MCP Obsidian Via Rest MCP Server

MCP Server for Obsidian Vault Access via Local REST API

Remote serverstreamable-http

What is the MCP Obsidian Via Rest MCP server?

MCP Server for Obsidian Vault Access via Local REST API. Exposed over MCP by the mcp obsidian via rest mcp server, that capability becomes something an assistant can invoke while it works, not something you go and do afterwards.

What it actually does

This MCP server exposes the following tools and resources to AI assistants:

Its toolset

Everything the assistant can do here goes through one of these:

  • get_note_content — Retrieve content and metadata of an Obsidian note
  • obsidian_search — Search notes using a query string
  • obsidian_semantic_search — Semantic search for notes
  • Tools — The Tools tool exposed by this server
  • Resources — The Resources tool exposed by this server
  • Setup — This setting will allow you to connect to the Local REST API from any network interface (not only localhost, which is critical for WSL2 setup)

Configuration

You will need 8 environment variables: API_KEY, API_URLS, DEBUG, MCP_HTTP_PATH, API_HOST, API_PORT, OBSIDIAN_API_KEY, WSL_GATEWAY_IP. The server will not start without them, which is usually why the tools fail to appear on a first run. Keep credentials in your client's env block or a secrets manager rather than in a file you might commit.

Adding it to your client

Being a remote server, there is no local install. You register the endpoint with your client, authorise it once, and the tools appear.

When to reach for it

This sits in the planning and project tracking group, where several servers overlap in what they claim to do but differ sharply once you actually set them up. MCP Obsidian Via Rest's toolset — get_note_content, obsidian_search, obsidian_semantic_search and 3 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by OleksandrKucherenko; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

We check each listing at SyncDev against the project's documentation before it goes live — if something here drifts out of date, it is a bug worth reporting.

Caveats

  • Your data travels to the provider's service, so the usual questions apply about what you send and what they retain.
  • Missing credentials fail quietly in some clients — if no tools show up, check the environment block first.
  • MCP clients confirm each tool call by default. Leave that on until you have watched what the mcp obsidian via rest mcp server does with a few real requests.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
get_note_contentRetrieve content and metadata of an Obsidian note
obsidian_searchSearch notes using a query string
obsidian_semantic_searchSemantic search for notes
ToolsThe Tools tool exposed by this server.
ResourcesThe Resources tool exposed by this server.
SetupThis setting will allow you to connect to the Local REST API from any network interface (not only localhost, which is critical for WSL2 setup).

How to install the MCP Obsidian Via Rest MCP server

```jsonc
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "obsidian": {
      "type": "streamable-http",
      "url": "http://localhost:3000/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer <your-secret-token-here>"
      }      
    }
  }
}

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

Configuration

VariableDescriptionRequired
API_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
API_URLSEndpoint or connection string the server talks to.Yes
DEBUGConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
MCP_HTTP_PATHFilesystem location the server is allowed to use.Optional
API_HOSTEndpoint or connection string the server talks to.Optional
API_PORTConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
OBSIDIAN_API_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
WSL_GATEWAY_IPConfiguration value read at startup.Optional

Example prompts to try

  • Use MCP Obsidian Via Rest to get note content.
  • Use MCP Obsidian Via Rest to obsidian search.
  • Use MCP Obsidian Via Rest to obsidian semantic search.

Frequently asked questions

It connects MCP Obsidian Via Rest to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 6 tools (get_note_content, obsidian_search, obsidian_semantic_search, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with MCP Obsidian Via Rest directly.