Using the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to query Obsidian note taking

I've recently started using Claude Pro on the desktop. It can do a lot of things like simple coding and producing readable reports from data One way it can interface with your data in a more reliable way is by using the Model Context Protocol (MCP). To greatly simplify what MCP does, it pushes external data into prompts I've been keeping notes in Obsidian for a couple of years, it's semi structured and so an idea target for the LLM in Claude Pro You can find out about Obsidian on their site It's free to use and open source Add the obsidian-mcp server Adding this project is very simple, see the repo on github There is a npx one liner npx @smithery/cli install mcp-obsidian --client claude This automatically updates the config in Claude desktop and allows it to run the latest version of the mcp-obsidian server. Claude asks for the path to your Obsidian database, gets restarted and..... Fix a clash with another mcp server ...Trying simple queries against mcp-obsidian server didn't work for me! It kept failing and saying it couldn't find the files in a list of paths that didn't include the Obsidian database path I worked out that what was happening is that the previously installed "filesystem" mcp server which Anthropic give as an example was used as the basis of the mcp-obsidian server and this causes clashes I removed the filesystem mcp server and Obsidan was then available What it can do I found a useful prompt was 'using the mcp-obsidian MCP server, summarise activity in the Journal' Obsidian has a "Journal" feature for a daily record of activities Part of the output summarised what I have been doing and categorised it. With day to day work it is easy to loose track of what the themes are so this was helpful Journal Activity Summary Based on my analysis of your journal entries from late April to early May 2025, here's a summary of your activity: Journal Structure Your journal is well-organized with a consistent format that includes: A date header and status section listing ongoing tasks and projects A "Today" section with specific tasks accomplished that day Time tracking for workday start/finish and lunch breaks Navigation links to previous and next days Key Work Areas AWS & Cloud Infrastructure You've been working extensively on AWS infrastructure tasks including: Transit gateway configurations for network connectivity between environments Troubleshooting network paths between different environments (especially customer c9 qualifications) Implementing and fixing security configurations (IMDSv2) Infrastructure qualification (IQ) processes Monitoring & Observability A significant focus area appears to be implementing monitoring solutions: Setting up Prometheus and Grafana for monitoring Working on a "prometheus plan 2" with exporters and systemd configurations Configuring paths between exporters, Prometheus, and Grafana System Administration Regular administrative tasks include: Server maintenance and patching schedules System upgrades (Ubuntu 22.04/24.05) Authentication issues (SSSD configuration fixes) Access management for team members Support & Troubleshooting You provide regular support on issues like: Oracle database access problems Application performance investigations Infrastructure qualification failures Authentication and access issues what next I suppose I had better have a go at fixing the clash with the filesystem mcp server

May 6, 2025 - 16:59

Using the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to query Obsidian note taking

I've recently started using Claude Pro on the desktop. It can do a lot of things like simple coding and producing readable reports from data

One way it can interface with your data in a more reliable way is by using the Model Context Protocol (MCP). To greatly simplify what MCP does, it pushes external data into prompts

I've been keeping notes in Obsidian for a couple of years, it's semi structured and so an idea target for the LLM in Claude Pro

You can find out about Obsidian on their site It's free to use and open source

Add the obsidian-mcp server

Adding this project is very simple, see the repo on github
There is a npx one liner

npx @smithery/cli install mcp-obsidian --client claude

This automatically updates the config in Claude desktop and allows it to run the latest version of the mcp-obsidian server. Claude asks for the path to your Obsidian database, gets restarted and.....

Fix a clash with another mcp server

...Trying simple queries against mcp-obsidian server didn't work for me!

It kept failing and saying it couldn't find the files in a list of paths that didn't include the Obsidian database path

I worked out that what was happening is that the previously installed "filesystem" mcp server which Anthropic give as an example was used as the basis of the mcp-obsidian server and this causes clashes

I removed the filesystem mcp server and Obsidan was then available

What it can do

I found a useful prompt was 'using the mcp-obsidian MCP server, summarise activity in the Journal'
Obsidian has a "Journal" feature for a daily record of activities
Part of the output summarised what I have been doing and categorised it.
With day to day work it is easy to loose track of what the themes are so this was helpful

Journal Activity Summary

Based on my analysis of your journal entries from late April to early May 2025, here's a summary of your activity:
Journal Structure

Your journal is well-organized with a consistent format that includes:

A date header and status section listing ongoing tasks and projects

A "Today" section with specific tasks accomplished that day

Time tracking for workday start/finish and lunch breaks

Navigation links to previous and next days

Key Work Areas

AWS & Cloud Infrastructure

You've been working extensively on AWS infrastructure tasks including:

Transit gateway configurations for network connectivity between environments

Troubleshooting network paths between different environments (especially customer c9 qualifications)

Implementing and fixing security configurations (IMDSv2)

Infrastructure qualification (IQ) processes

Monitoring & Observability

A significant focus area appears to be implementing monitoring solutions:

Setting up Prometheus and Grafana for monitoring

Working on a "prometheus plan 2" with exporters and systemd configurations

Configuring paths between exporters, Prometheus, and Grafana

System Administration

Regular administrative tasks include:

Server maintenance and patching schedules

System upgrades (Ubuntu 22.04/24.05)

Authentication issues (SSSD configuration fixes)

Access management for team members

Support & Troubleshooting

You provide regular support on issues like:

Oracle database access problems

Application performance investigations

Infrastructure qualification failures

Authentication and access issues