Obsidian Local Rest Api MCP Server

AI-Native MCP server for Obsidian vaults with task-oriented, intelligent tools designed for LLM workflows

Local serverstdioTypeScript

What is the Obsidian Local Rest Api MCP MCP server?

If you want an AI assistant working directly with Obsidian Local Rest Api MCP, the obsidian local rest api mcp mcp server is the bridge. AI-Native MCP server for Obsidian vaults with task-oriented, intelligent tools designed for LLM workflows.

What Obsidian Local Rest Api MCP does

An AI-Native MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that provides intelligent, task-oriented tools for interacting with Obsidian vaults through a local REST API.

Tools it exposes

Once connected, the assistant can call these 9 tools directly:

  • list_directory — The list_directory tool exposed by this server
  • read_file — The read_file tool exposed by this server
  • write_file — The write_file tool exposed by this server
  • delete_item — The delete_item tool exposed by this server
  • create_or_update_note — The create_or_update_note tool exposed by this server
  • get_daily_note — The get_daily_note tool exposed by this server
  • get_recent_notes — The get_recent_notes tool exposed by this server
  • search_vault — The search_vault tool exposed by this server
  • find_related_notes — The find_related_notes tool exposed by this server

Installing the obsidian local rest api mcp mcp server

The server is distributed via npm as obsidian-local-rest-api-mcp, so most clients can run it without a manual build step. Add it to your MCP client's configuration and restart the client to pick it up — the copy-paste configs for Claude Desktop, Claude Code and Cursor are on this page.

Configuration

Before the server will start you need to supply 3 environment variables: OBSIDIAN_API_URL, OBSIDIAN_API_KEY, DEBUG. Keep credentials in your client's env block or a secrets manager rather than committing them.

Requirements

Where it fits

Productivity servers pay off through capture: the tasks and notes that never get filed are the ones where opening the app is more friction than the thought is worth. Obsidian Local Rest Api MCP sits in that group, and the shape of its toolset — list_directory, read_file, write_file among others — tells you what it is really for. Worth comparing against the other productivity servers in this directory before you commit to one, since several overlap in scope but differ sharply in setup cost and permissions.

Practical notes

  • This server runs locally, so it operates with whatever access your machine and its credentials already have. Scope that deliberately rather than by default.
  • It will not start until its required credentials are present, so set those before wondering why the tools never appear.
  • With 9 tools exposed, expect a noticeable bump in prompt size — disable it in projects that never use Obsidian Local Rest Api MCP.
  • Maintained by j-shelfwood, written in TypeScript.
  • MCP clients ask for confirmation before each tool call by default. Keep that on while you learn what the obsidian local rest api mcp mcp server actually does with your data.
  • Every entry in this directory is reviewed by hand before it goes live, and details are checked against the project's own documentation.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
list_directoryThe list_directory tool exposed by this server.
read_fileThe read_file tool exposed by this server.
write_fileThe write_file tool exposed by this server.
delete_itemThe delete_item tool exposed by this server.
create_or_update_noteThe create_or_update_note tool exposed by this server.
get_daily_noteThe get_daily_note tool exposed by this server.
get_recent_notesThe get_recent_notes tool exposed by this server.
search_vaultThe search_vault tool exposed by this server.
find_related_notesThe find_related_notes tool exposed by this server.

How to install the Obsidian Local Rest Api MCP MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "obsidian-vault": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["obsidian-local-rest-api-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "OBSIDIAN_API_URL": "http://obsidian-local-rest-api.test",
        "OBSIDIAN_API_KEY": "your-api-key-if-needed"
      }
    }
  }
}

Configuration as documented by the project. Restart the client after saving.

Configuration

VariableDescriptionRequired
OBSIDIAN_API_URLEndpoint or connection string the server talks to.Yes
OBSIDIAN_API_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
DEBUGConfiguration value read at startup.Optional

Example prompts to try

  • Use Obsidian Local Rest Api MCP to list directory.
  • Use Obsidian Local Rest Api MCP to read file.
  • Use Obsidian Local Rest Api MCP to write file.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Obsidian Local Rest Api MCP to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 9 tools (list_directory, read_file, write_file, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Obsidian Local Rest Api MCP directly.