Obsidian MCP Server

What is Obsidian MCP Server?

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that gives AI models read-only access to your Obsidian notes by connecting through your existing LiveSync CouchDB setup. It is intended for users who want to query, search, and browse their Obsidian vault programmatically via MCP clients like Claude Desktop.

How to use Obsidian MCP Server?

Install via Docker (recommended) or run locally with Python 3.10+. Configure required environment variables (COUCHDB_BASE_URL, COUCHDB_DATABASE_NAME, COUCHDB_USER, COUCHDB_PASSWORD, API_KEY) in a .env file. Start the server with obsidian-mcp-server --transport stdio for direct MCP client connections or --transport sse --port 8000 for HTTP-based access. Integrate with clients like Claude Desktop by adding a mcpServers entry that runs the Docker image with the .env file.

Key features of Obsidian MCP Server

• Read-only access to Obsidian notes via LiveSync CouchDB
• Performance-optimized resource listing (10 recent notes)
• Automatic content inclusion for small result sets (≤3 notes)
• Metadata extraction: frontmatter, tags, and aliases
• Reassembles chunked notes automatically
• Supports encrypted vaults (if VAULT_PASSPHRASE is set)
• Docker support and full environment variable configuration

Use cases of Obsidian MCP Server

• AI assistants answering questions by searching your Obsidian notes
• Browsing recent notes sorted by modification, creation time, or path
• Quickly retrieving the most recent note with full content
• Integrating with Claude Desktop to query your vault without direct file access
• Searching notes by title, content, or tags from any MCP‑compatible client

FAQ from Obsidian MCP Server

What prerequisites are needed?

A running Obsidian LiveSync CouchDB instance with read‑access credentials, plus Python 3.10+ (local) or Docker.

Can Obsidian MCP Server read encrypted notes?

Yes. Set the VAULT_PASSPHRASE environment variable to decrypt encrypted Obsidian LiveSync notes. If not set, encrypted notes will not be decrypted.

Does Obsidian MCP Server support write operations?

No. The server provides read‑only access to your notes for safety. Write operations are listed as a future enhancement.

What transport protocols are available?

The server supports two MCP transports: stdio (direct client connection) and SSE (HTTP‑based on a configurable port, default 8000).

How can I improve query performance?

Create a JSON index on the type and mtime fields in your LiveSync CouchDB database. This index is recommended for efficient listing and sorting of notes.