Obsidian Vault
MCP tool allowing Open WebUI or Claude Desktop to retrieve files from your vault
What is Obsidian Vault?
Obsidian Vault is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to mcp tool allowing open webui or claude desktop to retrieve files from your vault
MCP tool allowing Open WebUI or Claude Desktop to retrieve files from your vault
This server falls under the Knowledge & Memory category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- MCP tool allowing Open WebUI or Claude Desktop to retrieve f
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx obsidian-vaultConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Obsidian Vault
The Obsidian Vault MCP server is an Obsidian plugin that runs an embedded HTTP MCP server inside Obsidian, exposing your vault's notes to Claude Desktop, Open WebUI, or any MCP-compatible client. It provides 13 tools covering reading individual and multiple notes, searching by folder, tags, frontmatter, or text, listing directory contents, creating notes from templates, appending and updating content, renaming notes with automatic link updates, accessing periodic notes (daily/weekly/monthly), and managing templates. Rather than syncing files externally, the plugin serves them directly from the running Obsidian instance with optional bearer-token authentication.
Prerequisites
- Obsidian installed with an active vault
- Obsidian plugin installation capability (Community Plugins enabled)
- Claude Desktop, Open WebUI, or Claude Code as the MCP client
- Optional: BRAT plugin for beta installation from the GitHub URL
Install the plugin via BRAT (recommended)
Install the BRAT community plugin in Obsidian, then add the Obsidian Vault MCP repository URL to install the plugin from GitHub.
# In Obsidian:
# 1. Install Community Plugin: BRAT
# 2. In BRAT settings, click 'Add Beta plugin'
# 3. Enter: https://github.com/ebullient/obsidian-vault-mcp
# 4. Enable the Vault as MCP plugin in Community PluginsAlternative: manual plugin installation
Download the latest release files (main.js, manifest.json, styles.css) from the GitHub releases page and place them in your vault's plugin directory.
mkdir -p /path/to/your/vault/.obsidian/plugins/vault-as-mcp/
# Copy main.js, manifest.json, styles.css into that directory
# Then enable the plugin in Obsidian > Settings > Community PluginsConfigure the plugin settings
In Obsidian, go to Settings > Vault as MCP and configure the server port (default 8765), set an optional bearer token for authentication, and enable auto-start.
# In Obsidian Settings > Vault as MCP:
# Server Port: 8765
# Bearer Token: your-secret-token (optional)
# Auto-start Server: enabledRegister with Claude Code via HTTP transport
Add the vault MCP server to Claude Code using HTTP transport. Include the Authorization header if you set a bearer token in the plugin settings.
claude mcp add -t http -s local Obsidian http://localhost:8765/mcp \
-H "Authorization: Bearer your-secret-token"Register with Claude Desktop
For Claude Desktop, add the connection using the VAULT_MCP_URL and VAULT_MCP_TOKEN environment variables in your Claude Desktop MCP configuration.
{
"mcpServers": {
"obsidian": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "http://localhost:8765/mcp"],
"env": {
"VAULT_MCP_URL": "http://localhost:8765/mcp",
"VAULT_MCP_TOKEN": "your-secret-token"
}
}
}
}Obsidian Vault Examples
Client configuration
Claude Code HTTP MCP configuration for the Obsidian Vault plugin running on the default port with bearer token authentication.
{
"mcpServers": {
"obsidian": {
"type": "http",
"url": "http://localhost:8765/mcp",
"headers": {
"Authorization": "Bearer your-secret-token"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
Use these prompts in Claude Desktop or Claude Code after the Obsidian Vault MCP plugin is running.
- "Read my daily note for today from the Obsidian vault"
- "Search the vault for all notes tagged with #project/active and summarize them"
- "List all notes in the 'Projects/WebApp' folder of my vault"
- "Create a new note called 'Meeting Notes 2026-06-16' using the 'Meeting' template"
- "Append the following action items to my today's daily note: ..."
- "Find all notes that link to my 'Architecture Decisions' note and list them"Troubleshooting Obsidian Vault
Claude cannot connect to the MCP server at localhost:8765
Ensure Obsidian is running and the Vault as MCP plugin is active and started. Check Obsidian > Settings > Vault as MCP and click 'Start Server' if auto-start is off. Verify no firewall is blocking port 8765 by running `curl http://localhost:8765/mcp` in a terminal.
401 Unauthorized when Claude tries to use vault tools
Ensure the bearer token in your MCP client configuration matches exactly the token set in Obsidian's plugin settings. Tokens are case-sensitive. If you do not need authentication, clear the Bearer Token field in the plugin settings.
BRAT does not find the plugin or shows installation errors
Confirm the BRAT plugin is installed and enabled in Obsidian Community Plugins. Use the exact GitHub URL: https://github.com/ebullient/obsidian-vault-mcp. If BRAT fails, use the manual installation method by downloading release files directly.
Frequently Asked Questions about Obsidian Vault
What is Obsidian Vault?
Obsidian Vault is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that mcp tool allowing open webui or claude desktop to retrieve files from your vault It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Obsidian Vault?
Follow the installation instructions on the Obsidian Vault GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with Obsidian Vault?
Obsidian Vault works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Obsidian Vault free to use?
Yes, Obsidian Vault is open source and available under the MIT license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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Quick Config Preview
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json
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