Vault MCP

Vault MCP is an MCP server embedded directly as an Obsidian desktop plugin that allows AI clients to interact directly with Markdown notes and vault files. Built for Obsidian users, researchers, and developers who rely on structured personal knowledge management, it connects AI models to local notes without requiring external vector databases or complex REST infrastructures. The plugin exposes standardized tools to read note contents, search across file names and text using fuzzy matching, list directories with configurable depth, and create or update files. It supports programmatic edits through a simplified unified diff format inspired by coding assistants, which helps models apply precise line changes, alongside an automatic rollback tool to revert accidental modifications. Additionally, Vault MCP allows users to define custom YAML schemas using JSON Schema draft-07 standards. These schemas dynamically register typesafe MCP tools, enabling large language models to reliably generate and update structured frontmatter and formatted notes without breaking layout or syntax.

Category: Files, Documents & PDFs

Tags: knowledge-management, markdown, notes, obsidian

Visit Vault MCP

How to install and configure Vault MCP

1. Open Obsidian on desktop and navigate to Settings > Community Plugins. 2. Search for "Vault MCP", click Install, and then click Enable. 3. In the Vault MCP settings tab, configure your Server Port (default 3000) and Binding Host (default 127.0.0.1). Optionally toggle "Enable Authentication" to set up a Bearer token. 4. Click "Restart Server" to apply your settings. 5. Because the server uses Server-Sent Events (SSE) and StreamHTTP, configure stdio-based clients like Claude Desktop by running an mcp-remote proxy. Add the following entry to your claude_desktop_config.json: json { "mcpServers": { "obsidian": { "command": "npx", "args": ["mcp-remote", "http://localhost:<your_server_port>/sse"] } } } Replace <your_server_port> with your configured port number.

What you can do with Vault MCP

• Performing fuzzy searches across vault file names and note contents to retrieve relevant research notes for an LLM prompt. - Modifying Markdown files incrementally using simplified unified diffs to update existing text without overwriting entire notes. - Reverting unwanted or inaccurate AI edits by calling the rollback tool to restore the previous file state instantly. - Enforcing structured note creation by defining YAML schemas that automatically expose validation tools for consistent frontmatter data. - Navigating and indexing directory trees within an Obsidian vault programmatically using depth and limit parameters.

Key facts

• Open Source
• https://github.com/jlevere/obsidian-mcp-plugin
• Files, Documents & PDFs, Notes & Knowledge Management
• knowledge-management, markdown, notes, obsidian

Part of MCP Servers

How do I install Vault MCP?

You can install Vault MCP directly from the Obsidian Community Plugins directory by searching for Vault MCP and clicking Install then Enable. Alternatively, download the latest release zip from the repository and extract it into your vault plugins directory before activating it in settings.

What can Vault MCP do?

Vault MCP lets AI clients read, upsert, and list files inside your Obsidian vault. It supports fuzzy searching across titles and body text, applies targeted line edits using unified diffs, provides rollback functionality for recent edits, and dynamically generates custom tools from schemas.

Which MCP clients work with Vault MCP?

Vault MCP operates over HTTP and Server-Sent Events. Clients supporting SSE can connect directly. For desktop clients that require stdio communication, such as Claude Desktop, you can connect by configuring an mcp-remote proxy command pointing to your local SSE endpoint.

Is Vault MCP open source?

Yes, Vault MCP is an open-source project hosted on GitHub under the repository jlevere/obsidian-mcp-plugin, where users can review the codebase, report issues, and follow development updates.