Obsidian Model Context Protocol

What is Obsidian Model Context Protocol about?

Enables Claude Desktop (or any MCP client) to access, read, and perform full‑text search across a directory of Markdown files, typically an Obsidian vault, turning personal notes into a searchable knowledge base.

How to use Obsidian Model Context Protocol?

1. Ensure Claude Desktop and Node.js/npm are installed.
2. Install the connector via Smithery or directly with NPX:

   npx -y @smithery/cli install mcp-obsidian --client claude
   # or manually
   npx -y mcp-obsidian /path/to/your/vault
   

3. Restart Claude Desktop – the MCP tools will appear in the interface.
4. Optionally configure VS Code settings to launch the server with a prompt for the vault path.

Key Features

• Automatic detection of all Markdown files in the specified vault.
• Full‑text search with relevance ranking.
• Real‑time reading of note contents for context injection.
• One‑click installation via Smithery, VS Code badges, or plain NPX.
• Works with any MCP‑compatible client, not limited to Claude Desktop.

Use Cases

• Retrieve specific notes or snippets while chatting with Claude.
• Provide contextual background from a personal knowledge base for AI‑assisted writing.
• Enable AI‑driven research across a collection of project documentation.
• Facilitate rapid lookup of meeting minutes, references, or code snippets stored in Obsidian.

FAQ

Q: Do I need an API key? A: No. The connector runs locally and does not require external credentials.

Q: Can I use it with a vault stored on a network drive? A: Yes, as long as the path is accessible from the machine running Claude Desktop.

Q: Is VS Code required? A: No. VS Code badges are optional shortcuts; the connector works independently.

Q: What happens if the vault contains non‑Markdown files? A: Only files with a .md extension are indexed; other files are ignored.

Q: How does the search ranking work? A: It uses basic keyword matching and file relevance; more advanced ranking may be added in future releases.

Obsidian Model Context Protocol

This is a connector to allow Claude Desktop (or any MCP client) to read and search any directory containing Markdown notes (such as an Obsidian vault).

Installation

Make sure Claude Desktop and npm is installed.

Installing via Smithery

To install Obsidian Model Context Protocol for Claude Desktop automatically via Smithery:

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

Then, restart Claude Desktop and you should see the following MCP tools listed:

Usage with VS Code

For quick installation, use one of the one-click install buttons below:

For manual installation, add the following JSON block to your User Settings (JSON) file in VS Code. You can do this by pressing Ctrl + Shift + P and typing Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON).

Optionally, you can add it to a file called .vscode/mcp.json in your workspace. This will allow you to share the configuration with others.

Note that the mcp key is not needed in the .vscode/mcp.json file.

{
  "mcp": {
    "inputs": [
      {
        "type": "promptString",
        "id": "vaultPath",
        "description": "Path to Obsidian vault"
      }
    ],
    "servers": {
      "obsidian": {
        "command": "npx",
        "args": ["-y", "mcp-obsidian", "${input:vaultPath}"]
      }
    }
  }
}