MCP Server for Obsidian for Claude Desktop: Setup & Config

What you can do with MCP Server for Obsidian in Claude Desktop

Let assistants search existing vault knowledge and write results back into structured Obsidian notes.

• Find notes mentioning a technical subject and summarize their context.
• Read meeting notes and write a summary into a new note.

Before you start: MCP Server for Obsidian in Claude Desktop

• Obsidian with the Local REST API community plugin installed, enabled, and running
• The plugin's API key
• uvx
• An MCP-compatible client

Use the plugin settings to obtain the API key. If the client cannot locate uvx, replace the command with its absolute executable path.

MCP Server for Obsidian Claude Desktop configuration

1. Choose Claude Desktop configuration scope

   For MCP Server for Obsidian, open macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json. Merge under mcpServers via Settings → Developer → Edit Config when available.

2. Add MCP Server for Obsidian to Claude Desktop

   Use the mcp-obsidian entry below in mcpServers. Keep MCP Server for Obsidian's documented stdio connection fields and your other Claude Desktop entries.

3. Check MCP Server for Obsidian in Claude Desktop

   MCP Server for Obsidian: Fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop; check developer diagnostics.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-obsidian": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-obsidian"
      ],
      "env": {
        "OBSIDIAN_API_KEY": "<API key from your Obsidian Local REST API plugin>",
        "OBSIDIAN_HOST": "<Obsidian API host; defaults to 127.0.0.1>",
        "OBSIDIAN_PORT": "<Obsidian API port; defaults to 27124>"
      }
    }
  }
}

MCP Server for Obsidian tools available to Claude Desktop

MCP Server for Obsidian's stored tool list documents 7 tools; compare it with Claude Desktop's connected tool list, because the stored list is not a live check.

list_files_in_vault

When Claude Desktop requests list_files_in_vault from MCP Server for Obsidian, review the action before approving it.

List files and directories at the vault root.

list_files_in_dir

When Claude Desktop requests list_files_in_dir from MCP Server for Obsidian, review the action before approving it.

Inspect files and subdirectories within a selected vault directory.

get_file_contents

When Claude Desktop requests get_file_contents from MCP Server for Obsidian, review the action before approving it.

Read a single vault file.

search

When Claude Desktop requests search from MCP Server for Obsidian, review the action before approving it.

Find vault documents containing a supplied text query.

patch_content

When Claude Desktop requests patch_content from MCP Server for Obsidian, review the action before approving it.

append_content

When Claude Desktop requests append_content from MCP Server for Obsidian, review the action before approving it.

delete_file

When Claude Desktop requests delete_file from MCP Server for Obsidian, review the action before approving it.

MCP Server for Obsidian: full stored tool descriptions

Troubleshooting MCP Server for Obsidian in Claude Desktop

• Fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop for MCP Server for Obsidian. If uvx mcp-obsidian (from uv, for Python tools) is missing, check the desktop process's PATH, which may differ from your terminal.
• In Claude Desktop's MCP Server for Obsidian entry, check OBSIDIAN_API_KEY, OBSIDIAN_HOST, OBSIDIAN_PORT. Keep secrets out of shared screenshots and repositories.
• MCP Server for Obsidian uses stdio here: Claude Desktop must keep the configured process running; protocol output belongs on stdout and diagnostics on stderr.
• Known limitation: Requires the Obsidian Local REST API community plugin to be running.
• Known limitation: Setup needs the plugin API key and correct connection details.
• Known limitation: Deletion tools can remove vault files or directories.
• General Claude Desktop troubleshooting lives in the /clients/claude-desktop guide.

Frequently asked questions