Does it require the Obsidian desktop app to be running?

Yes, plus the Local REST API community plugin. The MCP talks to that plugin over loopback. If Obsidian is closed, the agent can still read the Markdown files directly (via the Filesystem MCP), but writes and backlink queries need the app.

Is it safe to let an agent write to my vault?

Reasonably — but version-control the vault first. Obsidian + Git is a popular combo exactly because agents (and humans) occasionally make changes you want to revert quickly.

Can it follow [[wikilinks]]?

Yes. The MCP understands Obsidian's wikilink syntax and can walk outgoing links and backlinks — so agents can traverse a concept graph rather than just searching full-text.

Does it work with the Obsidian Sync service?

Indirectly. The MCP reads and writes local files; whatever sync setup you have (Obsidian Sync, iCloud, Git) then propagates changes to other devices. There is no direct integration with the Sync service API.

Obsidian

Name: Top MCPs — curated MCP directory
Creator: Top MCPs
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Read and write notes in your local Obsidian vault.

Score 65(?)Community (MarkusPfundstein)MIT 3.4kVerified May 31, 2026Top MCPs for Documents & Content →

Install View on GitHub

Quick answer

What it does

Reads and writes Markdown files in an Obsidian vault: search, create, update, list notes, resolve internal [[wikilinks]], and walk backlinks.

Best for

Personal knowledge capture
Daily-note automation
Research assistance
Reading-list curation

Not for

Real-time collaboration
Binary attachment search

Setup recipe

Pick your client, then follow the three steps.

Install

claude_desktop_config.jsonjson

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "obsidian": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-obsidian"
      ],
      "env": {
        "OBSIDIAN_API_KEY": "${OBSIDIAN_API_KEY}",
        "OBSIDIAN_HOST": "${OBSIDIAN_HOST}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Paste under mcpServers. Fully quit and reopen Claude after editing.

CLI or .mcp.jsonshell

# export OBSIDIAN_API_KEY=your_local_rest_api_key
# export OBSIDIAN_HOST=127.0.0.1
claude mcp add obsidian -- uvx mcp-obsidian

Run from your repo. Commit .mcp.json to share with your team.

.cursor/mcp.jsonjson

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "obsidian": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-obsidian"
      ],
      "env": {
        "OBSIDIAN_API_KEY": "${OBSIDIAN_API_KEY}",
        "OBSIDIAN_HOST": "${OBSIDIAN_HOST}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Global path: ~/.cursor/mcp.json. Reload window after editing.

.vscode/mcp.jsonjsonc

{
  "servers": {
    "obsidian": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-obsidian"
      ],
      "env": {
        "OBSIDIAN_API_KEY": "${OBSIDIAN_API_KEY}",
        "OBSIDIAN_HOST": "${OBSIDIAN_HOST}"
      }
    }
  }
}

VS Code uses the "servers" key (not "mcpServers").

~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.jsonjson

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "obsidian": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-obsidian"
      ],
      "env": {
        "OBSIDIAN_API_KEY": "${OBSIDIAN_API_KEY}",
        "OBSIDIAN_HOST": "${OBSIDIAN_HOST}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Open via Cascade → hammer icon → Configure.

cline_mcp_settings.jsonjson

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "obsidian": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-obsidian"
      ],
      "env": {
        "OBSIDIAN_API_KEY": "${OBSIDIAN_API_KEY}",
        "OBSIDIAN_HOST": "${OBSIDIAN_HOST}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Open via the Cline sidebar → MCP Servers → Edit.

~/.continue/config.jsonjson

{
  "experimental": {
    "modelContextProtocolServers": [
      {
        "transport": {
          "type": "stdio",
          "command": "uvx",
          "args": [
            "mcp-obsidian"
          ],
          "env": {
            "OBSIDIAN_API_KEY": "${OBSIDIAN_API_KEY}",
            "OBSIDIAN_HOST": "${OBSIDIAN_HOST}"
          }
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}

Continue uses modelContextProtocolServers with a transport block.

~/.codex/config.tomlshell

# ~/.codex/config.toml
[mcp_servers.obsidian]
command = "uvx"
args = [
  "mcp-obsidian",
]
env = { OBSIDIAN_API_KEY = "${OBSIDIAN_API_KEY}", OBSIDIAN_HOST = "${OBSIDIAN_HOST}" }

Codex uses TOML. Each server is a [mcp_servers.<name>] subtable.

~/.config/zed/settings.jsonjsonc

{
  "context_servers": {
    "obsidian": {
      "command": {
        "path": "uvx",
        "args": [
          "mcp-obsidian"
        ]
      },
      "env": {
        "OBSIDIAN_API_KEY": "${OBSIDIAN_API_KEY}",
        "OBSIDIAN_HOST": "${OBSIDIAN_HOST}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Zed calls them "context_servers". Settings live-reload on save.

ChatGPT → Apps directorynone

Obsidian doesn't ship a hosted HTTPS endpoint today. ChatGPT supports remote MCP servers only — to use this server in ChatGPT you'll need to deploy it to a public HTTPS URL first (e.g. via Cloudflare Workers or Vercel) or wait for an official remote build.

2
Set required secrets
Set OBSIDIAN_API_KEY, OBSIDIAN_HOST in your shell environment before launching your MCP client.
3
Try a minimum working prompt
Collect follow-ups into a daily note
In my Obsidian vault at ~/Obsidian/Work, find every note tagged `#followup` that has been modified in the last 7 days. Append a "Followups" section to today's daily note listing each as `- [[title]] — <one-sentence gist>` with a link back.
Tested with: Claude Desktop, Cursor.

Tools & permissions

Tools list pending verification. The server exposes tools over MCP; we haven’t yet parsed its capability manifest into this page. Check the GitHub repo for the authoritative list.

Security & scope

Access scope: Read + write
Sandbox: Reads and writes Markdown files inside a local Obsidian vault directory passed at launch. Access is scoped to that single vault.
Gotchas: The MCP does not understand Obsidian plugins — edits that depend on plugin-generated content (Dataview, Templater) may look incomplete.
Renaming a note does not update backlinks unless the agent does so explicitly.

Agent prompt pack

— copy into Claude, Cursor, or ChatGPT.

Paste into Claude, Cursor, or ChatGPT. Edit the [brackets] before sending.

Recommend the best MCP servers for [task: e.g. documents & content work] in [client: Claude].

Constraints:
- Prefer tools that are [official | open-source | read-only] — pick what matters for my use case.
- Exclude MCPs that require [e.g. a paid plan, OAuth-only flows, remote-only transport].
- Return at most 3 picks, ranked.

For each pick include:
1. One-sentence rationale.
2. The ready-to-paste install snippet for my client.
3. Any required secrets I need to create before installing.

Cross-check the top-mcps.com listing: https://top-mcps.com/top-mcps-for-documents-content

Compare Obsidian against a real alternative. Swap the second MCP in [brackets] if you want a different match.

Compare Obsidian MCP vs [Notion MCP] for the following job: [describe the job, e.g. "let an agent create GitHub issues on bug triage"].

Judge them on:
- Setup time and complexity (what a new user hits first).
- Auth model (none / API key / OAuth 2.1) and credential risk.
- Transport (stdio / Streamable HTTP / SSE) and where the server runs.
- Required secrets and the blast radius if they leak.
- Operational risk in an unattended agent loop.
- Which one is "good enough" for a weekend prototype vs. production.

End with one sentence: which should I pick for my scenario, which is: [my scenario].

References:
- https://top-mcps.com/mcp/obsidian
- top-mcps.com listing for Notion

Asks the agent to install and verify. Works inside Claude Code, Cursor Agent, Codex CLI.

Install the Obsidian MCP server for my [client: Claude] at the default config path for that client.

Use the exact install snippet published at https://top-mcps.com/mcp/obsidian (fetch https://top-mcps.com/mcp/obsidian.json for the canonical server.json if you can read URLs).

Before finishing:
1. Create the required secrets (OBSIDIAN_API_KEY, OBSIDIAN_HOST) and put them in the appropriate env block — do not hard-code them.
2. Restart or reload the client so it picks up the new server.
3. Verify the server is connected (green / running state) and at least one tool is listed.
4. If anything fails, read the client's MCP logs and report the exact error — do not silently retry.

Confirm when done and list the tools the server now exposes.

Frequently asked questions

What changed

— 2 updates tracked.

May 31, 2026
Refreshed install snippets and fact sheet; verified for 2026.
Feb 1, 2025
Initial directory listing.

Compared with Obsidian

Side-by-side breakdowns for the choices people most often weigh against this MCP.

ObsidianvsNotion ObsidianvsMem ObsidianvsSticklight ObsidianvsContext7

Exploring Top MCPs for Documents & Content? See all Documents & Content MCPs →

Obsidian

Quick answer

What it does

Best for

Not for

Setup recipe

Install

Set required secrets

Try a minimum working prompt

Tools & permissions

Security & scope

Agent prompt pack

Frequently asked questions

What changed

More Documents & Content MCPs

Context7

Figma

Compared with Obsidian

Quick answer

What it does

Best for

Not for

Setup recipe

Install

Set required secrets

Try a minimum working prompt

Tools & permissions

Security & scope

Agent prompt pack

Full details

Frequently asked questions

Does it require the Obsidian desktop app to be running?

Is it safe to let an agent write to my vault?

Can it follow [[wikilinks]]?

Does it work with the Obsidian Sync service?

What changed

More Documents & Content MCPs

Context7

Figma

Compared with Obsidian