Keep your notes safe

Using Nectenda with other sync services

Why a shared folder should not also be synced by Obsidian Sync, iCloud, Dropbox or OneDrive, and how to use both on the same vault safely.

You can keep using Obsidian Sync, iCloud Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive or Syncthing for the rest of your vault. What you should not do is let two of them sync the same folder.

Why not both on one folder

Nectenda moves changes between vaults as they are typed, and writes them to your notes on disk. A file-sync service moves whole files between devices whenever it notices one has changed. Pointed at the same folder, each sees the other's writes as new edits and sends them on:

• Old versions come back. A file service can deliver a copy of a note that is a few seconds or minutes old. Nectenda sees it as someone editing the note, and sends that change to everyone in the folder.
• Deletions travel twice. A note deleted through one can be restored or deleted again by the other.
• Their conflict files become shared notes. When a file service makes its own "conflicted copy", it lands in the shared folder, and Nectenda shares it with everyone.

Nectenda is built not to lose writing when this happens — where it cannot tell which version is right, it keeps both, as described in Conflict copies and backups. But you would be cleaning up duplicates and backups that need never have existed.

How to use both

• Exclude the shared folders from the other service. In Obsidian Sync, add each shared folder under Settings → Sync → Excluded folders. Dropbox and OneDrive can exclude folders with their own selective-sync settings.
• Or keep shared folders in a vault the other service does not touch. A second vault just for collaboration is the simplest arrangement of all.

Your own devices

You do not need another service to have a shared folder on your laptop and your phone. Sign in to Nectenda on both and add the folder on each; it keeps them in step on its own.