Evernote to Obsidian: How to Import Your Notes (2026)

Export each notebook from Evernote's desktop app as an .enex file, then open those files with Obsidian's free, official Importer plugin. Every note becomes a Markdown file, with tags, checklists, tables, images and links between notes carried over. Notebook stacks and tag hierarchy aren't in Evernote's export, so a small renaming step before you export keeps them.

This guide covers the export, the import and what to check after. We make SystemSculpt, an AI plugin for Obsidian, so the last part shows how to add AI to the notes you bring over.

Checked on November 3, 2026, with Importer 3.1.16 and Obsidian's and Evernote's own help pages, linked at the end.

Before you start

1. Install the Evernote desktop app for Mac or Windows if you only use Evernote on the web. Evernote can't export from the web.
2. Install Obsidian and create a vault, or open the one you'll keep these notes in. A new, empty vault makes the first import easy to check.
3. In Obsidian, open Settings, then Community plugins, and turn them on if they're off.
4. Select Browse, search for Importer, then Install and Enable. Importer is made by the Obsidian team and is free.

You don't need a paid Evernote plan. Evernote's help says free users can export their notes.

Optional: keep your tag tree and notebook stacks

Evernote's export leaves out two kinds of structure. Fix them in Evernote before you export:

• Nested tags. Rename each child tag to include its parent with a slash, for example Projects/2026 instead of 2026 under Projects. Obsidian reads slashes as nested tags.
• Notebook stacks. Name each exported file Stack@@@Notebook.enex, for example Work@@@Clients.enex. Importer then puts those notes in a Work/Clients folder.

Export from Evernote

1. Open the Evernote desktop app and go to Notebooks.
2. On a notebook, choose More actions (•••), then Export Notebook....
3. Choose ENEX as the format. Leave tags and created date checked.
4. Choose where to save the .enex file, and Export.
5. Repeat for each notebook. Export one notebook per file, so each one becomes its own folder in Obsidian.

Evernote exports up to 100 hand-picked notes at a time, or whole notebooks with no such limit, so export notebooks. There is no single "export everything" button in the current app.

Want a quick look before you install anything? Our free Evernote to Markdown converter turns an .enex into a zip of Markdown files in your browser.

Import into Obsidian

1. Open Importer from the left ribbon or the command palette (Importer: Import notes).
2. Choose Evernote (.enex).
3. Choose your .enex files. You can pick several at once.
4. Optionally choose an output folder.
5. Select Continue until Importer shows the note template it will use and previews a few of your notes.
6. Select Start import and wait for it to finish.

Each .enex becomes a folder named after it, with one note per Evernote note and an attachments folder for images and files.

What carries over and what doesn't

We ran an Evernote export with tags, a nested tag, a reminder, checklists, a table, a web link, a link to another note, an image and a highlight through Importer 3.1.16's Evernote converter. Here is what came out.

Comes through:

• Text formatting: headings, bold, italic and highlights.
• Tags, as Obsidian tags at the top of the note, including Projects/2026-style nested tags.
• Checklists and Evernote tasks, as Markdown checkboxes, ticked where you'd ticked them.
• Tables, as Markdown tables.
• Web links, and links to other notes as Obsidian links like [[Packing list]].
• Images and attachments, saved in an attachments folder and shown in the note.
• Reminders and web-clip source URLs, as note properties.
• Created and updated dates, as the file's own dates on your disk.

Changes or doesn't come through:

• Tag hierarchy and notebook stacks, unless you renamed them as above.
• Table headers. Our test table's first row came in as a normal row under an empty header. Check tables and move the header up if you need it.
• Created and updated dates as properties. They're on the file, not written in the note, so syncing or copying the vault can reset them. Add them with an Importer template if they matter to you.
• Encrypted text. Importer can't decrypt it. It's kept as a block of scrambled text with your hint, so decrypt it in Evernote first.
• Exact layout of web clips. Clipped pages become plain Markdown, so complex page styling is lost.

After the import, open a few of your busiest notes next to the original in Evernote. Keep Evernote until you're happy with the result.

Add AI to your imported notes

Once your notes are Markdown files, any AI tool that reads files can work on them. If you already use Claude Code or Codex, install the free SystemSculpt plugin from Obsidian's community plugins. It runs your signed-in Claude Code or Codex in a chat pane in your vault on desktop, and can ask for your approval before each edit. You can ask it to tidy imported notes, add links between related notes or summarize a notebook. Chats are saved as Markdown notes in your vault. It needs no SystemSculpt account or plan.

For mobile chat, audio transcription and related-note search, eligible new accounts can claim 500 one-time starter credits with no card. Paid plans are $9 a month or $90 a year. Compare plans.

Questions

Can I export Evernote from the web? No. Evernote's help says exporting works only in the desktop app for Mac or Windows.

Do I need a paid Evernote plan to export? No. Evernote says free users can export their notes.

Is the Obsidian Importer plugin free? Yes. It's an official plugin made by the Obsidian team, free in Obsidian's community plugins.

Does Importer keep my Evernote tags? Yes, as Obsidian tags. Nested tags keep their nesting only if you renamed them with slashes, like Projects/2026, before exporting.

Can I export all my Evernote notes at once? Not in the current app. Export each notebook as its own .enex file, then pick them all together in Importer.

Sources

• Import from Evernote, Obsidian Help
• Importer, Obsidian Help
• Obsidian Importer 3.1.16, GitHub
• Export notes and notebooks as ENEX or HTML, Evernote Help