mcp-obsidian-second-brain
Allows storing and retrieving memories as markdown files in an Obsidian vault, with YAML frontmatter, PARA organization, wiki-links, and full-text search.
Click on "Install Server".
Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state.
In the chat, type
@followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@mcp-obsidian-second-brainsave a memory about the quarterly planning session"
That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed.
Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.
mcp-obsidian-second-brain
An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that gives Claude a persistent, structured memory system backed by an Obsidian vault. Memories are stored as Markdown files with YAML frontmatter using the PARA method (Projects, Areas, Resources, Archives).
Installation
Option 1: npx from GitHub (no clone required)
Add to your Claude Desktop config (~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json on macOS):
{
"mcpServers": {
"obsidian-second-brain": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@neverprepared/mcp-obsidian-second-brain"],
"env": {
"OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH": "/path/to/your/obsidian/vault"
}
}
}
}Option 2: Clone and run locally
git clone https://github.com/neverprepared/mcp-obsidian-second-brain.git
cd mcp-obsidian-second-brain
npm install
npm run buildThen add to your Claude Desktop config:
{
"mcpServers": {
"obsidian-second-brain": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/absolute/path/to/mcp-obsidian-second-brain/dist/index.js"],
"env": {
"OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH": "/path/to/your/obsidian/vault"
}
}
}
}Option 3: Claude Code (CLI)
Add to ~/.claude/claude_desktop_config.json or run:
claude mcp add obsidian-second-brain \
-e OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH=/path/to/your/obsidian/vault \
-- npx -y @neverprepared/mcp-obsidian-second-brainConfiguration
Environment Variable | Default | Description |
|
| Path to your Obsidian vault directory |
|
| Log verbosity: |
|
| Minimum shared tags required for auto-linking memories |
The vault directory will be created automatically on first run with the PARA folder structure.
Tools
Tool | Description |
| Create a new memory in a PARA category with optional tags and source URLs |
| Fetch a specific memory by ID or title |
| Full-text search with relevance scoring, tag filters ( |
| Paginated listing with filters by PARA, tags, status, and date range |
| Update content, tags, PARA category (moves file), or title (renames file) |
| Set a memory's status to archived |
| Permanently delete a memory (cascades to clean up backlinks) |
| Create bidirectional |
| Create projects with deadlines, mark complete, or list active projects |
| Vault health summary: counts by PARA/status, stale memories, orphans, top tags |
| Bulk list/archive/delete stale, archived, or orphaned memories (safe |
Vault Structure
<OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH>/
├── Projects/ # Time-bound goals (stale after 30 days)
├── Areas/ # Ongoing responsibilities (stale after 90 days)
├── Resources/ # Reference material (stale after 180 days)
├── Archives/ # Inactive memories (stale after 365 days)
└── _daily/ # Daily notes (auto-appended on each store)Each memory is a Markdown file with YAML frontmatter. Files are named by slugified title and support bidirectional [[wiki-links]].
Development
npm run dev # Run with tsx (no build required)
npm run build # Compile TypeScript to dist/
npm run typecheck # Type-check without emitting
npm test # Run all tests
npm run test:watch # Watch mode
npm run test:coverage # Coverage reportCopy .env.example to .env and set OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH before running locally.
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