Integrating Obsidian with Claude for real-time writing assistance
Dec 2, 2025
obsidianclaudemcppkmai-tools
Obsidian Copilot and MCP-based integrations offer the most mature solutions for Claude-powered writing assistance. The ecosystem has matured significantly in 2025, with Model Context Protocol (MCP) emerging as the dominant integration standard.
Plugin options
- Obsidian Copilot (5,500+ GitHub stars): Most feature-complete. Supports all Claude models, vault-wide search, one-click composer. Free tier covers basics; Plus ($10/month) adds Agent Mode.
- CAO (Claude AI for Obsidian): Stores conversations as editable markdown notes—chat history becomes searchable, linkable content.
- Text Generator: Template-based workflows for repetitive documentation tasks. Completely free.
Claude Code CLI integration
Claude Code works natively with Obsidian vaults since both treat markdown as primary format. Navigate to your vault and run claude—you get an AI assistant that can read, edit, and create notes directly.
Key: Create a CLAUDE.md at vault root documenting your structure, syntax conventions, and task patterns. Custom slash commands in .claude/commands/ enable reusable workflows.
MCP: the emerging standard
The setup: Install Local REST API plugin in Obsidian, configure Claude Desktop or Claude Code to connect via MCP server. Enables Claude to securely read, search, and write directly to markdown files.
Pain points: MCP only works with Claude Desktop (no mobile), search is title-based not semantic, Dataview queries can’t be read.
Practical recommendations
- Minimal friction today: Install Obsidian Copilot, add API key, use
Ctrl/Cmd+K. ~$5-15/month API costs. - Power users: Claude Code + MCP integration. 1-2 hours setup, but enables batch operations across hundreds of files.
- Hybrid approach: Obsidian Copilot for daily writing + Claude Code for periodic batch operations.