obsidian_list_files_in_vault

View the top-level structure of your Obsidian vault to understand organization and locate folders for Zettelkasten notes.

Instructions

List all files and directories in the vault root.

This tool shows the top-level structure of your Obsidian vault, helping you
understand the organization and locate folders for Zettelkasten notes.

Returns:
    str: Formatted list of directories and files in the vault root
    
Example:
    Returns a markdown-formatted list showing all top-level folders and files.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
No arguments

Implementation Reference

src/custom_obsidian_mcp/server.py:396-405 (registration)

Registration of the obsidian_list_files_in_vault tool using @mcp.tool decorator with name and annotations.

@mcp.tool(
    name="obsidian_list_files_in_vault",
    annotations={
        "title": "List Files in Vault Root",
        "readOnlyHint": True,
        "destructiveHint": False,
        "idempotentHint": True,
        "openWorldHint": False
    }
)

src/custom_obsidian_mcp/server.py:406-430 (handler)

Handler function implementing the core logic: calls ObsidianClient.get('/vault/') to retrieve files and directories, formats them using format_file_list, handles errors.

async def list_files_in_vault() -> str:
    """List all files and directories in the vault root.
    
    This tool shows the top-level structure of your Obsidian vault, helping you
    understand the organization and locate folders for Zettelkasten notes.
    
    Returns:
        str: Formatted list of directories and files in the vault root
        
    Example:
        Returns a markdown-formatted list showing all top-level folders and files.
    """
    try:
        result = await obsidian_client.get("/vault/")
        files = result.get("files", [])
        directories = result.get("directories", [])
        
        return format_file_list(files, directories)
        
    except ObsidianAPIError as e:
        return json.dumps({
            "error": str(e),
            "success": False
        }, indent=2)

src/custom_obsidian_mcp/server.py:311-327 (helper)

Helper function that formats the lists of files and directories into a markdown-formatted response for the user.

def format_file_list(files: List[str], directories: List[str]) -> str:
    """Format file and directory lists for display."""
    result = []
    
    if directories:
        result.append("## Directories")
        for d in sorted(directories):
            result.append(f"- 📁 {d}/")
        result.append("")
    
    if files:
        result.append("## Files")
        for f in sorted(files):
            result.append(f"- 📄 {f}")
    
    return "\n".join(result) if result else "No files or directories found."

Obsidian MCP Server