ObsidianMCP
FreeNot checkedEnables Claude to interact with an Obsidian vault via the Local REST API plugin, supporting file operations, search, periodic notes, commands, and semantic sear
About
Enables Claude to interact with an Obsidian vault via the Local REST API plugin, supporting file operations, search, periodic notes, commands, and semantic search.
README
An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that connects Claude to your Obsidian vault via the Obsidian Local REST API plugin.
Prerequisites
- Obsidian with the Local REST API community plugin installed and enabled
- An API key from the plugin settings (Settings → Local REST API → API Key)
- Node.js 18+
Setup
npm install
npm run build
Configuration
Set the following environment variables:
| Variable | Required | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
OBSIDIAN_API_KEY |
Yes | — | API key from the Local REST API plugin |
OBSIDIAN_HOST |
No | 127.0.0.1 |
Host where Obsidian is running |
OBSIDIAN_PORT |
No | 27124 |
Port for the REST API |
OBSIDIAN_PROTOCOL |
No | https |
http or https |
OBSIDIAN_VERIFY_SSL |
No | true |
Set to false for self-signed certs |
OBSIDIAN_SMART_ENV_PATH |
No | — | Path to .smart-env/ folder for semantic search (requires Smart Connections plugin) |
Usage with Claude Code
Add to your Claude Code MCP settings (~/.claude/settings.json):
{
"mcpServers": {
"obsidian": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/path/to/ObsidianMCP/dist/index.js"],
"env": {
"OBSIDIAN_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here",
"OBSIDIAN_VERIFY_SSL": "false",
"OBSIDIAN_SMART_ENV_PATH": "/path/to/your/vault/.smart-env"
}
}
}
}
Usage with Claude Desktop
Add to your Claude Desktop config (~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json):
{
"mcpServers": {
"obsidian": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/path/to/ObsidianMCP/dist/index.js"],
"env": {
"OBSIDIAN_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here",
"OBSIDIAN_VERIFY_SSL": "false",
"OBSIDIAN_SMART_ENV_PATH": "/path/to/your/vault/.smart-env"
}
}
}
}
Available Tools
File Operations
- list_vault_files — List files/folders in the vault
- read_note — Read a note's content
- create_note — Create or overwrite a note
- append_to_note — Append content to a note
- patch_note — Insert/replace content under a specific heading
- delete_note — Delete a note
- open_note — Open a note in the Obsidian UI
- upload_attachment — Upload an image/PDF/audio/video file to the vault, then embed with
![[filename]]
Active Note
- get_active_note — Read the currently open note
- update_active_note — Overwrite the currently open note
- append_to_active_note — Append content to the currently open note
- patch_active_note — Insert/replace content under a heading in the active note
- delete_active_note — Delete the currently open note
Search
- search_vault — Full-text fuzzy search across the vault
- search_dataview — Run a Dataview DQL query (requires Dataview plugin)
- search_jsonlogic — Run a JsonLogic structured query
Periodic Notes
- get_periodic_note — Read a daily/weekly/monthly/quarterly/yearly note
- create_periodic_note — Create or overwrite a periodic note
- append_to_periodic_note — Append to a periodic note
Commands
- list_commands — List available Obsidian commands
- execute_command — Execute an Obsidian command by ID
Semantic Search (Smart Connections)
- semantic_search — AI-powered semantic search across the vault (finds conceptually related content)
- find_related_notes — Find notes semantically related to a given note
- smart_connections_status — Index stats: sources, blocks, model, dimensions
Requires the Smart Connections plugin and
OBSIDIAN_SMART_ENV_PATHenv var. The firstsemantic_searchcall downloads the embedding model (~30MB, cached afterwards).
Server
- get_server_status — Check REST API status and version info
Install ObsidianMCP in Claude Desktop, Claude Code & Cursor
unyly install obsidianmcpInstalls into Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor & VS Code — handles npx, uvx and build-from-source repos for you.
First time? Get the CLI: curl -fsSL https://unyly.org/install | sh
Or configure manually
Run in your terminal:
claude mcp add obsidianmcp -- npx -y obsidian-mcpFAQ
Is ObsidianMCP MCP free?
Yes, ObsidianMCP MCP is free — one-click install via Unyly at no cost.
Does ObsidianMCP need an API key?
No, ObsidianMCP runs without API keys or environment variables.
Is ObsidianMCP hosted or self-hosted?
Self-hosted: the server runs locally on your machine via the install command above.
How do I install ObsidianMCP in Claude Desktop, Claude Code or Cursor?
Open ObsidianMCP on unyly.org, pick your client tab (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor) and press Install — the config is generated automatically, no JSON editing.
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