Configuration

MCP Client Configuration

Edit ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "obsidian": {
      "command": "/usr/local/bin/obx",
      "args": ["mcp", "/path/to/your/vault"]
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop after saving.

The server may be auto-discovered. If not, add to your MCP configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "obsidian": {
      "command": "/usr/local/bin/obx",
      "args": ["mcp", "/path/to/your/vault"]
    }
  }
}

Run as an HTTP server for remote access or multi-client setups:

obx mcp /path/to/your/vault --http :8080

Or via environment variable:

OBSIDIAN_ADDR=:8080 obx mcp /path/to/your/vault

Then point your MCP client to http://localhost:8080/mcp.

The server communicates via stdio by default. Run it directly:

obx mcp /path/to/your/vault

Configure your MCP client to spawn this process.

Finding Your Vault Path

Vaults are typically in:

~/Documents/Obsidian/ (default location)
~/Library/Mobile Documents/iCloud~md~obsidian/Documents/ (iCloud)

Or open Obsidian → Settings → Files & Links → Vault path

Check your home directory:

~/Documents/Obsidian/
~/Obsidian/

Or wherever you created your vault.

Common locations:

C:\Users\YourName\Documents\Obsidian\
C:\Users\YourName\OneDrive\Obsidian\

Multiple Vaults

You have two main options for handling multiple vaults:

1. Dynamic Vault Switching (Recommended)

You can register vaults globally and allow the AI assistant to switch between them dynamically using the manage-vaults MCP tool.

First, register your vaults:

obx vault add work /path/to/work/vault
obx vault add personal /path/to/personal/vault

Then configure your MCP server to allow switching between them:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "obsidian": {
      "command": "/usr/local/bin/obx",
      "args": [
        "mcp",
        "--allow-vault-switching",
        "--allowed-vaults", "work,personal"
      ]
    }
  }
}

2. Multiple Server Instances

Alternatively, run multiple distinct server instances pointed at specific paths:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "work-vault": {
      "command": "/usr/local/bin/obx",
      "args": ["mcp", "/path/to/work/vault"]
    },
    "personal-vault": {
      "command": "/usr/local/bin/obx",
      "args": ["mcp", "/path/to/personal/vault"]
    }
  }
}

Troubleshooting

”Command not found”

The binary isn’t in your PATH. Either:

Use the full path: /usr/local/bin/obx
Add the install directory to your PATH

”Permission denied”

Make sure the binary is executable:

chmod +x /usr/local/bin/obx

Server not connecting

Check the vault path exists
Ensure the config JSON is valid
Restart your MCP client