If you've been using Obsidian for more than a few months, you know the feeling: that mix of excitement and slight anxiety when a major update hits early access. Right now, Catalyst members are getting their hands on Obsidian 1.12.0, and honestly? This isn't just another incremental update. We're talking about features that fundamentally change how power users interact with their knowledge bases. The command line interface alone is enough to make terminal enthusiasts do a little dance, but when you add bases search and native image resizing to the mix, you've got what might be Obsidian's most significant update since canvas.
I've been testing the early access build for about a week now, and I want to walk you through what's actually changing—not just what's in the release notes, but how these features feel in daily use. Because let's be real: release notes tell you what changed, but they don't tell you whether it's actually useful or just another checkbox feature.
Why Catalyst Matters (And Why You Might Want to Join)
Before we dive into the features, let's address the elephant in the room: this is early access, available only to Catalyst members. I've seen the discussions—some people wonder if it's worth it, others feel it creates a two-tier user experience. Here's my take after being a Catalyst member for two years.
Catalyst isn't just early access. It's direct support for Obsidian's development team. The $25 (or more) you contribute goes toward keeping Obsidian independent, ad-free, and focused on building features users actually want rather than what some corporate overlord demands. The early access is a bonus, but the real value is knowing you're helping sustain one of the few genuinely community-driven productivity tools left.
That said, the early access period serves a crucial purpose: it gives plugin and theme developers time to adapt before the general release. Remember when 1.0 broke half the community plugins? Early access helps prevent that chaos. If you're running a mission-critical vault with dozens of plugins, waiting for the stable release is still the smart move. But if you love living on the edge and want to shape the software through feedback? Catalyst makes sense.
The Command Line Interface: Obsidian Meets Terminal
Okay, let's talk about the headline feature: the native CLI. This isn't some half-baked terminal emulator—it's a fully integrated command line that lives right in your Obsidian interface. You can trigger it with Ctrl/Cmd+P (which already brings up the command palette) or with a dedicated shortcut if you prefer.
What can you actually do with it? More than you might think. The CLI supports navigating between notes using Unix-like paths, executing built-in commands with parameters, and even piping output between commands. Want to find all notes modified in the last 7 days, extract their titles, and create a summary note? That's now possible without touching a single plugin.
Here's a practical example from my testing: I frequently need to find notes that link to a specific concept but don't have a particular tag. Before 1.12.0, that required a complex search query I had to remember or save as a template. Now I can just type: search "[[knowledge management]] -tag:#reviewed" | limit 20
The beauty is in the flexibility. The CLI understands your vault structure, so you can use relative paths, wildcards, and combine search operations in ways that would make the regular search interface cry. It does have a learning curve—this isn't for casual users—but for anyone who's comfortable in a terminal, it feels like coming home.
Bases Search: Finally, Complex Queries Made Simple
If the CLI is the flashy new feature, bases search is the workhorse improvement that might actually save you more time. The community has been asking for better search capabilities for years, and bases search delivers in a clever way.
Here's the problem with traditional Obsidian search: complex queries become unreadable messes of parentheses and operators. Want to find notes that have either Tag A or Tag B, but must contain Concept C, and were created after a certain date unless they have Tag D? Good luck writing that query without errors, and good luck reading it a week later.
Bases search solves this by letting you define search "bases"—reusable query components. You create a base for "recent notes" (created in last 30 days), another for "project-related" (has project tag and is in projects folder), and then combine them with simple operators.
In practice, it looks like this: Instead of (tag:#project OR path:projects/) AND ("quarterly review") -created:2025-01-01, you'd have a base called "active projects" and search base:"active projects" "quarterly review". The complexity gets tucked away in reusable, named components.
What I love about this implementation is that it doesn't replace the existing search—it enhances it. You can still use regular search syntax. But when you find yourself recreating the same complex query for the third time, you can save it as a base and never think about the syntax again.
Native Image Resizing: A Small Feature That Matters
On the surface, image resizing seems minor. There are plugins that do this already. But native implementation changes everything about how you work with images in Obsidian.
First, the performance is noticeably better. Plugin-based image resizing often involves JavaScript that runs after the note loads, causing images to "jump" as they resize. Native resizing happens at render time, so images display at their correct size immediately.
Second, the implementation is beautifully simple. You can drag corners to resize visually, or add width/height parameters in markdown: ![[image.png|400x300]]. But here's the killer feature: aspect ratio locking. Hold shift while dragging, and the aspect ratio stays locked. It's a small detail that makes working with screenshots and diagrams infinitely better.
What surprised me most was how this changed my image workflow. Before, I'd often avoid adding images because getting them sized right was a hassle. Now I'm actually using more visual elements in my notes because the friction is gone. Sometimes the smallest quality-of-life improvements have the biggest impact on actual usage patterns.
Mobile Parity: This Isn't Just a Desktop Update
Here's something that doesn't get enough attention in the discussions: the mobile version gets all these features too. Obsidian's mobile app has sometimes felt like a second-class citizen, but 1.12.0 brings genuine parity.
The CLI on mobile deserves special mention. They've implemented a clever keyboard-aware interface that makes command entry surprisingly efficient. The search bases sync via your vault (if you're using sync), so your desktop bases are available on mobile. And image resizing? On a touch screen, it's actually more intuitive than using a mouse.
This matters because it reflects Obsidian's commitment to being a true multi-platform tool. Your workflow doesn't break when you switch devices. If you've ever tried to use a complex search on mobile and given up in frustration, bases search will feel like a revelation.
Practical Workflow Changes You Can Implement Today
So how should you actually use these new features? If you're a Catalyst member with early access, here's what I recommend implementing first:
Start with bases search. Look through your saved searches or think about complex queries you regularly run. Create bases for: 1) Notes needing review (created more than 30 days ago, no #reviewed tag), 2) Current active projects, 3) Meeting notes from the last week. Once you have 3-5 bases, you'll start seeing patterns for more.
For the CLI, begin by replacing common navigation. Instead of clicking through folders, try cd projects/2026/q1. Use ls with filters to find notes. The muscle memory takes a few days, but once it clicks, you'll wonder how you lived without it.
Image resizing requires the least adaptation—just start using it. When you add an image, drag the corners. When you edit existing notes with images, take 30 seconds to clean up the sizing. You'll thank yourself later.
Potential Pitfalls and What to Watch For
Early access means you're essentially a beta tester. Here's what I've encountered that you should know about:
Plugin compatibility is the big one. Some plugins that modify search behavior might conflict with bases search. The CLI might interfere with plugins that add their own command palette entries. My advice? Update your plugins first, then enable 1.12.0. And always, always have a backup of your vault before trying early access versions.
The CLI syntax is powerful but not always intuitive. There's a learning curve, and the documentation (while good) assumes some terminal familiarity. If you've never used a command line before, this might feel overwhelming at first. Start with basic navigation commands before attempting complex pipelines.
Performance impact is minimal in my testing, but if you have a massive vault (10,000+ notes), the initial indexing for the new search features might cause a temporary slowdown. It passes quickly, but don't panic if Obsidian seems sluggish for the first few minutes after updating.
What This Means for Obsidian's Future Direction
Looking at 1.12.0 as a whole tells us something important about where Obsidian is heading. These aren't casual user features—they're power user tools. The CLI especially feels like an acknowledgment that Obsidian's most dedicated users want deeper control and automation capabilities.
I see this as a positive trend. By catering to power users while keeping the core experience accessible, Obsidian avoids the trap of becoming too simplistic for serious use. The fact that these features work across desktop and mobile shows commitment to cohesive experience rather than platform-specific gimmicks.
What I'm hoping to see next? If they're adding CLI capabilities, proper scripting support might be on the horizon. Imagine being able to write Python or JavaScript scripts that interact directly with your vault through Obsidian's API. That would open up automation possibilities that currently require hacky workarounds.
Should You Upgrade to 1.12.0?
If you're a Catalyst member who loves trying new features and doesn't mind occasional bugs: absolutely. The features are stable enough for daily use in my experience, and they genuinely improve workflows.
If you're a Catalyst member with a mission-critical vault: wait a week or two. Let other early adopters find the edge cases. Check the Obsidian forum for reported issues with your specific plugin stack.
If you're not a Catalyst member: mark your calendar for the stable release. These features are worth the wait, and they'll be even more polished by the time they reach general availability. In the meantime, consider whether Catalyst makes sense for you—not just for early access, but for supporting Obsidian's development.
Obsidian 1.12.0 feels like a turning point. It's not just about new features; it's about acknowledging that serious knowledge work requires serious tools. The CLI empowers technical users, bases search makes complexity manageable, and image resizing removes a persistent friction point. Together, they make Obsidian feel more mature, more capable, and more essential than ever for anyone building a second brain.
What surprises me most isn't any single feature—it's how cohesive the update feels. These aren't random additions; they're complementary tools that work together to solve real problems Obsidian users actually face. That's the sign of a development team that listens to its community, and it's why Obsidian continues to lead the personal knowledge management space in 2026.
