stellavault — Claude Code MCP server: search your Obsidian vault
A local MCP server that lets Claude search, question and draft from your Obsidian vault. 21 tools, no API keys.
claude mcp add --env STELLAVAULT_DB_PATH=<STELLAVAULT_DB_PATH> --transport stdio stellavault -- npx -y stellavaultWhat stellavault does
Stellavault hands your notes folder to the agent as a source: semantic and keyword search, questions answered from the vault, drafts, link checks. It runs over stdio and computes embeddings on your machine, so nothing is sent to a cloud service and no keys are involved. Your original files stay untouched.
For Claude the quick route is claude mcp add stellavault -- npx -y stellavault. To pin the database to a known location, add the variable: claude mcp add --env STELLAVAULT_DB_PATH=<STELLAVAULT_DB_PATH> --transport stdio stellavault -- npx -y stellavault. Node.js 20 or newer is required — older runtimes won't start the server.
Without STELLAVAULT_DB_PATH the index lands wherever the server picks, which is awkward if you keep vaults in separate folders. Cursor, GitHub Copilot and Gemini CLI each get their own config: a JSON block under mcpServers or servers, or the gemini mcp add command.
What it helps with
- find a note by meaning instead of an exact phrase
- ask a question across the whole vault and get notes back as sources
- draft something new from material you already wrote
- spot contradictions and duplicates between notes
- give an agent access to a personal vault without uploading it
Example prompts for the agent
- Search my vault for notes about release planning and show the three closest
- What do I have on caching? Answer with links to the notes
- Draft an article about local embeddings from my own notes
How to install stellavault
Platform CLI
claude mcp add --env STELLAVAULT_DB_PATH=<STELLAVAULT_DB_PATH> --transport stdio stellavault -- npx -y stellavaultReplace <…> with your own values
Platform CLI
codex mcp add stellavault --env STELLAVAULT_DB_PATH=<STELLAVAULT_DB_PATH> -- npx -y stellavaultReplace <…> with your own values
Config file
{
"mcpServers": {
"stellavault": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"stellavault"
],
"env": {
"STELLAVAULT_DB_PATH": "<STELLAVAULT_DB_PATH>"
}
}
}
}Replace <…> with your own values
Config file
{
"servers": {
"stellavault": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"stellavault"
],
"env": {
"STELLAVAULT_DB_PATH": "<STELLAVAULT_DB_PATH>"
}
}
}
}Replace <…> with your own values
Platform CLI
gemini mcp add -e STELLAVAULT_DB_PATH=<STELLAVAULT_DB_PATH> stellavault npx -y stellavaultReplace <…> with your own values
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 stellavault
How do I install stellavault in Claude Code?
Run claude mcp add stellavault -- npx -y stellavault. If the database needs a fixed path, use the variant with the variable: claude mcp add --env STELLAVAULT_DB_PATH=<STELLAVAULT_DB_PATH> --transport stdio stellavault -- npx -y stellavault.
What does stellavault do?
It exposes your Obsidian vault to the agent: meaning-based and keyword search, answers drawn from your notes, drafts, plus detection of contradictions and duplicates. Everything runs locally and needs no API keys.
What do I need to run stellavault?
Node.js 20 or newer, since the server starts through npx -y stellavault. The database location is set with STELLAVAULT_DB_PATH.
