Core Features

Designed for safety, performance, and developer experience. Every feature gives AI intelligent access without compromising your data.

Powerful Search

Fast full-text search with multi-word matching and BM25 relevance ranking. AI can locate notes by content, tags, or metadata instantly.

Safe Frontmatter Handling

YAML parser validates and preserves formatting, ensuring safe atomic updates to note metadata.

File Operations

Read, write, and manage notes safely. Create, update, and organize your vault with AI assistance.

Security First

Path traversal protection and safe file operations. Controlled AI access through MCP protocol.

Node.js Compatible

Built with Node.js for broad compatibility and ecosystem support.

Token Optimized

Minified JSON field names and compact responses. Less token usage means faster, cheaper API calls.

TypeScript

Fully typed for excellent developer experience.

Open Source

MIT licensed and community driven.

Complete Toolkit

14 MCP tools for vault management: read/write/patch/move files, search content, manage tags, update frontmatter, vault stats, and more. Built for AI assistant integration.

Multi-Platform

Works with Claude Desktop, ChatGPT+ Desktop, OpenCode, Gemini CLI, OpenAI Codex, Cursor, Windsurf, IntelliJ, and other MCP-compatible AI platforms.

Why Choose MCP-Vault?

See how MCP-Vault compares to plugin-based alternatives and direct file manipulation. Purpose-built for Obsidian means better safety, performance, and intelligence.

Feature
MCP-Vault
This package
Other MCP-Vault
Plugin-based
Direct File Access
Manual approach
Setup Complexity
Simple
Just point to vault path - works instantly
Complex
Requires Obsidian plugin + API key setup
Variable
Depends on chosen approach
Obsidian Running Required
No
Works with closed Obsidian - direct file access
Yes
Obsidian must be running with REST API plugin
No
Direct file manipulation
Plugin Dependencies
None
Zero dependencies - pure file system access
Required
Needs Local REST API community plugin
None
No additional software needed
Frontmatter Safety
Protected
Advanced YAML parsing with validation
API-dependent
Safety depends on Obsidian API implementation
Can corrupt
No safety mechanisms
Built-in Search
Advanced
Full-text search with BM25 relevance ranking
Good
Uses Obsidian's search via API
None
Basic grep at best
Performance
Fast
Optimized for large vaults with batch I/O
API overhead
HTTP API calls add latency
Variable
Depends on system capabilities
Link Handling
Safe
Preserves note content and frontmatter during moves
Good
Leverages Obsidian's link management
Breaks links
Can corrupt references
Reliability
High
Direct file access - no intermediary failures
Plugin-dependent
Can fail if Obsidian crashes or plugin issues
Variable
Depends on implementation quality
8/8
Features with clear advantage
Zero
Plugin dependencies required
Instant
Setup time (vs hours)
Install Now View Source

FAQ

Common setup and safety questions.

Does my data leave my computer?

Vault files stay on your machine. MCP-Vault reads and writes local files directly. Your AI provider only sees content that your client sends to it.

Does Obsidian need to be running?

No. MCP-Vault uses filesystem access, so it works even when Obsidian is closed.

Can I use multiple vaults?

Yes. Configure multiple MCP server entries, each pointing to a different vault path.

What file types are supported?

Read and write tools support .md, .markdown, .txt, .base, and .canvas files. Directory listing can include other filenames (like images or PDFs), but non-note files are not read as notes.

Is search semantic?

Search is lexical full-text search with multi-word matching and BM25 relevance ranking. It does not use embeddings or vector indexes.

What if the AI makes a mistake?

Use version control or vault backups for recovery. Deletions require path confirmation, and write operations are scoped to your selected vault.