obsidian-notes

Work with Obsidian vaults (plain Markdown notes) and automate via obsidian-cli.

3,891 stars
Complexity: easy

About this skill

This skill provides AI agents with the capability to programmatically interact with Obsidian vaults. It leverages `obsidian-cli`, a command-line interface tool, to perform operations such as searching for notes by name or content, creating new notes with specified content, and managing default vaults. An Obsidian vault is treated as a standard folder containing Markdown files, making it accessible and interoperable. Agents can use this skill to streamline tasks related to knowledge management, content creation, and information retrieval within Obsidian. By abstracting the file system interactions, it allows AI to seamlessly integrate with a user's existing Obsidian setup, whether for personal documentation, project notes, or research. The skill ensures that agents follow best practices for Obsidian interaction, such as reading vault configurations from `obsidian.json` and avoiding hardcoded paths. Key functionalities include setting and printing the default vault, powerful search capabilities (by note name or content with snippets), and creating new notes. This makes it an essential tool for any user who wants to extend the power of AI into their Obsidian-based workflow.

Best use case

The primary use case for this skill is to empower AI agents to automate and enhance tasks within Obsidian, benefiting users who rely on Obsidian for personal knowledge management, research, or project documentation. It's ideal for quickly finding information, generating new content, or organizing notes without manual intervention.

Work with Obsidian vaults (plain Markdown notes) and automate via obsidian-cli.

Users can expect seamless programmatic interaction with their Obsidian notes, enabling automated content management, search, and creation tasks via an AI agent.

Practical example

Example input

Search my default Obsidian vault for all notes mentioning 'AI agent best practices' and provide a summary of the key takeaways from the first 5 search results.

Example output

Found 3 notes related to 'AI agent best practices': 'Agent Principles.md', 'Prompt Engineering Tips.md', 'Ethical AI Deployment.md'. Key takeaways include focusing on clear task definition, iterating on prompts, and considering ethical implications for successful agent deployment.

When to use this skill

  • To programmatically search for information across your Obsidian notes and vaults.
  • When you need to automate the creation of new notes or append content to existing ones.
  • For integrating your Obsidian knowledge base with other AI-driven workflows or tools.
  • To manage your default Obsidian vault settings via script or agent command.

When not to use this skill

  • When performing complex visual interactions within the Obsidian desktop application (e.g., graph view, plugin UI).
  • If Obsidian is not installed or the `obsidian-cli` command-line tool is not available on your system.
  • For direct manipulation of Obsidian's internal configuration files (e.g., `.obsidian/` settings) that are not exposed via `obsidian-cli`.
  • If you prefer manual, direct editing of Markdown files without needing automation.

Installation

Claude Code / Cursor / Codex

$curl -o ~/.claude/skills/obsidian-notes/SKILL.md --create-dirs "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/openclaw/skills/main/skills/164149043/obsidian-notes/SKILL.md"

Manual Installation

  1. Download SKILL.md from GitHub
  2. Place it in .claude/skills/obsidian-notes/SKILL.md inside your project
  3. Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill

How obsidian-notes Compares

Feature / Agentobsidian-notesStandard Approach
Platform SupportNot specifiedLimited / Varies
Context Awareness High Baseline
Installation ComplexityeasyN/A

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this skill do?

Work with Obsidian vaults (plain Markdown notes) and automate via obsidian-cli.

How difficult is it to install?

The installation complexity is rated as easy. You can find the installation instructions above.

Where can I find the source code?

You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.

Related Guides

SKILL.md Source

# Obsidian

Obsidian vault = a normal folder on disk.

Vault structure (typical)
- Notes: `*.md` (plain text Markdown; edit with any editor)
- Config: `.obsidian/` (workspace + plugin settings; usually don't touch from scripts)
- Canvases: `*.canvas` (JSON)
- Attachments: whatever folder you chose in Obsidian settings (images/PDFs/etc.)

## Find the active vault(s)

Obsidian desktop tracks vaults here (source of truth):
- `~/Library/Application Support/obsidian/obsidian.json`

`obsidian-cli` resolves vaults from that file; vault name is typically the **folder name** (path suffix).

Fast "what vault is active / where are the notes?"
- If you've already set a default: `obsidian-cli print-default --path-only`
- Otherwise, read `~/Library/Application Support/obsidian/obsidian.json` and use the vault entry with `"open": true`.

Notes
- Multiple vaults common (iCloud vs `~/Documents`, work/personal, etc.). Don't guess; read config.
- Avoid writing hardcoded vault paths into scripts; prefer reading the config or using `print-default`.

## obsidian-cli quick start

Pick a default vault (once):
- `obsidian-cli set-default "<vault-folder-name>"`
- `obsidian-cli print-default` / `obsidian-cli print-default --path-only`

Search
- `obsidian-cli search "query"` (note names)
- `obsidian-cli search-content "query"` (inside notes; shows snippets + lines)

Create
- `obsidian-cli create "Folder/New note" --content "..." --open`
- Requires Obsidian URI handler (`obsidian://…`) working (Obsidian installed).
- Avoid creating notes under "hidden" dot-folders (e.g. `.something/...`) via URI; Obsidian may refuse.

Move/rename (safe refactor)
- `obsidian-cli move "old/path/note" "new/path/note"`
- Updates `[[wikilinks]]` and common Markdown links across the vault (this is the main win vs `mv`).

Delete
- `obsidian-cli delete "path/note"`

Prefer direct edits when appropriate: open the `.md` file and change it; Obsidian will pick it up.

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