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Obsidian

Obsidian and Claude: your vault, open to every AI agent.

Obsidian showed the world how good notes can be as plain Markdown files. Here’s how to let Claude and ChatGPT read and add to them: locally with a bit of tinkering, or in the cloud in five minutes.

Reading time: 8 minutesUpdated:

01

What Obsidian gets right

Obsidian took a simple idea and made it big: your notes are files. No format only one app can read, no database you can never get out of. Just a folder of Markdown you’ll still be able to open in ten years.

Add [[wikilinks]] that connect ideas instead of locking them into folders, and a community that has built a plugin for almost every way of working. Once you’ve had a well-kept vault, there’s no going back.

That’s exactly why Obsidian is where so many people keep their second brain. And that’s exactly why the question comes up: why can’t my AI assistant read it?

02

What stays the same when your vault moves to the cloud

WhyVault keeps exactly what makes Obsidian strong. You change the place, not the format.

  • Plain Markdown

    Every note is a .md file. No custom syntax, no blocks that only one app understands.

  • [[Wikilinks]]

    Links between notes work just like you’re used to, backlinks included.

  • Folders & frontmatter

    Your folder structure and the YAML fields at the top of each note come through the import untouched.

  • Back to Obsidian

    The export is a zip that Obsidian opens directly as a vault. Anytime, even without a subscription.

03

The catch: your vault lives on your laptop

Obsidian is local-first, and that’s on purpose. The app reads a folder on your computer. Obsidian Sync keeps your devices in step, and Obsidian Publish puts selected notes on the web for people to read. But there’s no Obsidian web or cloud endpoint that an assistant can reach.

Claude in the browser, ChatGPT on your phone or an agent running overnight can’t get to your laptop. So you paste notes into the chat, explain your projects for the tenth time and copy decisions back by hand afterwards. The very problem a second brain was supposed to solve.

04

The local way: Obsidian MCP with Claude Desktop

If you like to tinker and mostly use Claude on your own computer, you can do this today. Roughly, it looks like this:

  1. 1

    Install a plugin

    In Obsidian, install a community plugin that opens your vault to other apps, usually Local REST API. It creates an API key and listens on your computer.

  2. 2

    Set up an MCP server

    An MCP server translates between Claude and the plugin. There are several from the community, such as mcp-obsidian. You’ll need Python or Node.js on your computer.

  3. 3

    Configure Claude Desktop

    Add the server with your API key to claude_desktop_config.json and restart Claude Desktop.

    {
  "mcpServers": {
    "obsidian": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["mcp-obsidian"],
      "env": { "OBSIDIAN_API_KEY": "…" }
    }
  }
}
  4. 4

    Keep Obsidian open

    Claude can only reach your vault while Obsidian is running on that computer. The connection isn’t available in Claude on the web or in the mobile app.

05

Local or in the cloud?

Both are Markdown, and both belong to you. The difference is who can reach them.

–Obsidian + local MCP serverWhyVault
Where your notes liveAs files on your computerHosted in Frankfurt, exportable as a zip anytime
SetupPlugin, MCP server, API key, JSON configSign in, paste the connector URL, confirm
Claude on the web & mobileNot reachableYes, wherever Claude runs
ChatGPT, Cursor & co.Separate setup for each toolOne URL for every agent
What the agent changedIn your file history, if you use Git or SyncEvery change in the history with the agent’s name, undo in one click
Deleting by the agentDepends on the MCP serverNot possible over MCP at all
Plugins & graph viewThe whole Obsidian ecosystemNo, WhyVault stays simple on purpose
Where your notes live
Obsidian + local MCP serverAs files on your computer
WhyVaultHosted in Frankfurt, exportable as a zip anytime
Setup
Obsidian + local MCP serverPlugin, MCP server, API key, JSON config
WhyVaultSign in, paste the connector URL, confirm
Claude on the web & mobile
Obsidian + local MCP serverNot reachable
WhyVaultYes, wherever Claude runs
ChatGPT, Cursor & co.
Obsidian + local MCP serverSeparate setup for each tool
WhyVaultOne URL for every agent
What the agent changed
Obsidian + local MCP serverIn your file history, if you use Git or Sync
WhyVaultEvery change in the history with the agent’s name, undo in one click
Deleting by the agent
Obsidian + local MCP serverDepends on the MCP server
WhyVaultNot possible over MCP at all
Plugins & graph view
Obsidian + local MCP serverThe whole Obsidian ecosystem
WhyVaultNo, WhyVault stays simple on purpose

If you rarely leave your desk and love plugins like Dataview, the local way is a good choice. If you want your assistant with you everywhere, a hosted vault is simpler.

06

Put your Obsidian vault in the cloud in five minutes

  1. 1

    Zip your vault folder

    Right-click your vault folder → Compress. WhyVault skips the settings in .obsidian/ and the trash when importing.

  2. 2

    Import into WhyVault

    Create an account, choose an empty vault and upload the zip file. Folders, frontmatter and [[links]] arrive just the way you know them.

  3. 3

    Connect Claude

    In Claude, go to Customize → Connectors, choose Add custom connector with the URL https://mcp.whyvault.io and confirm. Guide with screenshots

  4. 4

    Start asking

    For example: “Read my vault and sum up what I’m working on right now.” Now that works on the go in the Claude app, too.

07

What it feels like

On the go, between two meetings, in the Claude app on your phone:

Claude

  1. You: What did we decide on pricing, and why?

  2. Tool: search_notes · “pricing decision”

    Claude: “2026-09-12 Pricing model” says: one Pro plan at €9.99 a month, because two tiers at launch create more explaining than revenue. The assumption behind it: most people don’t need team features.

  3. You: Add that we’ll revisit this after the first 50 customers.

  4. Tool: update_section · “Consequences”

    Claude: Done. I added it to the “Consequences” section, and you can see the change in the history.

The same note you created in Obsidian. Now reachable from any app.

The format was never the problem. Only the place.

?

Frequently asked questions

Can I keep using Obsidian?

Yes. You can export anytime and open the zip in Obsidian. There’s no ongoing two-way sync between Obsidian and WhyVault, though. It’s simplest when one place is the source of truth.

What happens to my plugins?

Plugins only run inside Obsidian. Your notes stay readable: Dataview queries or Excalidraw drawings come through as plain text, but WhyVault doesn’t render them.

Does this work with ChatGPT too?

Yes. WhyVault speaks MCP, the open standard supported by Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and many others. You connect every agent with the same URL. All setup guides

Do I still need Obsidian Sync?

Not for the notes that live in WhyVault: the web app and your agents always see the same version. If you keep using Obsidian for other vaults, Sync still makes sense for those.

How much does it cost?

WhyVault is free for up to 20 notes, no credit card needed. Pro costs €9.99 a month or €99 a year and has no limit. Reading and exporting always work, even without a subscription.

All guides

Take your vault with you.

Import your Obsidian vault and connect Claude in five minutes. Free, no credit card.

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