Obsidian Vault MCP — Claude Code MCP server: how to install
Connects Zotero, MinerU, and Obsidian to automate research workflows. Parses scientific PDFs into Markdown and saves structured analysis notes inside your vault.
claude mcp add obsidian-vault-mcp -e OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH=<OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH> -- uvx zotero-obsidian-mcpWhat Obsidian Vault MCP does
This server connects Zotero reference data and the MinerU parser directly to an Obsidian vault. It provides 31 MCP tools and 7 research workflows. Agents locate entries by their Zotero keys. They convert PDF files into Markdown with extracted figures and update vault notes automatically.
Notes use five analysis templates, including deep reads and figure explanations. Vault modifications use transactional safeguards with dry-run previews and rollbacks. That prevents data corruption during batch edits.
The target folder must be opened in Obsidian beforehand to generate .obsidian/. Setup fails without it. You also need Python 3.10 or newer and an active Zotero Desktop instance with its local API enabled.
What it helps with
- Import paper metadata and notes from a local Zotero library
- Extract Markdown and diagrams from academic PDFs using MinerU
- Maintain structured analysis notes and synthesis wikis inside Obsidian
- Compare evidence and methodology across multiple papers
Example prompts for the agent
- Search my Zotero library for photocatalysis papers and import them into the vault
- Run a full read analysis on item ABCD1234 and save the note
- Extract and explain figure 1 from paper ABCD1234
How to install Obsidian Vault MCP
Platform CLI
claude mcp add obsidian-vault-mcp -e OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH=<OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH> -- uvx zotero-obsidian-mcpReplace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from zotero-obsidian-mcp <command>
Platform CLI
codex mcp add obsidian-vault-mcp --env OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH=<OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH> -- uvx zotero-obsidian-mcpReplace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from zotero-obsidian-mcp <command>
Config file
{
"mcpServers": {
"obsidian-vault-mcp": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"zotero-obsidian-mcp"
],
"env": {
"OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH": "<OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH>"
}
}
}
}Replace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from zotero-obsidian-mcp <command>
Config file
{
"servers": {
"obsidian-vault-mcp": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"zotero-obsidian-mcp"
],
"env": {
"OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH": "<OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH>"
}
}
}
}Replace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from zotero-obsidian-mcp <command>
Platform CLI
gemini mcp add -e OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH=<OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH> obsidian-vault-mcp uvx zotero-obsidian-mcpReplace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from zotero-obsidian-mcp <command>
Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to add an MCP server to Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI and more
Questions about Obsidian Vault MCP
How to install Obsidian Vault MCP in Claude Code?
Run claude mcp add obsidian-vault-mcp -e OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH=<OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH> -- uvx zotero-obsidian-mcp. Replace <OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH> with your Obsidian vault path.
What is Obsidian Vault MCP used for?
It orchestrates academic workflows between Zotero, MinerU, and Obsidian. Agents can search references, convert PDF papers to Markdown, and write cross-linked literature notes.
What are the prerequisites before starting this server?
You need Python 3.10+, an active Zotero Desktop instance with its local API turned on, and a directory containing an initialized .obsidian/ folder. Validate settings with obsidian-vault-mcp doctor.
