MCP-Obsidian provides a lightweight, universal bridge for Obsidian vaults, enabling secure read/write access for any MCP-compatible AI assistant. It addresses the need for seamless AI integration with personal knowledge bases, offering future-proof compatibility beyond specific AI vendors. The project targets Obsidian users seeking to leverage AI for knowledge synthesis, management, and analysis, benefiting from an open standard that prevents vendor lock-in.

How It Works

MCP-Obsidian functions as a Node.js server implementing the open Model Context Protocol (MCP). It exposes Obsidian vault operations (file read/write, directory listing, search, metadata management) via this standard. Key advantages include its adherence to an open protocol, ensuring compatibility with current and future AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT, and robust safety features such as YAML frontmatter validation, path traversal prevention, and automatic exclusion of sensitive directories like .obsidian.

Quick Start & Requirements

• Primary install/run command: npx @mauricio.wolff/mcp-obsidian@latest /path/to/your/vault
• Prerequisites: Node.js runtime (v18.0.0 or later).
• Links: https://mcp-obsidian.org

Highlighted Details

• Universal AI Compatibility: Works with any MCP-compatible AI assistant, including Claude Desktop, ChatGPT Desktop (Enterprise+), and future platforms.
• Open Standard (MCP): Avoids vendor lock-in, ensuring long-term access to your knowledge base.
• Safe Frontmatter Handling: Parses and validates YAML frontmatter to prevent corruption.
• Token-Optimized Responses: Delivers smaller JSON payloads for efficient AI interaction.
• Zero Dependencies: Operates without requiring any Obsidian plugins.

Maintenance & Community

The project is sponsored via GitHub Sponsors, Ko-Fi, and Liberapay, indicating community support. Links to community channels like Discord or Slack are not explicitly provided in the README.

Licensing & Compatibility

The project is released under the MIT License, permitting commercial use and integration into closed-source applications.

Limitations & Caveats

While implementing security measures like path validation and frontmatter checks, the server provides full read/write access to allowed file content and vault structure. File content, directory structure, and file metadata are not inherently protected by the server itself. Users must grant vault access only to trusted AI conversations.