Obsidian MCP Server

Knowledge & MemoryTypeScript

Interact with Obsidian vaults to read, create, edit, and manage notes and tags

Available Tools

read-note

Read the contents of a note in your Obsidian vault

create-note

Create a new note in your Obsidian vault

edit-note

Edit an existing note in your Obsidian vault

delete-note

Delete a note from your Obsidian vault

move-note

Move a note to a different location in your Obsidian vault

create-directory

Create a new directory in your Obsidian vault

search-vault

Search for notes in your Obsidian vault

add-tags

Add tags to a note in your Obsidian vault

remove-tags

Remove tags from a note in your Obsidian vault

rename-tag

Rename a tag across all notes in your Obsidian vault

manage-tags

List and organize tags in your Obsidian vault

list-available-vaults

List all available Obsidian vaults (helps with multi-vault setups)

The Obsidian MCP server enables AI assistants to seamlessly interact with your Obsidian knowledge base. It provides a comprehensive set of tools for reading, searching, creating, and editing notes in your vault, as well as managing tags and directories. With this integration, AI assistants can help you organize your thoughts, create new content, and navigate your existing knowledge base without leaving your chat interface. The server supports multiple vaults and provides granular control over file operations, making it a powerful companion for knowledge management.

Overview

The Obsidian MCP server allows AI assistants to interact with your Obsidian vaults, providing a seamless way to manage your knowledge base through natural language conversations.

Requirements

Node.js 20 or higher (may work with lower versions but not officially tested)
An Obsidian vault
Claude Desktop or another MCP-compatible client

Installation

Manual Installation

Make sure you have Node.js installed on your system
Locate your Claude Desktop configuration file:
- macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
- Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
Add the following configuration to your claude_desktop_config.json file:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "obsidian": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": ["-y", "obsidian-mcp", "/path/to/your/vault"]
        }
    }
}

Replace /path/to/your/vault with the absolute path to your Obsidian vault. For example:

MacOS/Linux: /Users/username/Documents/MyVault
Windows: C:\\Users\\username\\Documents\\MyVault

Save the configuration file and restart Claude Desktop
You should see the hammer icon appear in Claude Desktop, indicating the server is connected

Installation via Smithery

You can also install the Obsidian MCP server using Smithery:

npx -y @smithery/cli install obsidian-mcp --client claude

Multiple Vaults

If you want to access multiple vaults, you can specify additional vault paths in the configuration:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "obsidian": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": ["-y", "obsidian-mcp", "/path/to/vault1", "/path/to/vault2", "/path/to/vault3"]
        }
    }
}

You can use the list-available-vaults tool to see all available vaults.

Security Considerations

Important Warning: This MCP has read and write access to your Obsidian vault. Always back up your vault before using this tool. Git is recommended for version control, but any backup method will work.

When configuring the server:

Only provide access to your intended vault directories
Review tool actions before approving them
Be cautious with write operations

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues:

Server not showing up in Claude Desktop
- Verify your configuration file syntax
- Make sure the vault path is absolute and exists
- Restart Claude Desktop
Permission errors
- Ensure the vault path is readable/writable
- Check file permissions in your vault
Tool execution failures
- Check Claude Desktop logs at:
  - macOS: ~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp*.log
  - Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\logs\mcp*.log