Obsidian MCP Server

# 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>