obsidian

Obsidian Skill

Routing Policy

Use the backend that best matches user intent:

1. MCP (default for vault data operations)

   • Read/write/patch/search notes
   • Move/rename notes with move_note, then explicitly repair backlinks
   • Frontmatter and tag updates
   • Metadata and batch note operations

2. Obsidian CLI/App context (only when app context is needed)

   • Open a note in Obsidian from URI
   • Trigger app/plugin workflows that MCP cannot perform

3. CLI git (sync/backup workflows)

   • Initialize repo, configure remote, commit, pull, push
   • Periodic or manual vault backup/sync requests

When a request is ambiguous, pick MCP first unless the user explicitly asks for sync/backup/git/app behavior.

Safe Note Rename Workflow

Use MCP move_note for every note move or rename, even when Obsidian is running. Do not invoke the Obsidian CLI move command automatically: delayed link rewrites can apply stale byte offsets to notes edited after the move began, silently corrupting unrelated content (#176). Reconsider CLI moves only after an upstream fix has been independently retested.

Backlink preservation is an explicit, verifiable second step:

1. Before moving, search for the old wikilink target using both its vault-relative path and filename without the extension. If Obsidian is running, its read-only backlinks command may supplement discovery, but it does not replace the MCP search.
2. Move the note with MCP move_note.
3. Read each referring note and patch only exact wikilink targets, including embeds and links with aliases or fragments. Preserve display text (|alias) and #heading / #^block-id suffixes while changing the target.
4. Search again for the old path and basename. Report any remaining references instead of claiming success.
5. search_notes returns at most 20 results. If a search reaches that cap, or the old basename is ambiguous, tell the user exhaustive backlink repair cannot be proven and ask before continuing with a broader scan.

Report the move and backlink repair separately: which note moved, how many referring notes changed, and any stale references that remain.

Gotchas

1. patch_note rejects multi-match by default. With replaceAll: false, if oldString appears more than once the call fails and returns matchCount. Set replaceAll: true only when you mean it, or add surrounding context to make the match unique.

2. patch_note matches inside frontmatter. The replacement runs against the full file including the YAML block. A generic string like title: will match frontmatter fields. Include enough context to target the right occurrence.

3. patch_note forbids empty strings. Both oldString and newString must be non-empty and non-whitespace. To delete text, use newString with a single space or restructure the note with write_note.

4. search_notes returns minified JSON. Fields are abbreviated: p (path), t (title), ex (excerpt), mc (matchCount), ln (lineNumber), uri (obsidianUri). Hard cap of 20 results regardless of limit.

5. search_notes multi-word queries score terms individually AND as a phrase. Each term is OR-matched, so a document matching any term appears in results. The full phrase gets an additional scoring boost.

6. write_note auto-creates directories. Parent folders are created recursively. In append/prepend mode, if the note doesn't exist it's created. Frontmatter is merged (new keys override) in append/prepend; replaced entirely in overwrite.

7. delete_note requires exact path confirmation. confirmPath must be character-identical to path. No normalization, no trailing-slash tolerance. Mismatch silently fails with success: false.

8. move_file needs double confirmation. Both confirmOldPath and confirmNewPath must exactly match their counterparts. Use move_note for markdown renames (text-aware, no confirmation needed); use move_file only for binary files or when you need binary-safe moves.

9. manage_tags reads from two sources but writes to one. list merges frontmatter tags + inline #hashtags. add/remove only modify the frontmatter tags array. Inline tags are never touched.

10. read_multiple_notes never rejects. Uses allSettled internally. Failed files appear in the err array; successful ones in ok. Always check both. Hard limit of 10 paths per call.

Error Recovery

Git Sync Mode

When the user asks to "sync", "backup", or "store my vault with git", use CLI git with this behavior:

1. Run a preflight before changing anything:

   • git available
   • current directory is a git repo (or prompt to initialize)
   • git config user.name and git config user.email are set
   • at least one remote exists for push/pull sync

2. If preflight is incomplete, ask exactly one targeted question with a recommended default.

   • Use askuserquestion for decisions that materially change behavior.
   • Good examples:
     • "No git repo found. Initialize one in this vault now? (Recommended: Yes)"
     • "No remote configured. Set up GitHub remote now via gh if available, or provide remote URL? (Recommended: Set up via gh)"
     • "Local and remote diverged. Try git pull --rebase now? (Recommended: Yes)"

3. Safe sync sequence (never force push by default):

   • git add -A
   • git commit -m "vault sync: YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm" (skip commit if no changes)
   • git pull --rebase
   • git push

4. gh is optional:

   • Use gh only for remote bootstrapping (create repo / set origin) when requested.
   • Do not require gh for normal sync once remote is configured.

5. Stop on conflicts and report clear next steps.

   • Do not auto-resolve merge conflicts silently.
   • Explain what failed and what user should run next.

Obsidian CLI Mode

When the user asks for app-context operations (active file, open in editor, daily notes with templates, backlinks), use the Obsidian CLI directly via shell commands.

1. Run a preflight before first CLI use:

   • Resolve the CLI binary using the first match from these candidates:

     Priority	macOS	Linux	Windows
     1	obsidian (PATH)	obsidian (PATH)	obsidian.exe or Obsidian.com (PATH)
     2	/Applications/Obsidian.app/Contents/MacOS/obsidian-cli	—	—
     3	/Applications/Obsidian.app/Contents/MacOS/Obsidian	—	—

     Obsidian 1.12.7+ installer bundles a dedicated obsidian-cli binary (~10x faster than the legacy Electron-based CLI: ~25ms vs ~250ms per call). On macOS, after installing the 1.12.7+ installer, disable then re-enable the CLI in Settings > General > Advanced to update PATH registration. This replaces the old ~/.zprofile PATH entry with a /usr/local/bin/obsidian symlink pointing to obsidian-cli.

     On Linux, PATH registration creates a symlink at /usr/local/bin/obsidian (or ~/.local/bin/obsidian as fallback). On Windows, the installer places an Obsidian.com terminal redirector alongside Obsidian.exe.

     Note: The priority table and stale PATH check are verified on macOS only. Linux and Windows may also bundle obsidian-cli with the 1.12.7+ installer, but this has not been confirmed. Contributions welcome via issue or PR.

   • Stale PATH check (macOS): If priority 1 resolved obsidian on PATH, check whether it points to the fast binary or the slow Electron launcher:

     Resolved path	Meaning	Action
     /usr/local/bin/obsidian → obsidian-cli	1.12.7 symlink registration	None — fast binary
     /Applications/.../MacOS/obsidian	Old ~/.zprofile entry (pre-1.12.7 registration or 1.12.7 installer without re-registering)	Check if obsidian-cli exists in the bundle

     If obsidian resolves to the MacOS directory (not /usr/local/bin) AND /Applications/Obsidian.app/Contents/MacOS/obsidian-cli exists, tell the user: "Obsidian 1.12.7+ is installed but PATH still points to the slower Electron binary. In Obsidian, go to Settings > General > Advanced and disable then re-enable the CLI to update PATH registration." Continue with whichever priority matched — this is advisory, not blocking.

   • Check Obsidian is running: pgrep -xiq obsidian (macOS/Linux) or tasklist /FI "IMAGENAME eq Obsidian.exe" /NH (Windows)

   • If either fails, tell the user and fall back to MCP tools + obsidian:// URIs

2. Vault targeting: obsidian vault="VaultName" <command>. If OBSIDIAN_VAULT_NAME is set, use that explicit value. Otherwise run obsidian vaults, match the MCP vault path to a registered vault, and use its registered name. If no unique match exists, ask the user. Never infer the registered name from the folder basename.

3. Key commands:

   # Read the currently active file
   obsidian read
    
   # Read a specific file
   obsidian read file="My Note"
    
   # Open a file in Obsidian
   obsidian open path="Notes/example.md"
    
   # Open today's daily note
   obsidian daily
    
   # Append to daily note
   obsidian daily:append content="- [ ] New task"
    
   # Search (Obsidian's own search, different from MCP's BM25)
   obsidian search query="meeting notes" limit=10
    
   # List all tags with frequency
   obsidian tags sort=count counts
    
   # Get backlinks for a note
   obsidian backlinks file="My Note"
    
   # Find unresolved links
   obsidian unresolved

   Do not use obsidian move; follow Safe Note Rename Workflow with MCP move_note and explicit backlink repair.

4. Run obsidian help for the full command reference. The CLI evolves with Obsidian releases.

5. When to use CLI vs MCP:

   • MCP for reads/writes/search/tags/frontmatter and all note moves/renames (sandboxed, validated, works headless)
   • CLI for active file, daily notes with template expansion, read-only backlink discovery, open in editor, and plugin commands
   • After move_note, repair and verify backlinks explicitly with the Safe Note Rename Workflow
   • If unsure, prefer MCP

Resources

Load these only when needed, not on every invocation.

• Tool Patterns - read when you need a tool's response shape, mode details, or the move_note vs move_file decision
• Obsidian Conventions - read when creating/writing note content (link syntax, frontmatter fields, daily note format, template variables)
• Git Sync - read when user asks for backup/sync/store-vault workflows with git/gh