Obsidian MCP Server

Read the content and metadata of a specific note. When to use: - Displaying note contents to the user - Analyzing or processing existing note data - ALWAYS before updating a note to preserve existing content - Verifying a note exists before making changes When NOT to use: - Searching multiple notes (use search_notes instead) - Getting only metadata (use get_note_info for efficiency) Returns: Note content and metadata including tags, aliases, and frontmatter

Create a new note or overwrite an existing one. When to use: - Creating new notes with specific content - Setting up templates or structured notes - Programmatically generating documentation When NOT to use: - Updating existing notes (use update_note unless you want to replace entirely) - Appending content (use update_note with merge_strategy="append") Returns: Created note information with path and metadata

Update the content of an existing note. ⚠️ IMPORTANT: By default, this REPLACES the entire note content. Always read the note first if you need to preserve existing content. When to use: - Updating a note with completely new content (replace) - Adding content to the end of a note (append) - Programmatically modifying notes When NOT to use: - Making small edits (read first, then update with full content) - Creating new notes (use create_note instead) Returns: Update status with path, metadata, and operation performed

Delete a note from the vault. Args: path: Path to the note to delete Returns: Deletion status

Search for notes containing specific text or matching search criteria. When to use: - Finding notes by content keywords - Locating notes with specific tags - Searching within specific folders When NOT to use: - Searching by date (use search_by_date instead) - Listing all notes (use list_notes for better performance) - Finding a specific known note (use read_note directly) Returns: Search results with matched notes, relevance scores, and context

Search for notes by creation or modification date. When to use: - Finding recently modified notes - Locating notes created in a specific time period - Reviewing activity from specific dates When NOT to use: - Content-based search (use search_notes) - Finding notes by tags or path (use search_notes) Returns: Notes matching the date criteria with paths and timestamps

List notes in the vault or a specific directory. Args: directory: Specific directory to list (optional, defaults to root) recursive: Whether to list all subdirectories recursively (default: true) Returns: Vault structure and note paths

List folders in the vault or a specific directory. When to use: - Exploring vault organization structure - Verifying folder names before creating notes - Checking if a specific folder exists - Understanding the hierarchy of the vault When NOT to use: - Listing notes (use list_notes instead) - Searching for content (use search_notes) Returns: Folder structure with paths and names

Move a note to a new location, optionally updating all links. Args: source_path: Current path of the note destination_path: New path for the note update_links: Whether to update links in other notes (default: true) Returns: Move status and updated links count

Create a new folder in the vault, including all parent folders in the path. When to use: - Setting up project structure in advance - Creating deep folder hierarchies (e.g., "Apple/Studies/J71P") - Creating archive folders before moving notes - Establishing organizational hierarchy - Preparing folders for future content When NOT to use: - If you're about to create a note in that path (folders are created automatically) - For temporary organization (just create notes directly) Note: Will create all necessary parent folders. For example, "Apple/Studies/J71P" will create Apple, Apple/Studies, and Apple/Studies/J71P if they don't exist. Returns: Creation status with list of folders created and placeholder file path

Move an entire folder and all its contents to a new location. When to use: - Reorganizing vault structure - Archiving completed projects - Consolidating related notes - Seasonal organization (e.g., moving to year-based archives) When NOT to use: - Moving individual notes (use move_note instead) - Moving to a subfolder of the source (creates circular reference) Returns: Move status with count of notes and folders moved

Add tags to a note's frontmatter. When to use: - Organizing notes with tags - Bulk tagging operations - Adding metadata for search When NOT to use: - Adding tags in note content (use update_note) - Replacing all tags (use update_note with new frontmatter) Returns: Updated tag list for the note

Update tags on a note - either replace all tags or merge with existing. When to use: - After analyzing a note's content to suggest relevant tags - Reorganizing tags across your vault - Setting consistent tags based on note types or projects - AI-driven tag suggestions ("What is this note about? Add appropriate tags") When NOT to use: - Just adding a few tags (use add_tags) - Just removing specific tags (use remove_tags) Returns: Previous tags, new tags, and operation performed

Remove tags from a note's frontmatter. Args: path: Path to the note tags: List of tags to remove (without # prefix) Returns: Updated tag list

Get metadata and information about a note without retrieving its full content. Args: path: Path to the note Returns: Note metadata and statistics

Find all notes that link to a specific note (backlinks). When to use: - Understanding which notes reference a concept or topic - Discovering relationships between notes - Finding notes that depend on the current note - Building a mental map of note connections When NOT to use: - Finding links FROM a note (use get_outgoing_links) - Searching for broken links (use find_broken_links) Performance note: - Fast for small vaults (<100 notes) - May take several seconds for large vaults (1000+ notes) - Consider using search_notes for specific link queries Returns: All notes linking to the target with optional context

List all links from a specific note (outgoing links). When to use: - Understanding what a note references - Checking note dependencies before moving/deleting - Exploring the structure of index or hub notes - Validating links after changes When NOT to use: - Finding notes that link TO this note (use get_backlinks) - Searching across multiple notes (use find_broken_links) Returns: All outgoing links with their types and optional validity status

Find all broken links in the vault or a specific directory. When to use: - After renaming or deleting notes - Regular vault maintenance - Before reorganizing folder structure - Cleaning up after imports When NOT to use: - Checking links in a single note (use get_outgoing_links with check_validity) - Finding backlinks (use get_backlinks) Returns: All broken links grouped by source note

List all unique tags used across the vault with usage statistics. When to use: - Before adding tags to maintain consistency - Getting an overview of your tagging taxonomy - Finding underused or overused tags - Discovering tag variations (e.g., 'project' vs 'projects') When NOT to use: - Getting tags for a specific note (use get_note_info) - Searching notes by tag (use search_notes with tag: prefix) Performance note: - For vaults with <1000 notes: Fast (1-3 seconds) - For vaults with 1000-5000 notes: Moderate (3-10 seconds) - For vaults with >5000 notes: May be slow (10+ seconds) - Uses batched concurrent requests to optimize performance Returns: All unique tags with optional usage counts