MCP Setup

MCP lets Claude read and write vault notes directly without copy-paste. Two options.

Step 1: Install the Local REST API Plugin

You must do this in Obsidian (Claude cannot do it programmatically):

Obsidian > Settings > Community Plugins > Turn off Restricted Mode
Browse > Search "Local REST API" > Install > Enable
Settings > Local REST API > Copy the API key

The plugin runs on https://127.0.0.1:27124 with a self-signed certificate.

Test it:

curl -sk -H "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_KEY>" https://127.0.0.1:27124/

You should get a JSON response with vault info.

Option A: mcp-obsidian (REST API based)

Uses MarkusPfundstein's mcp-obsidian. Requires the Local REST API plugin running.

claude mcp add-json obsidian-vault '{
  "type": "stdio",
  "command": "uvx",
  "args": ["mcp-obsidian"],
  "env": {
    "OBSIDIAN_API_KEY": "<YOUR_KEY>",
    "OBSIDIAN_HOST": "127.0.0.1",
    "OBSIDIAN_PORT": "27124",
    "NODE_TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED": "0"
  }
}' --scope user

NODE_TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED: "0" is required because the REST API uses a self-signed certificate.

Capabilities: read notes, write notes, search, patch frontmatter fields, append under headings.

Option B: MCPVault (filesystem based)

No Obsidian plugin needed. Reads the vault directory directly.

claude mcp add-json obsidian-vault '{
  "type": "stdio",
  "command": "npx",
  "args": ["-y", "@bitbonsai/mcpvault@latest", "/absolute/path/to/your/vault"]
}' --scope user

Replace /absolute/path/to/your/vault with the actual vault path.

Tools available: search_notes (BM25), read_note, create_note, update_note, get_frontmatter, update_frontmatter, list_all_tags, read_multiple_notes.

Option C: Direct REST API via curl

No MCP needed. Use curl in bash throughout the session. See rest-api.md for all commands.

Use `--scope user`

Both MCP options use --scope user so the vault is available across all Claude Code projects, not just the one where you ran the command.

Verification

After setup:

claude mcp list               # confirm the server appears
claude mcp get obsidian-vault # confirm the path or URL is correct

In a Claude Code session, type /mcp to check connection status.

Then test: "List all notes in my wiki folder."

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