mcp-obsidian by bitbonsai - MCP Server

MCP-Obsidian

A universal AI bridge for Obsidian vaults using the Model Context Protocol (MCP) standard. Connect any MCP-compatible AI assistant to your knowledge base - works with Claude, ChatGPT, and future AI tools. This server provides safe read/write access to your notes while preventing YAML frontmatter corruption.

https://mcp-obsidian.org

Universal Compatibility

Works with any MCP-compatible AI assistant including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, ChatGPT Desktop (Enterprise+), IntelliJ IDEA 2025.1+, Cursor IDE, Windsurf IDE, and future AI platforms that adopt the MCP standard.

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/657ac4c6-1cd2-4cc3-829f-fd095a32f71c

Quick Start (5 minutes)

Install Node.js runtime:

# Download from https://nodejs.org (v18.0.0 or later)
# or use a package manager like nvm, brew, apt, etc.

Test the server:

If using the published package:

npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector npx @mauricio.wolff/mcp-obsidian@latest /path/to/your/vault

Configure your AI client:

Claude Desktop - Copy this to claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "obsidian": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@mauricio.wolff/mcp-obsidian@latest", "/path/to/your/vault"]
    }
  }
}

Claude Code - Copy this to ~/.claude.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "obsidian": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@mauricio.wolff/mcp-obsidian@latest", "/path/to/your/vault"],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

Replace /path/to/your/vault with your actual Obsidian vault path.

For other platforms, see detailed configuration guides below.

Test with your AI:
- "List files in my Obsidian vault"
- "Read my note called 'project-ideas.md'"
- "Create a new note with today's date"

Success indicators: Your AI should be able to list files and read notes from your vault.

Why MCP-Obsidian?

Universal AI Compatibility

Built on the open Model Context Protocol standard, MCP-Obsidian is not locked to any single AI provider. As more AI assistants adopt MCP, your investment in this tool grows more valuable. Today it works with Claude and ChatGPT - tomorrow it will work with whatever AI tools emerge.

Future-Proof Your Knowledge Base

Instead of waiting for each AI company to build Obsidian integrations, MCP-Obsidian provides a universal adapter that works with any MCP-compatible assistant. One tool, endless possibilities.

Open Standard, No Lock-in

MCP is an open protocol. You're not tied to any specific vendor or platform. Your notes remain yours, accessible through any compatible AI assistant.

Features

✅ Safe frontmatter parsing and validation using gray-matter
✅ Path filtering to exclude .obsidian directory and other system files
✅ Complete MCP toolkit: 11 methods covering all vault operations
- File operations: read_note, write_note, delete_note, move_note
- Directory operations: list_directory
- Batch operations: read_multiple_notes
- Search: search_notes with content and frontmatter support
- Metadata: get_frontmatter, update_frontmatter, get_notes_info
- Tag management: manage_tags (add, remove, list)
✅ Write modes: overwrite, append, prepend for flexible content editing
✅ Tag management: add, remove, and list tags in notes
✅ Safe deletion with confirmation requirement to prevent accidents
✅ Automatic path trimming to handle whitespace in inputs
✅ TypeScript support with Node.js runtime (using tsx for execution)
✅ Comprehensive error handling and validation
✅ Performance optimized: No unnecessary token consumption, efficient for large vaults
✅ Zero dependencies: No Obsidian plugins required, works with any vault structure
✅ Intelligent link handling: Smart processing of internal links and references

Prerequisites

Node.js runtime (v18.0.0 or later)
An Obsidian vault (local directory with .md files)
MCP-compatible AI client (Claude Desktop, ChatGPT Desktop, Claude Code, etc.)

Installation

For End Users (Recommended)

No installation needed! Use npx to run directly:

npx @mauricio.wolff/mcp-obsidian@latest /path/to/your/obsidian/vault

For Developers

Clone this repository
Install dependencies with npm:

npm install

Test locally with MCP inspector:

npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector npm start /path/to/your/vault

Pro tip: Use MCP Inspector to test all server functionality before configuring with AI clients:

# Install globally for easier access
npm install -g @modelcontextprotocol/inspector

# Test with any vault
mcp-inspector npx @mauricio.wolff/mcp-obsidian@latest /path/to/your/vault

Usage

Running the Server

End users:

npx @mauricio.wolff/mcp-obsidian@latest /path/to/your/obsidian/vault

Developers:

npm start /path/to/your/obsidian/vault

AI Client Configuration

Claude Desktop

Add to your Claude Desktop configuration file:

Single Vault:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "obsidian": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@mauricio.wolff/mcp-obsidian@latest", "/Users/yourname/Documents/MyVault"]
    }
  }
}

Multiple Vaults:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "obsidian-personal": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@mauricio.wolff/mcp-obsidian@latest", "/Users/yourname/Documents/PersonalVault"]
    },
    "obsidian-work": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@mauricio.wolff/mcp-obsidian@latest", "/Users/yourname/Documents/WorkVault"]
    }
  }
}

Configuration File Locations:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Roaming\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

You can also access this through Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config

ChatGPT Desktop

Requirements: ChatGPT Enterprise, Education, or Team subscription (not available for individual Plus users)

ChatGPT uses MCP through Deep Research and developer mode. Configuration is done through the ChatGPT interface:

Access ChatGPT developer mode (beta feature)
Configure MCP servers through the built-in MCP client
Create custom connectors for your organization

Note: ChatGPT Desktop's MCP integration is currently limited to enterprise subscriptions and uses a different setup process than file-based configuration.

Claude Code

Claude Code uses .claude.json configuration file:

User-scoped (recommended): Edit ~/.claude.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "obsidian": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@mauricio.wolff/mcp-obsidian@latest", "/path/to/your/vault"],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

Project-scoped: Edit .claude.json in your project or add to the projects section:

{
  "projects": {
    "/path/to/your/project": {
      "mcpServers": {
        "obsidian": {
          "command": "npx",
          "args": ["@mauricio.wolff/mcp-obsidian@latest", "/path/to/your/vault"]
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Using Claude Code CLI:

claude mcp add obsidian --scope user npx @mauricio.wolff/mcp-obsidian /path/to/your/vault

Goose Desktop

On Goose Desktop settings, click Add custom extension, and on the command field add:

npx @mauricio.wolff/mcp-obsidian@latest /path/to/your/vault

Other MCP-Compatible Clients (2025)

Confirmed MCP Support:

IntelliJ IDEA 2025.1+ - Native MCP client support
Cursor IDE - Built-in MCP compatibility
Windsurf IDE - Full MCP integration
Zed, Replit, Codeium, Sourcegraph - In development
Microsoft Copilot Studio - Native MCP support with one-click server connections

Most modern MCP clients use similar JSON configuration patterns. Refer to your specific client's documentation for exact setup instructions.

Examples

Ask your AI assistant about your notes:

"What files are in my Obsidian vault?"
"Read my note called 'project-ideas.md'"
"Show me all notes with 'AI' in the title"

Have your AI assistant help with note management:

"Create a new note called 'meeting-notes.md' with today's date in the frontmatter"
"Append today's journal entry to my daily note"
"Prepend an urgent task to my todo list"
"Add the tags 'project' and 'urgent' to my task note"
"List all tags in my research note"
"Remove the 'draft' tag from my completed article"
"List all markdown files in my 'Projects' folder"
"Delete the old draft note 'draft-ideas.md' (with confirmation)"

Advanced Use Cases:

Knowledge Synthesis: "Summarize all my research notes tagged with 'machine-learning' from the last month"
Project Management: "Update the status in all project notes to 'completed' and add today's date"
Content Analysis: "Find all notes that mention 'API design' and create a comprehensive guide"
Smart Tagging: "Review my untagged notes and suggest appropriate tags based on content"

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"command not found: npx"

Solution: Install Node.js runtime from nodejs.org
Alternative: Use global install: npm install -g @mauricio.wolff/mcp-obsidian

"Usage: node server.ts /path/to/vault"

Cause: No vault path provided
Solution: Specify the full path to your Obsidian vault directory

"Permission denied" errors

Cause: Insufficient file system permissions
Solution: Ensure the vault directory is readable/writable by your user

"Path traversal not allowed"

Cause: Trying to access files outside the vault
Solution: All file paths must be relative to the vault root

AI client not recognizing the server

Check the configuration file path is correct for your OS
Ensure JSON syntax is valid (use a JSON validator)
Restart your AI client after configuration changes
Check your AI client's logs for error messages
Verify your AI client supports MCP (Model Context Protocol)

".obsidian files still showing up"

Expected: The path filter automatically excludes .obsidian/** patterns
If still seeing them: The filter is working as designed for security

Debug Mode

Run with error logging:

npx @mauricio.wolff/mcp-obsidian /path/to/vault 2>debug.log

Getting Help

Open an issue on GitHub
Include your OS, Node.js version, and error messages
Provide the vault directory structure (without sensitive content)

Testing

Run the test suite:

npm test

API Methods

`read_note`

Read a note from the vault with parsed frontmatter.

Request:

{
  "name": "read_note",
  "arguments": {
    "path": "project-ideas.md"
  }
}

Response:

{
  "path": "project-ideas.md",
  "frontmatter": {
    "title": "Project Ideas",
    "tags": ["projects", "brainstorming"],
    "created": "2023-01-15T10:30:00.000Z"
  },
  "content": "# Project Ideas\n\n## AI Tools\n- MCP server for Obsidian\n- Voice note transcription\n\n## Web Apps\n- Task management system"
}

`write_note`

Write a note to the vault with optional frontmatter and write mode.

Write Modes:

overwrite (default): Replace entire file content
append: Add content to the end of existing file
prepend: Add content to the beginning of existing file

Request (Overwrite):

{
  "name": "write_note",
  "arguments": {
    "path": "meeting-notes.md",
    "content": "# Team Meeting\n\n## Agenda\n- Project updates\n- Next milestones",
    "frontmatter": {
      "title": "Team Meeting Notes",
      "date": "2023-12-01",
      "tags": ["meetings", "team"]
    },
    "mode": "overwrite"
  }
}

Request (Append):

{
  "name": "write_note",
  "arguments": {
    "path": "daily-log.md",
    "content": "\n\n## 3:00 PM Update\n- Completed project review\n- Started new feature",
    "mode": "append"
  }
}

Response:

{
  "message": "Successfully wrote note: meeting-notes.md (mode: overwrite)"
}

`list_directory`

List files and directories in the vault.

Request:

{
  "name": "list_directory",
  "arguments": {
    "path": "Projects"
  }
}

Response:

{
  "path": "Projects",
  "directories": [
    "AI-Tools",
    "Web-Development"
  ],
  "files": [
    "project-template.md",
    "roadmap.md"
  ]
}

`delete_note`

Delete a note from the vault (requires confirmation for safety).

Request:

{
  "name": "delete_note",
  "arguments": {
    "path": "old-draft.md",
    "confirmPath": "old-draft.md"
  }
}

Response (Success):

{
  "success": true,
  "path": "old-draft.md",
  "message": "Successfully deleted note: old-draft.md. This action cannot be undone."
}

Response (Confirmation Failed):

{
  "success": false,
  "path": "old-draft.md",
  "message": "Deletion cancelled: confirmation path does not match. For safety, both 'path' and 'confirmPath' must be identical."
}

⚠️ Safety Note: The confirmPath parameter must exactly match the path parameter to proceed with deletion. This prevents accidental deletions.

`get_frontmatter`

Extract only the frontmatter from a note without reading the full content.

Request:

{
  "name": "get_frontmatter",
  "arguments": {
    "path": "project-ideas.md"
  }
}

Response:

{
  "path": "project-ideas.md",
  "frontmatter": {
    "title": "Project Ideas",
    "tags": ["projects", "brainstorming"],
    "created": "2023-01-15T10:30:00.000Z"
  }
}

`manage_tags`

Add, remove, or list tags in a note. Tags are managed in the frontmatter and inline tags are detected.

Request (List Tags):

{
  "name": "manage_tags",
  "arguments": {
    "path": "research-notes.md",
    "operation": "list"
  }
}

Request (Add Tags):

{
  "name": "manage_tags",
  "arguments": {
    "path": "research-notes.md",
    "operation": "add",
    "tags": ["machine-learning", "ai", "important"]
  }
}

Request (Remove Tags):

{
  "name": "manage_tags",
  "arguments": {
    "path": "research-notes.md",
    "operation": "remove",
    "tags": ["draft", "temporary"]
  }
}

Response:

{
  "path": "research-notes.md",
  "operation": "add",
  "tags": ["research", "ai", "machine-learning", "important"],
  "success": true,
  "message": "Successfully added tags"
}

`search_notes`

Search for notes in the vault by content or frontmatter.

Request:

{
  "name": "search_notes",
  "arguments": {
    "query": "machine learning",
    "limit": 5,
    "searchContent": true,
    "searchFrontmatter": false,
    "caseSensitive": false
  }
}

Response:

{
  "query": "machine learning",
  "resultCount": 3,
  "results": [
    {
      "path": "ai-research.md",
      "title": "AI Research Notes",
      "excerpt": "...machine learning algorithms are...",
      "matchCount": 2,
      "lineNumber": 15
    }
  ]
}

`move_note`

Move or rename a note in the vault.

Request:

{
  "name": "move_note",
  "arguments": {
    "oldPath": "drafts/article.md",
    "newPath": "published/article.md",
    "overwrite": false
  }
}

Response:

{
  "success": true,
  "oldPath": "drafts/article.md",
  "newPath": "published/article.md",
  "message": "Successfully moved note from drafts/article.md to published/article.md"
}

`read_multiple_notes`

Read multiple notes in a batch (maximum 10 files).

Request:

{
  "name": "read_multiple_notes",
  "arguments": {
    "paths": ["note1.md", "note2.md", "note3.md"],
    "includeContent": true,
    "includeFrontmatter": true
  }
}

Response:

{
  "successful": [
    {
      "path": "note1.md",
      "frontmatter": {"title": "Note 1"},
      "content": "# Note 1\n\nContent here..."
    }
  ],
  "failed": [
    {
      "path": "note2.md",
      "error": "File not found"
    }
  ],
  "summary": {
    "successCount": 1,
    "failureCount": 1
  }
}

`update_frontmatter`

Update frontmatter of a note without changing content.

Request:

{
  "name": "update_frontmatter",
  "arguments": {
    "path": "research-note.md",
    "frontmatter": {
      "status": "completed",
      "updated": "2025-09-23"
    },
    "merge": true
  }
}

Response:

{
  "message": "Successfully updated frontmatter for: research-note.md"
}

`get_notes_info`

Get metadata for notes without reading full content.

Request:

{
  "name": "get_notes_info",
  "arguments": {
    "paths": ["note1.md", "note2.md"]
  }
}

Response:

{
  "notes": [
    {
      "path": "note1.md",
      "size": 1024,
      "modified": 1695456000000,
      "hasFrontmatter": true
    }
  ],
  "count": 1
}

Security Considerations

This MCP server implements several security measures to protect your Obsidian vault:

Path Security

Path Traversal Protection: All file paths are validated to prevent access outside the vault
Relative Path Enforcement: Paths are normalized and restricted to the vault directory
Symbolic Link Safety: Resolved paths are checked against vault boundaries

File Filtering

Automatic Exclusions: .obsidian, .git, node_modules, and system files are filtered
Extension Whitelist: Only .md, .markdown, and .txt files are accessible by default
Hidden File Protection: Dot files and system directories are automatically excluded

Content Validation

YAML Frontmatter Validation: Frontmatter is parsed and validated before writing
Function/Symbol Prevention: Dangerous JavaScript objects are blocked from frontmatter
Data Type Checking: Only safe data types (strings, numbers, arrays, objects) allowed

Best Practices

Least Privilege: Server only accesses the specified vault directory
Read-Only by Default: Consider running with read-only permissions for sensitive vaults
Backup Recommended: Always backup your vault before using write operations
Network Isolation: Server uses stdio transport (no network exposure)

What's NOT Protected

File Content: The server can read/write any allowed file content
Vault Structure: Directory structure is visible to AI assistants
File Metadata: Creation times, file sizes, etc. are accessible

⚠️ Important: Only grant vault access to trusted AI conversations. The server provides full read/write access to your notes within the security boundaries above.

Architecture

server.ts - MCP server entry point
src/frontmatter.ts - YAML frontmatter handling with gray-matter
src/filesystem.ts - Safe file operations with path validation
src/pathfilter.ts - Directory and file filtering
src/search.ts - Note search functionality with content and frontmatter support
src/types.ts - TypeScript type definitions

Contributing

Fork the repository
Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feature-name
Make your changes and add tests
Ensure all tests pass: npm test
Submit a pull request

License

MIT