Obsidian Notes MCP Server

Facilitating integration between Large Language Models and local Knowledge Bases.

The Obsidian Notes Model Context Protocol (MCP) server provides a standardized interface for AI models (such as those utilized in LM Studio, Claude Desktop, and other MCP-compatible clients) to interact with a local Obsidian Vault. This implementation enables AI agents to navigate directory structures, index available notes, and retrieve Markdown content in real-time, effectively extending the model's context with personal knowledge.

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Key Capabilities

• Recursive Vault Indexing: Provides a comprehensive list of all Markdown files and directories within the vault, automatically excluding system directories (e.g., .git, .obsidian).
• Contextual Content Retrieval: Facilitates the retrieval of full Markdown note content for use as grounding context in LLM prompts.
• Enhanced Security: Implements robust path validation and traversal protection to ensure access is restricted to the designated vault directory.
• Standards-Compliant: Developed using the fastmcp SDK, ensuring compatibility with the Model Context Protocol.

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Technical Prerequisites

• Python 3.10 or higher
• An Obsidian Vault or a structured directory of Markdown files.
• An MCP-compatible Client (e.g., LM Studio, Claude Desktop, or MCP Inspector).

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Installation Guide

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd obsidian-notes-server

2. Environment Setup: It is recommended to use a virtual environment for dependency management.

   python -m venv venv
   # Windows
   venv\Scripts\activate
   # macOS/Linux
   source venv/bin/activate
   
   pip install -r requirements.txt

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Configuration

The server requires the absolute path to your Obsidian Vault.

1. Open server.py.
2. Modify the VAULT_PATH variable:

   # Specify the absolute path to your vault
   VAULT_PATH = r"C:\Path\To\Your\Obsidian Vault"

3. Save the modifications.

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Usage and Integration

Server Verification

To verify the server executes correctly within your environment:

python server.py

Note: While MCP servers are typically invoked by client applications, manual execution confirms the environment is correctly configured.

Client Integration (e.g., LM Studio)

Incorporate the following configuration into your MCP client settings:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "obsidian-notes-server": {
      "command": "C:/path/to/your/venv/Scripts/python.exe",
      "args": [
        "C:/path/to/your/repo/server.py"
      ]
    }
  }
}

For detailed guidance on integrating MCP servers with LM Studio, please refer to the official documentation.

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Tool Documentation

list_notes()

Recursively retrieves all Markdown file paths within the vault.

• Returns: A newline-delimited string of relative file paths.

list_folders()

Retrieves all directory paths within the vault to provide structural context.

• Returns: A newline-delimited string of relative folder paths.

read_note(filename: str)

Retrieves the raw text content of a specified note.

• Parameters:
  • filename: The relative path to the Markdown file.
• Returns: The complete string content of the document.
• Exception Handling: Returns sanitized error messages in the event of missing files or security violations.

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Security Architecture

• Read-Only Access: The server is restricted to read operations. It does not possess the capability to modify, delete, or create files within the vault.
• Input Validation: The read_note tool implements strict input sanitization, rejecting any paths containing parent directory references (..) or absolute path indicators to prevent directory traversal attacks.

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Further Information

For a detailed breakdown and comprehensive information regarding the Obsidian Notes MCP Server, please visit: project-breakdown101.web.app