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obsidian-cli-rest

by dsebastien·14·Score 42

Turns Obsidian CLI commands into an HTTP API and MCP server for automation and AI assistant integration.

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Overview

This plugin transforms Obsidian's command-line interface into a programmatic API accessible through both REST endpoints and MCP protocol. It exposes virtually all Obsidian CLI commands organized into categories like files, search, properties, daily notes, tasks, and more. The server runs locally with API key authentication and can be configured for network access. Its MCP implementation uses a 'Code Mode' pattern with just two tools (search and execute) that enable progressive discovery of all commands regardless of their number.

Try asking AI

After installing, here are 6 things you can ask your AI assistant:

you:Automate note creation and modification from scripts or applications
you:Enable AI assistants like Claude or ChatGPT to interact with Obsidian vaults
you:Integrate Obsidian with existing workflows via standard HTTP requests
you:Programmatically manage Obsidian plugins, themes, and workspaces
you:Is this plugin secure for network access?
you:How many MCP tools are exposed?

When to choose this

Choose this if you need to programmatically control your Obsidian vault or connect AI assistants to your notes via MCP.

When NOT to choose this

Don't choose this if you need access to Obsidian GUI features or if you're concerned about potential security risks of exposing your vault via API.

Tools this server exposes

12 tools extracted from the README
  • search

    Discover commands by name, description, or category

  • execute

    Run any CLI command by name

  • files

    List files in your vault

  • create

    Create new notes

  • read

    Read content of existing notes

  • append

    Add content to the end of notes

  • property:set

    Set frontmatter properties in notes

  • daily:read

    Read today's daily note

  • tags

    List tags and get tag information

  • tasks

    List and manage tasks

  • plugins

    List, install, enable, disable, and uninstall plugins

  • templates

    List, read, and insert templates

Comparable tools

obsidian-mcpobsidian-shellcmdobsidian-git

Installation

Installation

  1. In Obsidian, go to **Settings → Community plugins**
  2. Disable **Restricted mode** if enabled
  3. Search for **REST and MCP server**, install and enable it

Claude Desktop Configuration

Add to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "obsidian": {
      "command": "http",
      "args": ["http://127.0.0.1:27124/mcp"],
      "env": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Configuration

  1. Copy your API key from **Settings > REST and MCP server > Security**
  2. The server starts automatically on port 27124

FAQ

Is this plugin secure for network access?
By default it only runs on localhost. For network access, you can change the bind address to 0.0.0.0 in settings, but an API key is always required. Dangerous commands are blocked by default.
How many MCP tools are exposed?
Only two tools are exposed regardless of the number of CLI commands: 'search' to discover commands, and 'execute' to run them. This follows the 'Code Mode' pattern for efficient discovery.

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Last updated · Auto-generated from public README + GitHub signals.