Content
# Obsidian MCP Server
[](https://www.typescriptlang.org/)
[](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/)
[]()
[](https://opensource.org/licenses/Apache-2.0)
[]()
[](https://github.com/cyanheads/obsidian-mcp-server)
A Model Context Protocol server designed for LLMs to interact with Obsidian vaults. Built with TypeScript and featuring secure API communication, efficient file operations, and comprehensive search capabilities, it enables AI assistants to seamlessly manage knowledge bases through a clean, flexible tool interface.
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) enables AI models to interact with external tools and resources through a standardized interface.
Requires the Local REST API plugin in Obsidian.
## Features
### File Operations
- Atomic file/directory operations with validation
- Resource monitoring and cleanup
- Error handling and graceful failure
### Search System
- Full-text search with configurable context
- Advanced JsonLogic queries for files, tags, and metadata
- Support for glob patterns and frontmatter fields
### Property Management
- YAML frontmatter parsing and intelligent merging
- Automatic timestamps (created by Obsidian, modified by server)
- Custom field support
### Security & Performance
- API key auth with rate limiting and SSL options
- Resource monitoring and health checks
- Graceful shutdown handling
## Installation
Note: Requires Node.js
1. Enable Local REST API plugin in Obsidian
2. Clone and build:
```bash
git clone git@github.com:cyanheads/obsidian-mcp-server.git
cd obsidian-mcp-server
npm install
npm run build
```
Or install from npm:
```bash
npm install obsidian-mcp-server
```
## Configuration
Add to your MCP client settings (e.g., `claude_desktop_config.json` or `cline_mcp_settings.json`):
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"obsidian-mcp-server": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/path/to/obsidian-mcp-server/build/index.js"],
"env": {
"OBSIDIAN_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here",
"VERIFY_SSL": "false",
"OBSIDIAN_PROTOCOL": "https",
"OBSIDIAN_HOST": "127.0.0.1",
"OBSIDIAN_PORT": "27124",
"REQUEST_TIMEOUT": "5000",
"MAX_CONTENT_LENGTH": "52428800",
"MAX_BODY_LENGTH": "52428800",
"RATE_LIMIT_WINDOW_MS": "900000",
"RATE_LIMIT_MAX_REQUESTS": "200",
"TOOL_TIMEOUT_MS": "60000"
}
}
}
}
```
Environment Variables:
Required:
- `OBSIDIAN_API_KEY`: Your API key from Obsidian's Local REST API plugin settings
Connection Settings:
- `VERIFY_SSL`: Enable SSL certificate verification (default: false) # This must be set to false for self-signed certificates. If you are running locally or don't understand what this means, this should be set to false.
- `OBSIDIAN_PROTOCOL`: Protocol to use (default: "https")
- `OBSIDIAN_HOST`: Host address (default: "127.0.0.1")
- `OBSIDIAN_PORT`: Port number (default: 27124)
Request Limits:
- `REQUEST_TIMEOUT`: Request timeout in milliseconds (default: 5000)
- `MAX_CONTENT_LENGTH`: Maximum response content length in bytes (default: 52428800 [50MB])
- `MAX_BODY_LENGTH`: Maximum request body length in bytes (default: 52428800 [50MB])
Rate Limiting:
- `RATE_LIMIT_WINDOW_MS`: Rate limit window in milliseconds (default: 900000 [15 minutes])
- `RATE_LIMIT_MAX_REQUESTS`: Maximum requests per window (default: 200)
Tool Execution:
- `TOOL_TIMEOUT_MS`: Tool execution timeout in milliseconds (default: 60000 [1 minute])
## Project Structure
The project follows a modular architecture with clear separation of concerns:
```
src/
├── index.ts # Main entry point
├── mcp/ # MCP server implementation
├── obsidian/ # Obsidian API client and types
├── resources/ # MCP resource implementations
├── tools/ # MCP tool implementations
│ ├── files/ # File operations tools
│ ├── search/ # Search tools
│ └── properties/ # Property management tools
└── utils/ # Shared utilities
```
## Tools
### File Management
```typescript
// List vault contents
obsidian_list_files_in_vault: {
}
// List directory contents
obsidian_list_files_in_dir: {
dirpath: string; // Path relative to vault root
}
// Get file contents
obsidian_get_file_contents: {
filepath: string; // Path relative to vault root
}
```
### Search Operations
```typescript
// Text search with context
obsidian_find_in_file: {
query: string,
contextLength?: number // Default: 10
}
// Advanced search with JsonLogic
obsidian_complex_search: {
query: JsonLogicQuery
// Examples:
// Find by tag:
// {"in": ["#mytag", {"var": "frontmatter.tags"}]}
//
// Find markdown files in a directory:
// {"glob": ["docs/*.md", {"var": "path"}]}
//
// Combine conditions:
// {"and": [
// {"glob": ["*.md", {"var": "path"}]},
// {"in": ["#mytag", {"var": "frontmatter.tags"}]}
// ]}
}
// Get all tags in vault or directory
obsidian_get_tags: {
path?: string // Optional: limit to specific directory
}
```
### Content Modification
```typescript
// Append to file
obsidian_append_content: {
filepath: string, // Path relative to vault root
content: string // Content to append
}
// Update file content
obsidian_patch_content: {
filepath: string, // Path relative to vault root
content: string // New content (replaces existing)
}
```
### Property Management
```typescript
// Get note properties
obsidian_get_properties: {
filepath: string // Path relative to vault root
}
// Update note properties
obsidian_update_properties: {
filepath: string, // Path relative to vault root
properties: {
title?: string,
author?: string,
// Note: created/modified timestamps are managed automatically
type?: Array<"concept" | "architecture" | "specification" |
"protocol" | "api" | "research" | "implementation" |
"guide" | "reference">,
tags?: string[], // Must start with #
status?: Array<"draft" | "in-progress" | "review" | "complete">,
version?: string,
platform?: string,
repository?: string, // URL
dependencies?: string[],
sources?: string[],
urls?: string[], // URLs
papers?: string[],
custom?: Record<string, unknown>
}
}
```
## Best Practices
### File Operations
- Use atomic operations with validation
- Handle errors and monitor performance
### Search Implementation
- Use appropriate search tool for the task:
- obsidian_find_in_file for text search
- obsidian_complex_search for metadata/tag filtering
- Keep context size reasonable (default: 10 chars)
### Property Management
- Use appropriate types and validate updates
- Handle arrays and custom fields properly
- Never set timestamps (managed automatically)
### Error Prevention
- Validate inputs and handle errors gracefully
- Monitor patterns and respect rate limits
## Resources
The MCP server exposes the following resources:
```
obsidian://tags # List of all tags used across the vault
```
## Contributing
1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Submit a Pull Request
For bugs and features, create an issue at [https://github.com/cyanheads/obsidian-mcp-server/issues](https://github.com/cyanheads/obsidian-mcp-server/issues).
## Publishing
The package is automatically published to npm when version tags are pushed:
```bash
# Update version in package.json
npm version patch # or minor, or major
git push --follow-tags
```
This will trigger the GitHub Action to build and publish the package.
## License
Apache License 2.0
---
<div align="center">
Built with the Model Context Protocol
</div>
