Obsidian Tools MCP server

MCP Tools for Obsidian enables AI applications like Claude Desktop to securely access and work with your Obsidian vault through the Model Context Protocol (MCP). It acts as a secure bridge, allowing AI assistants to read notes, execute templates, and perform semantic searches while you maintain full control over access to your vault.

Features

When connected to an MCP client like Claude Desktop, this plugin enables:

• Vault Access: Allows AI assistants to read and reference your notes while maintaining your vault's security
• Semantic Search: AI assistants can search your vault based on meaning and context, not just keywords
• Template Integration: Execute Obsidian templates through AI interactions, with dynamic parameters and content generation

Prerequisites

Required

• Obsidian v1.7.7 or higher
• Claude Desktop installed and configured
• Local REST API plugin installed and configured with an API key

Recommended

• Templater plugin for enhanced template functionality
• Smart Connections plugin for semantic search capabilities

Installation

1. Install the plugin from Obsidian's Community Plugins
2. Enable the plugin in Obsidian settings
3. Open the plugin settings
4. Click "Install Server" to download and configure the MCP server

Clicking the install button will:

• Download the appropriate MCP server binary for your platform
• Configure Claude Desktop to use the server
• Set up necessary permissions and paths

Installation Locations

• Server Binary: {vault}/.obsidian/plugins/obsidian-mcp-tools/bin/
• Log Files:
  • macOS: ~/Library/Logs/obsidian-mcp-tools
  • Windows: %APPDATA%\obsidian-mcp-tools\logs
  • Linux: ~/.local/share/obsidian-mcp-tools/logs

Configuration

After clicking the "Install Server" button in the plugin settings, the plugin will automatically:

1. Download the appropriate MCP server binary
2. Use your Local REST API plugin's API key
3. Configure Claude Desktop to use the MCP server
4. Set up appropriate paths and permissions

While the configuration process is automated, it requires your explicit permission to install the server binary and modify the Claude Desktop configuration. No additional manual configuration is required beyond this initial setup step.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues:

1. Check the plugin settings to verify:
   • All required plugins are installed
   • The server is properly installed
   • Claude Desktop is configured
2. Review the logs:
   • Open plugin settings
   • Click "Open Logs" under Resources
   • Look for any error messages or warnings
3. Common Issues:
   • Server won't start: Ensure Claude Desktop is running
   • Connection errors: Verify Local REST API plugin is configured
   • Permission errors: Try reinstalling the server

Security

Binary Verification

The MCP server binaries are published with SLSA Provenance attestations, which provide cryptographic proof of where and how the binaries were built.

To verify a binary using the GitHub CLI:

1. Install GitHub CLI:

   # macOS (Homebrew)
   brew install gh
   
   # Windows (Scoop)
   scoop install gh
   
   # Linux
   sudo apt install gh  # Debian/Ubuntu
   

2. Verify the binary:

   gh attestation verify --owner jacksteamdev <binary path or URL>
   

The verification will show:

• The binary's SHA256 hash
• Confirmation that it was built by this repository's GitHub Actions workflows
• The specific workflow file and version tag that created it
• Compliance with SLSA Level 3 build requirements

How to add this MCP server to Cursor

There are two ways to add an MCP server to Cursor. The most common way is to add the server globally in the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file so that it is available in all of your projects.

If you only need the server in a single project, you can add it to the project instead by creating or adding it to the .cursor/mcp.json file.

Adding an MCP server to Cursor globally

To add a global MCP server go to Cursor Settings > MCP and click "Add new global MCP server".

When you click that button the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file will be opened and you can add your server like this:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "cursor-rules-mcp": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "cursor-rules-mcp"
            ]
        }
    }
}

Adding an MCP server to a project

To add an MCP server to a project you can create a new .cursor/mcp.json file or add it to the existing one. This will look exactly the same as the global MCP server example above.

How to use the MCP server

Once the server is installed, you might need to head back to Settings > MCP and click the refresh button.

The Cursor agent will then be able to see the available tools the added MCP server has available and will call them when it needs to.

You can also explictly ask the agent to use the tool by mentioning the tool name and describing what the function does.