Obsidian MCP Server

Obsidian MCP Server

Connect Claude to your Obsidian knowledge base through the Model Context Protocol.

The Obsidian MCP Server enables Claude to read notes, create content, search your vault, and interact with your personal knowledge management system using natural language.

What Can Claude Do with the Obsidian MCP Server?

The Obsidian MCP Server exposes your Obsidian vault to Claude through the Model Context Protocol.

Core capabilities:

• Read Notes — Access note contents, frontmatter metadata, and wiki links
• Create Notes — Generate new notes with proper formatting and metadata
• Search Vault — Find notes by content, tags, or frontmatter properties
• Navigate Links — Follow backlinks and explore your knowledge graph
• Update Notes — Modify existing note content and metadata

Access scope: Claude can only access the Obsidian vault directory you explicitly configure. The integration works with your local Markdown files.

How to Install the Obsidian MCP Server

Installation requires specifying your Obsidian vault directory path.

For Claude Code

Install using Claude Code's MCP management with your vault path:

claude mcp add obsidian npx obsidian-mcp-server /path/to/your/obsidian/vault

Replace /path/to/your/obsidian/vault with the actual path to your Obsidian vault directory.

Important: the commonly used Obsidian MCP servers are community-maintained. Treat the repository you choose as the implementation source of truth rather than assuming Obsidian ships an official MCP package.

For Claude Desktop

Add the server to your claude_desktop_config.json file with your vault path:

Configuration file locations:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Typical configuration structure:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "obsidian": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "obsidian-mcp-server",
        "/Users/username/Documents/ObsidianVault"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Configuration notes:

• Use the absolute path to your Obsidian vault directory
• On Windows, use forward slashes: C:/Users/username/Documents/ObsidianVault
• The vault path should point to the root directory containing your .obsidian folder

Restart Claude Desktop after saving the configuration file.

Obsidian Vault Permission Setup

The Obsidian MCP Server requires filesystem access to your vault directory.

Vault access configuration:

1. Locate Your Vault Path

• Open Obsidian
• Go to Settings → About
• Your vault path is shown under "Vault location"

1. Configure Vault Path

• Use the absolute path to your vault in the MCP configuration
• Ensure Claude has read and write permissions to this directory

1. Vault Structure

An Obsidian vault is a folder containing:

• Markdown files (.md)
• Assets folder (images, attachments)
• .obsidian folder (Obsidian settings and plugins)

The MCP Server accesses your Markdown files directly. It does not require Obsidian to be running.

Security considerations:

• The MCP Server can access all files within your vault directory
• Subdirectories and nested folders are included
• Consider vault sensitivity when granting access
• The server reads and writes Markdown files directly, bypassing Obsidian's interface

Obsidian MCP Use Cases & PKM Examples

Example personal knowledge management workflows that become possible with the Obsidian MCP Server.

Search Your Knowledge Base

Example prompt:

> "Find all notes in my Obsidian vault that mention 'project management' and are tagged with #work."

Claude can search note contents, tags, and frontmatter.

Create New Notes

Example prompt:

> "Create a new daily note for today with sections for Tasks, Meetings, and Notes."

Claude can generate notes with proper Obsidian formatting, including wiki links and tags.

Connect Ideas via Backlinks

Example prompt:

> "Show me all notes that link to my 'Machine Learning' note."

Claude can navigate your knowledge graph through backlinks.

Summarize Notes

Example prompt:

> "Read my note 'Project Alpha Overview' and create a summary with key action items."

Claude can extract information from existing notes.

Generate Content from Templates

Example prompt:

> "Create a new meeting note using my standard template, dated today, for the weekly team sync."

Claude can apply your note templates and populate them with current information.

Organize with Tags and Metadata

Example prompt:

> "Add the tags #review and #priority to my note 'Q1 Goals'."

Claude can update note frontmatter and tags.

Build Reading Lists

Example prompt:

> "Find all notes tagged #to-read and create a reading list sorted by creation date."

Claude can aggregate and organize notes based on metadata.

Note: These are example use cases. The Obsidian MCP Server works with standard Markdown files, so capabilities depend on your vault structure and the MCP server implementation.

Use Obsidian MCP in Verdent

Verdent provides streamlined Obsidian integration with simplified vault access configuration. This is Verdent's platform-level integration flow, not the default setup path from community Obsidian MCP implementations.

Connect your Obsidian vault once and access personal knowledge management capabilities across all Verdent projects.

Connect Obsidian Vault in Verdent