Semantic Notes Vault MCP — Watchlist

MCP100 Assessment

Watchlist / Tracking

Why we’re tracking it

Dated implementation activity and relevant MCP role justify continued Radar monitoring.

Reviewed Oct 9, 2026 · Documentation review; complete setup workflow not independently tested

Best fit

Search, traverse and modify Obsidian notes in a local vault

What we know

Obsidian community plugin hosting an authenticated local MCP endpoint with vault search, graph traversal, Dataview and controlled note modifications.

Maintenance / activity evidence

GitHub REST repository pushed_at 2026-10-05T09:09:03Z for aaronsb/obsidian-mcp-plugin

Tracking evidence observed Oct 9, 2026. These dated signals do not establish current maintenance. Reviewed enrichment confidence: high.

Activity source · releases ↗

Verification gaps / watch-outs

Installation and comprehensive security have not been independently audited.
Create/edit/move/split/merge Obsidian notes Reported action classes: Create/edit/move/split/merge Obsidian notes. Complete write authority is not verified.
Local plugin API key and allowed paths; bearer token
Sensitive access: Vault notes, Private linked notes, Tags

Use read-only mode and path allow/deny controls to minimize access
Access to Obsidian vault content; keep allow/deny paths and read-only choices visible; vault notes may be sensitive.
Obsidian vault read/write access; releases 0.12.0-0.12.1 fixed security-gate bypasses; require patched version, read-only and path constraints.
Unknown vulnerabilities and client-side tool approvals were not exhaustively evaluated.

Full authority, access and evidence limits are available in Review context and Access & risk.

Popularity

464 repository stars

Stars observed Oct 9, 2026.

Repository total for aaronsb/obsidian-mcp-plugin.

All limitations / Review context

At the next review, has this exact implementation gained new releases, changed setup/security scope, or become suitable for Shortlist?

No verified blocker to PUBLIC RADAR TRACKING within the bounded first-party evidence reviewed; material permissions and mitigations are explicitly disclosed.

Use read-only mode and path allow/deny controls to minimize access
Access to Obsidian vault content; keep allow/deny paths and read-only choices visible; vault notes may be sensitive.
Obsidian vault read/write access; releases 0.12.0-0.12.1 fixed security-gate bypasses; require patched version, read-only and path constraints.
Create/edit/move/split/merge Obsidian notes
Local plugin API key and allowed paths; bearer token
Depends on configured local process, connected account and remote APIs; review first-party privacy terms for any hosted component.
Reviewed write actions: Create/edit/move/split/merge Obsidian notes
Sensitive access: Vault notes, Private linked notes, Tags
Complete write authority is not verified.
Installation, client compatibility and comprehensive security have not been independently audited. Authentication and access depend on the configured services.
Unknown vulnerabilities and client-side tool approvals were not exhaustively evaluated.
Write actions/tool inventory not confirmed against exact tool documentation; listed action classes remain illustrative or context-dependent. Empty inventory does not establish read-only.
Obsidian must be running with plugin enabled
Writes change real notes
Restrict paths and operations
No independent release lifecycle audit; do not claim precise activity date.

Original activity observations

GitHub REST repository pushed_at 2026-10-05T09:09:03Z for aaronsb/obsidian-mcp-plugin

Technical identity

github.com/aaronsb/obsidian-mcp-plugin

Exact implementation source: https://github.com/aaronsb/obsidian-mcp-plugin ↗
Reviewed resource type: MCP Server
Repository identity: aaronsb/obsidian-mcp-plugin
Service endpoint: http://localhost:3001/mcp

Evidence & Sources

Evidence basis: Recorded source evidence
Setup runtime verification: Not independently runtime-tested by MCP100 for this setup workflow.

Reviewed Oct 9, 2026 · Latest source observation Oct 9, 2026

GitHub repository ↗
aaronsb/obsidian-mcp-plugin
Recorded repository material and project history.

Setup · Watchlist

Install & Agents

Claude Code

Publisher instructions with a documented client setup path.

Source evidence observed Oct 12, 2026.

Additional setup details required — see the specific gaps below.

Install / connect
Publisher instructions
Requires Obsidian plus an MCP-compatible AI client. In Obsidian Settings > Community plugins > Browse, search Semantic Notes Vault MCP, install and enable it. The publisher also supports BRAT for beta versions and offers a Claude Desktop .mcpb bundle from plugin Settings or Releases.
claude mcp add --transport http obsidian http://localhost:3001/mcp --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
Configure / authenticate
Publisher instructions
In Obsidian Settings > Community plugins > Semantic Notes Vault MCP, copy the plugin-issued URL and API key. Default HTTP is http://localhost:3001/mcp; HTTPS 3443 requires separate certificate trust. Claude Desktop can import the publisher .mcpb extension; Claude Code uses publisher http registration with the plugin-issued bearer key, which must not be committed. Set vault read-only and allowed paths first if desired.
Check connection
Suggested check
Confirm the Obsidian plugin server is active and the registered client sees vault MCP tools. Read/search an authorized non-sensitive note; do not test with create/edit/delete or grant unrestricted vault access. Client registration check: `claude mcp get obsidian` (checks registration; inspect tools/read-only calls separately to verify authenticated service access).
Remove / uninstall / revoke
MCP100 setup guide
Remove the matching MCP configuration from the client. This does not uninstall the local package or revoke provider credentials. Client disconnect (claude-code, only if registered using the name `obsidian`): `claude mcp remove obsidian`. This unregisters the client entry; it does not uninstall packages or revoke remote service credentials.
claude mcp remove obsidian

Official Documentation & Sources

What it does

Obsidian community plugin hosting an authenticated local MCP endpoint with vault search, graph traversal, Dataview and controlled note modifications.

Capability: Files & Knowledge
Resource type: MCP Server
Best fit: Search, traverse and modify Obsidian notes in a local vault

Representative uses

Search vault text
Traverse backlinks
Read note
Create and move notes
Query Bases and Dataview

Limitations

Obsidian must be running with plugin enabled
Writes change real notes
Restrict paths and operations
Use read-only mode and path allow/deny controls to minimize access
No independent release lifecycle audit; do not claim precise activity date.

Reviewed access

Access & risk

Review the exact access boundary before connecting this MCP to accounts, credentials, or sensitive data.

Authentication: Local plugin API key and allowed paths; bearer token
Permissions: Create/edit/move/split/merge Obsidian notes
Data handling: Depends on configured local process, connected account and remote APIs; review first-party privacy terms for any hosted component.
Cost: unknown
Risk and cautions: Use read-only mode and path allow/deny controls to minimize access

Access scope and cautions

Write actions: Not verified Create/edit/move/split/merge Obsidian notes
Sensitive access: Vault notes Private linked notes Tags
Risk level: high
Security notes: Access to Obsidian vault content; keep allow/deny paths and read-only choices visible; vault notes may be sensitive. Obsidian vault read/write access; releases 0.12.0-0.12.1 fixed security-gate bypasses; require patched version, read-only and path constraints.

The reviewed evidence does not establish the complete write authority of this MCP. Consult the unresolved evidence before granting write access.

FAQ

Based on reviewed evidence as of 2026-10-09. Watchlist tracking is not a recommendation or a security certification.

Which tasks are documented for this implementation?

The reviewed tasks include: Search vault text; Traverse backlinks; Read note; Create and move notes; Query Bases and Dataview.

What setup and authentication are documented?

Recorded installation/entrypoint step: Install Semantic Notes Vault MCP via Obsidian Community Plugins. Recorded endpoint: http://localhost:3001/mcp. Recorded transport: streamable_http. Prerequisites: Compatible MCP client. Client notes: Source docs and package may evolve; install according to confirmed release. These are the documented setup details, not a claim that installation or client compatibility was independently tested. Authentication: Local plugin API key and allowed paths; bearer token

Can it modify data or perform write operations?

Not verified. The available evidence does not establish the complete write authority. The partial inventory lists: Create/edit/move/split/merge Obsidian notes. Recorded permission context: Create/edit/move/split/merge Obsidian notes

What data-handling boundary should I consider?

Depends on configured local process, connected account and remote APIs; review first-party privacy terms for any hosted component. Recorded sensitive-access context: Vault notes; Private linked notes; Tags.

What limitations and risks should I check before use?

Use read-only mode and path allow/deny controls to minimize access. Obsidian must be running with plugin enabled. Writes change real notes. Restrict paths and operations. No independent release lifecycle audit; do not claim precise activity date. Access to Obsidian vault content; keep allow/deny paths and read-only choices visible; vault notes may be sensitive. Obsidian vault read/write access; releases 0.12.0-0.12.1 fixed security-gate bypasses; require patched version, read-only and path constraints. Unknown vulnerabilities and client-side tool approvals were not exhaustively evaluated.