mcp-obsidian

Overview

This MCP server provides direct file system access to Obsidian vaults, distinguishing itself from other solutions that require the Obsidian app and REST API plugin. It offers rich functionality including search capabilities with regex support, metadata extraction, and MOC discovery for enhanced navigation. The server follows a security-first design with path traversal prevention and input validation.

Try asking AI

After installing, here are 5 things you can ask your AI assistant:

• search-vault

  Search for content across all notes in your vault with advanced query options.

  Try:Find notes containing both 'readme' and 'install'Try:Search for notes with title containing 'setup' or tagged with 'documentation'Try:Find exact phrase 'getting started' excluding deprecated content
• search-by-title

  Search for notes by their H1 title.

  Try:Find notes with title 'Python Tutorial'Try:Search for all notes starting with 'Introduction'
• list-notes

  List all markdown files in your vault or a specific directory.

  Try:List all notes in the vaultTry:Show me all notes in the 'projects' directory
• read-note

  Read the complete content of a specific note.

  Try:Read the note 'bitwarden-cli.md'Try:Show me the content of 'Notes/projects/api-integration.md'
• write-note

  Create or update a note with new content.

  Try:Create a new note called 'meeting-notes' with today's contentTry:Update the 'project-plan.md' with the latest timeline
• delete-note

  Delete a note from your vault.

  Try:Delete the temporary note 'draft-ideas.md'Try:Remove the old version 'backup-2022.md'
• search-by-tags

  Find notes containing specific tags.

  Try:Find all notes tagged with 'mcp'Try:Show me notes with both 'python' and 'tutorial' tags
• get-note-metadata

  Get metadata for one or all notes without reading full content.

  Try:Get metadata for 'project-plan.md'Try:List all notes with their titles and tags
• discover-mocs

  Discover Maps of Content (MOCs) to understand your vault's knowledge structure.

  Try:Show me all MOCs in my vaultTry:List the MOC hierarchy to understand how topics connect

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Installation

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Add to Claude Desktop
claude mcp add obsidian -s user -- node /path/to/mcp-obsidian/src/index.js /path/to/your/vault

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "obsidian": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/mcp-obsidian/src/index.js", "/path/to/your/vault"]
    }
  }
}

FAQ

Does this require the Obsidian app to be running?

No, this server works directly with Obsidian vault files on disk without requiring the Obsidian application to be installed or running.

Can I use this with obsidian.nvim?

Yes, this server is specifically designed to work with setups using obsidian.nvim, a Neovim plugin that provides Obsidian-like features without requiring the Obsidian app.

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