What does one-way sync mean for Obsidian and voice notes?

One-way sync means changes only travel from Sentio to your Obsidian vault, never back. If you correct a note in Sentio, the updated version replaces the markdown file in your vault on a later sync, and edits you make to that file inside Obsidian do not reach Sentio and are overwritten. Treat Sentio as the source of truth and keep your own thinking in separate Obsidian notes.

Last reviewed October 23, 2026

What travels, and in which direction

The Sentio plugin for Obsidian asks Sentio for notes updated since its last check, using an API key you create in settings. Sentio turns each note into ready-to-write markdown and the plugin saves it in your vault. The key you create for Obsidian is read-only: the settings page says the plugin can fetch notes but cannot create, edit or delete them. That is what makes the sync one-way by design rather than by accident. Two-way sync is planned separately and should not be assumed.

What a synced file looks like

By default files land in a Sentio folder and are named with the date and a slug of the title. Each begins with YAML frontmatter holding the note id, title, created and updated dates, tags and category, then the title as a heading, and the note body. If the note has a polished version you get Rewritten and Transcript sections. Archived notes are skipped by default. The server-side default is to check every 15 minutes, so a correction made in Sentio shows up after the next check rather than instantly; the interval you actually run is set in the plugin.

What is overwritten and what is not

Because the file is regenerated from the Sentio note, anything you typed into it in Obsidian is lost the next time that note syncs. Deleting is also one-sided: the sync response we read contains updates only, so we do not claim that deleting a note in Sentio removes its file from your vault. One thing we have not verified is what happens to a file when you retitle a note, since the file name is built from the title; try it in a throwaway vault before relying on it.

A routine that works with one-way sync

Fix names and wording in Sentio, not in the synced file. Put your own commentary, links and tags in a separate note that points at the synced one, and use the sentio_id in the frontmatter to find the source. Install the beta through the BRAT community plugin using the repository address shown on the Obsidian settings page, create one key per vault or device, and revoke a key there if a device is lost, which stops that plugin syncing. The Yearly plan lists the Obsidian beta among its features.

Common questions

Can I edit synced notes in Obsidian?

You can, but those edits are overwritten the next time the note syncs, and they never appear in Sentio. Keep your own writing in separate notes.

Is the sync instant?

No. The plugin checks for new or updated notes on an interval. The server-side default is 15 minutes, and the plugin controls the interval you use.

Does the sync bring over my audio?

The files the server generates contain text and metadata. We did not find audio links or audio files in them.

Will two-way sync arrive?

It is planned separately, with no date we can give. Build your routine around one-way sync as it works today.