Obsidian MCP: Connect Claude to Your Vault Safely

Obsidian MCP connects Claude and other AI assistants to your Obsidian vault through the Model Context Protocol. A server exposes your notes as tools, such as search, read and append, and the assistant calls them mid-conversation.

It's the cleanest way to give Claude Desktop your notes. For Claude Code, you often don't need it at all.

I run Claude Code against my business vault every day, and I've tried the main MCP routes for the clients that can't touch files directly. Here's how each option works and how to set them up without exposing notes you'd rather keep private.

What is an Obsidian MCP server?#

MCP is an open standard for connecting AI applications to external systems. Its maintainers describe it as a USB-C port for AI applications: one standard plug instead of a custom integration per tool.

An Obsidian MCP server is that plug for your vault. Once it's connected, an assistant can:

• Search notes by text or meaning
• Read a note, or part of one
• Create notes and append to daily notes
• Follow links and backlinks
• Update frontmatter properties

Because MCP is a shared standard, the same server works with Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code and other clients.

Obsidian MCP options compared#

Option 1: the MCP Connector plugin#

The MCP Connector community plugin is the most complete option I've found. Its server runs inside Obsidian and binds to your own machine only, so nothing goes through a third-party cloud. Semantic search runs on-device with a local embedding model, and it doesn't need an API key.

Its best security feature is per-client tokens. Each connected app gets its own token with its own tool list, so a chat client can see a small read-only set while Claude Code gets the full toolbox.

Setup takes a few minutes:

1. In Obsidian, go to Settings, Community plugins, Browse, and install MCP Connector.
2. Open its Access control settings. A new vault already has a default token.
3. For Claude Desktop, use the bundle file it offers. For other clients, copy the generated configuration.
4. Ask the assistant to call the server info tool to confirm the connection.

It requires Obsidian 1.7.2 or newer.

Option 2: mcp-obsidian#

mcp-obsidian is a popular open-source server written in Python. It talks to Obsidian through the Local REST API community plugin, so you install that plugin first and copy its API key.

It offers the essentials: list files, get file contents, search, patch content under a heading or block, append content and delete files. You configure it in your client with an environment variable for the API key, plus host and port if they differ from the defaults.

Choose it if you want the server outside Obsidian, or you already use the Local REST API for other automations.

Option 3: Claude Code without MCP#

If you use Claude Code, start here before installing anything. Open a terminal in your vault and run claude. Claude Code reads and writes the files directly, which is more capable than most MCP tools for bulk work like restructuring folders or fixing links across hundreds of notes.

Two optional add-ons fill the gaps:

• The Claude Code IDE plugin shares the note you have open and your selection with Claude Code through a local, read-only bridge. After installing it, run /ide in Claude Code and pick Obsidian. Then "rewrite the second paragraph" just works.
• Obsidian CLI lets Claude Code run Obsidian commands, such as renaming a note with automatic link updates.

You can still add an MCP server to Claude Code for semantic search. Remote servers use claude mcp add --transport http, and the Claude Code MCP docs cover local servers and scopes.

How to use Obsidian MCP safely#

Connecting AI to your notes is connecting AI to your thinking. A few rules I follow:

1. Know what leaves your machine. A local server keeps the connection local, but everything Claude reads is sent to Anthropic to generate the answer. The Claude Code IDE plugin's own FAQ says exactly this.
2. Split vaults by sensitivity. Keep journals, health notes and credentials in a vault no AI client can reach.
3. Give the fewest tools possible. Chat clients rarely need delete or bulk replace. Use per-token tool lists when your server supports them.
4. Be wary of fetch tools. Anthropic's MCP documentation warns that servers fetching external content can expose you to prompt injection.
5. Keep the vault in Git. If an assistant makes a bad bulk edit, you can roll it back.

Which Obsidian MCP setup should you choose?#

• Claude Desktop user: MCP Connector, with a read-mostly token.
• Claude Code user: run it in the vault, add the IDE plugin, and add MCP only if you want semantic search.
• Several AI tools on one vault: MCP Connector with one token per client.
• Building an AI-maintained knowledge base: Claude Code with a schema file and skills. See how to build an Obsidian second brain with Claude Code.

For a broader look at the MCP servers worth connecting to Claude Code beyond Obsidian, read the best MCP servers for Claude Code. And if you'd like the whole system designed around your work, that's what I build in the AI Brains.