diff --git a/src/api.ts b/src/api.ts
index 5ea8980..ad9a4e8 100644
--- a/src/api.ts
+++ b/src/api.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,45 @@
 import { TFile, TFolder } from 'obsidian';
 import type FolderNotesPlugin from './main';
 import { getFolderNote, turnIntoFolderNote } from './functions/folderNoteFunctions';
+import { getDetachedFolder, getExcludedFolder } from './ExcludeFolders/functions/folderFunctions';
+
+const API_VERSION = '1.0.0';
 
 export interface ConvertNoteToFolderNoteOptions {
 	skipConfirmation?: boolean;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Public API exposed by the folder-notes plugin on its instance as `plugin.api`.
+ *
+ * External plugins can access it via:
+ *   app.plugins.plugins['folder-notes']?.api
+ *
+ * The API is available after folder-notes has finished onload (settings loaded).
+ */
 export interface FolderNotesApi {
+	/** Semver-ish version string for feature detection. */
+	version: string;
+
+	/**
+	 * Returns the folder note TFile for the given folder path only if the
+	 * folder's note is enabled — i.e., the folder is not detached and not
+	 * excluded with `disableFolderNote`. Matches the plugin's own UI
+	 * gating (the rules that decide whether `.has-folder-note` gets
+	 * applied in the file explorer).
+	 *
+	 * Returns null if:
+	 *   - the folder does not exist or has no folder note
+	 *   - the folder is detached
+	 *   - the folder is excluded with disableFolderNote
+	 */
+	getEnabledFolderNote(folderPath: string): TFile | null;
+
+	/**
+	 * Converts an existing note into the folder note for its parent folder.
+	 * Throws FolderNotesApiPathError if the path does not point to a note
+	 * inside a non-root folder.
+	 */
 	convertNoteToFolderNote(notePath: string, options?: ConvertNoteToFolderNoteOptions): Promise<void>;
 }
 
@@ -20,32 +53,46 @@ export class FolderNotesApiPathError extends Error {
 	}
 }
 
-export class FolderNotesPublicApi implements FolderNotesApi {
-	constructor(private readonly plugin: FolderNotesPlugin) {}
-
-	async convertNoteToFolderNote(
-		notePath: string,
-		options: ConvertNoteToFolderNoteOptions = {},
-	): Promise<void> {
-		const file = this.plugin.app.vault.getAbstractFileByPath(notePath);
-		if (!(file instanceof TFile)) {
-			throw new FolderNotesApiPathError(`No note exists at path: ${notePath}`, notePath);
-		}
-
-		const folder = file.parent;
-		if (!(folder instanceof TFolder) || folder.path === '' || folder.path === '/') {
-			throw new FolderNotesApiPathError(`Note must be inside a folder: ${notePath}`, notePath);
-		}
-
-		const folderNote = getFolderNote(this.plugin, folder.path);
-		if (folderNote === file) return;
-
-		await turnIntoFolderNote(
-			this.plugin,
-			file,
-			folder,
-			folderNote,
-			options.skipConfirmation ?? true,
-		);
-	}
+export function getApi(plugin: FolderNotesPlugin): FolderNotesApi {
+	return {
+		version: API_VERSION,
+		getEnabledFolderNote: (folderPath) => getEnabledFolderNote(plugin, folderPath),
+		convertNoteToFolderNote: (notePath, options) => convertNoteToFolderNote(plugin, notePath, options),
+	};
+}
+
+function getEnabledFolderNote(plugin: FolderNotesPlugin, folderPath: string): TFile | null {
+	const note = getFolderNote(plugin, folderPath);
+	if (!note) return null;
+	if (getDetachedFolder(plugin, folderPath)) return null;
+	const excluded = getExcludedFolder(plugin, folderPath, true);
+	if (excluded?.disableFolderNote) return null;
+	return note;
+}
+
+async function convertNoteToFolderNote(
+	plugin: FolderNotesPlugin,
+	notePath: string,
+	options: ConvertNoteToFolderNoteOptions = {},
+): Promise<void> {
+	const file = plugin.app.vault.getAbstractFileByPath(notePath);
+	if (!(file instanceof TFile)) {
+		throw new FolderNotesApiPathError(`No note exists at path: ${notePath}`, notePath);
+	}
+
+	const folder = file.parent;
+	if (!(folder instanceof TFolder) || folder.path === '' || folder.path === '/') {
+		throw new FolderNotesApiPathError(`Note must be inside a folder: ${notePath}`, notePath);
+	}
+
+	const folderNote = getFolderNote(plugin, folder.path);
+	if (folderNote === file) return;
+
+	await turnIntoFolderNote(
+		plugin,
+		file,
+		folder,
+		folderNote,
+		options.skipConfirmation ?? true,
+	);
 }
diff --git a/src/main.ts b/src/main.ts
index 43c38cf..44f126c 100644
--- a/src/main.ts
+++ b/src/main.ts
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ import { registerOverviewCommands } from './obsidian-folder-overview/src/Command
 import { updateOverviewView, updateViewDropdown } from './obsidian-folder-overview/src/main';
 import { FvIndexDB } from './obsidian-folder-overview/src/utils/IndexDB';
 import { updateAllOverviews } from './obsidian-folder-overview/src/utils/functions';
-import { FolderNotesPublicApi, type FolderNotesApi } from './api';
+import { getApi, type FolderNotesApi } from './api';
 
 interface FileExplorerPluginLike extends Plugin {
 	revealInFolder: (file: TAbstractFile) => void;
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ export default class FolderNotesPlugin extends Plugin {
 		this.settingsTab = new SettingsTab(this.app, this);
 		this.addSettingTab(this.settingsTab);
 		await this.saveSettings();
-		this.api = new FolderNotesPublicApi(this);
+		this.api = getApi(this);
 		this.fvIndexDB = new FvIndexDB(this);
 
 		// Add CSS Classes