Obsidian MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables AI assistants to interact with your Obsidian vault.

Features

1. Note Reading & Summarization

Read any note in your vault
Generate quick summaries of notes
Extract metadata (tags, word count, dates)

2. Note Organization

Move notes between folders
Add tags to notes automatically
Search notes by title, content, or tags

3. Daily "Most Valuable Notes"

Automatically identifies your most important notes based on:
Recent modifications (last 7 days)
Note length and depth
Tag organization
Perfect for daily reviews and prioritization

Installation

1. Create Project Directory

mkdir obsidian-mcp-server
cd obsidian-mcp-server

2. Initialize Project

Copy the following files into your project:

src/index.ts (the main server code)
package.json
tsconfig.json

3. Install Dependencies

npm install

4. Build the Server

npm run build

Configuration

Environment Variables

Set the path to your Obsidian vault:

macOS/Linux: ``bash export OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH="/path/to/your/obsidian/vault" ``

Windows (PowerShell): ``powershell $env:OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH="C:\path\to\your\obsidian\vault" ``

Windows (CMD): ``cmd set OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH=C:\path\to\your\obsidian\vault ``

Claude Desktop Configuration

Add this to your Claude Desktop config file:

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

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "obsidian": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/obsidian-mcp-server/build/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH": "/path/to/your/obsidian/vault"
      }
    }
  }
}

Available Tools

1. `read_note`

Read the content of a specific note. ``json { "path": "folder/note-name.md" } ``

2. `search_notes`

Search for notes by title, content, or tags. ``json { "query": "machine learning", "searchInContent": true } ``

3. `create_note`

Create a new note in your vault. ``json { "path": "folder/new-note.md", "content": "# New Note\n\nContent here..." } ``

4. `summarize_note`

Generate a summary of a note. ``json { "path": "folder/long-note.md" } ``

5. `organize_note`

Move a note to a different folder. ``json { "path": "old-folder/note.md", "targetFolder": "new-folder" } ``

6. `add_tags`

Add tags to a note's frontmatter. ``json { "path": "folder/note.md", "tags": ["important", "project-x"] } ``

7. `get_most_valuable_notes`

Get your top 10 most valuable notes for today. ``json {} ``

Usage Examples

Once configured, you can ask Claude in the desktop app:

"Show me my most valuable notes for today"
"Search my vault for notes about Python"
"Summarize my note called 'Project Ideas'"
"Move my note 'Draft.md' to the 'Archive' folder"
"Add tags 'urgent' and 'work' to my note 'Meeting Notes.md'"
"Create a new note in 'Daily Notes' called 'Today.md' with today's date"

Development

Watch Mode

For development, run TypeScript in watch mode: ``bash npm run dev ``

Testing

Test the server directly: ``bash export OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH="/path/to/vault" npm start ``

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH environment variable not set"

Make sure you've set the environment variable correctly
Use absolute paths, not relative paths
Check for typos in the path

"Permission denied" errors

Ensure the build/index.js file is executable: chmod +x build/index.js
Check that Node.js has read/write permissions to your vault

Claude Desktop doesn't see the server

Restart Claude Desktop after editing the config file
Check the config file syntax (valid JSON)
Use absolute paths in the config file
Check Claude Desktop logs for errors

Future Enhancements

Potential features to add:

Link analysis and graph visualization
Automated note templates
Batch operations
Daily note automation
Integration with calendar and tasks
AI-powered note suggestions

Obsidian MCP Server