. !!! [!card](/community.md) --- ## Demo To demonstrate the ease of getting a Markdown website up and running with Retype, let's try building the Obsidian Help [documentation](https://help.obsidian.md/) project itself. ### Step 1 – Install Retype You can have Retype installed within seconds using one of the following commands, depending on your [package manager](/guides/installation.md) of choice: +++ npm ``` npm install retypeapp --global ``` +++ yarn ``` yarn global add retypeapp ``` +++ dotnet ``` dotnet tool install retypeapp --global ``` +++ Or, see the full documentation for [installing](/guides/installation.md) Retype. ### Step 2 – Get Obsidian Help GitHub repository View the Obsidian Help [repository](https://github.com/obsidianmd/obsidian-help/) and clone the repo, or choose **:icon-desktop-download: Open with GitHub Desktop**, or **Download ZIP**. [![Obsidian Help GitHub Repo|528](images/2026-02-25-obsidian-help-repo.png)](https://github.com/obsidianmd/obsidian-help/tree/master) Once you have a copy locally, within your Terminal, move into the `en` sub-directory: ```bash cd en ``` ![Obsidian Help file explorer|378](images/2026-02-25-file-explorer.png) ### Step 3 – Start Retype To start Retype, run the command `retype start`: ```bash retype start ``` Within a few seconds, a new browser window will open and the website will load. We're going to customize the project in the next step... ### Step 4 – Configure Retype Within the root of the `/en` directory, you should see a new `retype.yml` file. The `retype.yml` file contains the Retype [project](/configuration/project.md) settings and can be customized to your requirements. Feel free to adjust and play with the settings in the `retype.yml`, or copy and paste the following settings that fit well with the Obsidian Help documentation: ```yaml # DISCLAIMER: THIS SITE DISPLAYS THE # [OBSIDIAN HELP](HTTPS://GITHUB.COM/OBSIDIANMD/OBSIDIAN-HELP) DOCUMENTATION, # WHICH IS © [OBSIDIAN](HTTPS://OBSIDIAN.MD/). THE CONTENT IS REPRODUCED HERE # FOR INFORMATIONAL AND/OR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. WE MAKE NO CLAIM OF # OWNERSHIP OVER THE MATERIAL; ALL RIGHTS ARE RESERVED BY OBSIDIAN. ANY USE # BEYOND FAIR USE OR WITHOUT OBSIDIAN'S PERMISSION MAY BE SUBJECT TO COPYRIGHT LAW. # # THIS RETYPE.YML IS ONLY REQUIRED TO CONFIGURE AND BUILD THE DOCUMENTATION # WEBSITE USING RETYPE (HTTPS://RETYPE.COM/) AS THE STATIC WEBSITE GENERATOR. start: # Start in Retype Pro trial mode: pro: true input: . output: .retype # See https://retype.com/community for a FREE # GitHub community key on github.io url: retypeapp.github.io/obsidian edit: repo: https://github.com/obsidianmd/obsidian-help/edit base: /en branch: master nav: icons: mode: none hub: link: https://obsidian.md/ alt: Visit Obsidian target: _blank branding: title: Obsidian label: Help logo: baseColor: "#7c3aed" toc: label: On this page depth: 2-4 breadcrumb: home: ":icon-home:" links: - text: Download link: https://obsidian.md/download - text: Pricing link: https://obsidian.md/pricing - text: Sync link: https://obsidian.md/sync - text: Publish link: https://obsidian.md/publish - text: Enterprise link: https://obsidian.md/enterprise footer: copyright: "© Obsidian" templating: # By default, templating is enabled, but # we will turn templating off for now: enabled: false lastUpdated: date: enabled: false # Remove or set to true to enable ``` --- ## Write On! If you've been on the fence about publishing your Obsidian vault, Retype removes roadblocks. You already have the vault. You already write in Markdown. In minutes, you can have a fast, polished, and fully self-hosted website with no monthly subscription, no loss of content ownership, and no change to how you write. With Retype, you choose where your site lives. Host it on [GitHub Pages](/hosting/github-pages.md) for free, deploy to [Cloudflare](/hosting/cloudflare.md) or [Netlify](/hosting/netlify.md), or serve it from your own infrastructure. Your content stays on your terms. [Install Retype](/guides/installation.md), run `retype start` inside your Obsidian vault folder, and have a live preview running in seconds. If you build something, share it with us on [X](https://x.com/retypeapp) or share it with the Obsidian community. Have feedback or ideas for Retype? Open a GitHub [Issue](https://github.com/retypeapp/retype/issues). Your input helps shape the future of Retype. ---