Obsidian HTTP MCP

Finally use Claude Code to manage your Obsidian notes - no more crashes or broken pipes

The first HTTP-native MCP server for Obsidian that solves stdio transport bugs affecting Claude Code CLI (#3071, #9176, #9662)

Also compatible with: Claude Desktop, Codex, Gemini, and other MCP clients

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Why This Exists

First HTTP-native MCP server for Obsidian. Solves stdio transport failures (BrokenPipeError) affecting Claude Code CLI. HTTP bypasses these issues entirely.

Fast & efficient: <200ms response, 70% fewer API calls, MCP-optimized for minimal token usage

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🎬 See It In Action

Claude Code controlling an Obsidian vault via HTTP-native MCP - no stdio bugs, just seamless AI-powered note management

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Table of Contents

• What Makes This Different?
• Quick Start
• Your Obsidian, Powered by AI
• Updating
• Command Line Options
• Troubleshooting

🎯 What Makes This Different?

✅ HTTP that works - No stdio crashes, no BrokenPipeError, no frustration

⏱️ Lightning fast - Create, find, edit, and move notes instantly - even with typos

🛡️ Never lose data - Built-in protection against accidental deletions

⚙️ Set up in 1 minute - No complex configuration, works out of the box

💪 Built for real use - Handles thousands of notes without slowdowns

💸 Token-conscious - Intelligent design minimizes AI usage costs

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⚡ Quick Start (1 min)

💡 New to the codebase? Ask an AI assistant to guide you: "Based on README.md and TECHNICAL.md, walk me through how the HTTP-native MCP server works"

Prerequisites

1. Obsidian with Local REST API plugin
2. Node.js 18+ - Download here
3. MCP-compatible AI (e.g., Claude Code CLI, Claude Desktop, Codex, etc.)

STEP 1: Configure Obsidian Plugin

• Settings → Community Plugins → Search "Local REST API" → Enable
• Enable "Non encrypted (HTTP) API"
• Copy the API key (you'll need it next)

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STEP 2: Install & Setup

Install where Obsidian is installed:

npm install -g obsidian-http-mcp
obsidian-http-mcp --setup
# Enter your Obsidian API key when prompted
# Press Enter to accept defaults for URL and port

Config saved to ~/.obsidian-mcp/config.json - you won't need to type this again.

Cross-platform users: If your AI runs on WSL2 but Obsidian on Windows, install the server on Windows.

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STEP 3: Start Server

Where you installed (same system as Obsidian):

obsidian-http-mcp

⚠️ Keep this terminal running. After reboot, run obsidian-http-mcp again.

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STEP 4: Connect Your AI

If your AI runs where the server is installed:

claude mcp add -s user --transport http obsidian-http http://localhost:3000/mcp  # Adapt command to your AI

If your AI runs elsewhere (e.g., Claude on WSL2, server on Windows):

1. Find server's IP address on the system where the server runs:

# Windows PowerShell
ipconfig | findstr "vEthernet"

# Linux
ip addr show | grep inet

1. Connect from where your AI runs:

claude mcp add -s user --transport http obsidian-http http://SERVER_IP:3000/mcp  # Adapt command to your AI

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STEP 5: Use with Your AI

Run where your AI is installed (Windows, Linux, or WSL2):

claude  # Or your AI CLI command
# Try: "List all folders in my Obsidian vault"

That's it! Your AI will automatically connect to the server every time you start a conversation (as long as the server is running).

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🔄 Updating

To update to the latest version:

npm install -g obsidian-http-mcp@latest

After updating, restart the server:

obsidian-http-mcp

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✨ Your Obsidian, Powered by AI

No more switching between AI and Obsidian - Control your vault directly from your AI assistant

Never lose data - Soft delete protects against accidental AI operations (files moved to .trash-http-mcp/ by default)

Work at AI speed - Fuzzy search finds files even with typos, intelligent cache reduces API calls by 70%

Scale confidently - Handles 1000+ notes without breaking a sweat (<200ms response time)

What You Can Do:

• Read, write, and edit notes seamlessly without leaving your AI conversation
• Find any file instantly with fuzzy matching ("meeting notes" finds "Meeting-Notes-2024.md")
• Search across thousands of notes in seconds with full regex support
• Move, rename, or delete files with built-in safety features

See TECHNICAL.md for complete tool specifications and architecture details.

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📖 Command Line Options

obsidian-http-mcp --help

Options:
  --setup              Interactive setup (saves to ~/.obsidian-mcp/config.json)
  --api-key <key>      Obsidian REST API key (overrides config)
  --base-url <url>     Obsidian REST API URL (default: http://127.0.0.1:27123)
  --port <port>        Server port (default: 3000)
  --help, -h           Show help
  --version, -v        Show version

Config Priority:
  1. CLI arguments (--api-key, --base-url, --port)
  2. Environment variables (OBSIDIAN_API_KEY, OBSIDIAN_BASE_URL, PORT)
  3. Config file (~/.obsidian-mcp/config.json)
  4. .env file

Alternative: Using .env file (on same system as Obsidian):

1. Create .env with OBSIDIAN_API_KEY=your_key
2. Run: obsidian-http-mcp (Windows PowerShell or Linux terminal)

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🔧 Troubleshooting

WSL2: Connection refused

Find your Windows bridge IP:

On Windows PowerShell (not WSL2):

ipconfig | findstr "IPv4"
# Look for "vEthernet (WSL)" interface
# Example output: IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 172.19.32.1

Then reconnect from WSL2 terminal:

claude mcp add -s user --transport http obsidian-http http://YOUR_IP:3000/mcp
# Replace YOUR_IP with the IP from above

Why not 127.0.0.1:27123 directly? Port 27123 is Obsidian's REST API (custom HTTP protocol). Port 3000 is the MCP Server that translates between MCP protocol (used by your AI) and Obsidian's REST API. They are different protocols - the MCP server acts as a translator/proxy.

Windows Firewall blocks WSL2

Run on Windows PowerShell as Administrator:

New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "MCP Server" -Direction Inbound -LocalPort 3000 -Protocol TCP -Action Allow

Port already in use

Run on the same system as Obsidian (Windows PowerShell or Linux terminal):

obsidian-http-mcp --api-key YOUR_KEY --port 3001

Need more help? See TROUBLESHOOTING.md for detailed troubleshooting and TECHNICAL.md for network architecture.

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⚠️ Security Notice

Designed for trusted networks (localhost, LAN, VPN). For production deployment:

• Use reverse proxy (nginx/caddy) with authentication
• Enable HTTPS/TLS
• Configure rate limiting
• See SECURITY.md for full checklist

Current state: Binds to 0.0.0.0 for cross-platform compatibility (WSL2 ↔ Windows). Do NOT expose directly to the Internet.

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🤝 Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md for development setup and guidelines.

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📝 License

MIT - See LICENSE

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🌟 Support

If this project helps you, please star it on GitHub!

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🔗 Related

• Obsidian Local REST API
• Model Context Protocol
• Claude Code CLI

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Built with ❤️ for the Obsidian + AI community