• ANALYSIS
  • SEARCH
  • SYNTHESIS
  • HUMAN

How to retrieve markdown notes with your AI

Connect your Obsidian Publish vault to your AI client once. After that, your agent can read any published note to answer questions or find connections.

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Short answer

How can I let my AI read my Obsidian Publish notes?

Your AI uses the get_metadata tool to scan your published vault and pull the raw markdown content of specific notes. This lets your agent perform deep analysis on your existing knowledge without manual copy-pasting. You get a direct line from your chat interface to your published files.

Where every note lands.

Outcomes of note retrieval

The AI processes your vault data into these specific results.

ANALYSIS

Deep content insights

The agent reads the markdown and identifies themes or contradictions. You get a clear summary of what's actually in your notes.

SEARCH

Instant knowledge retrieval

Instead of clicking through links, you ask your agent for specific facts. It finds the exact markdown file containing the answer.

SYNTHESIS

New connections found

The AI looks across multiple files to find links you missed. It presents these relationships as new insights in your chat.

HUMAN

Manual verification needed

The AI cannot edit your Obsidian vault. You remain the only person who can change or delete your original markdown files.

The workflow

What your AI does when the request arrives.

The agent follows a specific path to turn your question into a data-backed answer.

  1. Scan vault structure

    The agent looks at the published site to see what files are available for reading.

    get_metadata

  2. Locate specific files

    It identifies the exact markdown paths that match your query or topic.

    get_metadata

  3. Extract raw text

    The agent pulls the full markdown content from the identified files.

    get_metadata

  4. Synthesize answer

    The agent processes the text to provide a direct response to your prompt.

    get_metadata

Try it

Copy these to start.

Use these prompts once you have connected your vault.

Starting points

Swap the bracketed text with your actual vault names or specific note titles.

Obsidian Publish Connector

You're all set. Choose your MCP client and follow the setup instructions.

Connector linkhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_2g0EdU9eeaIsXiKX4gDTqfxPUZ4owDXPPYajo4f3/mcp

Claude Desktop

Follow the steps below to connect in seconds.

  1. 1In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors.
  2. 2Click “Add custom connector” and paste the connector link above as the remote MCP server URL.
  3. 3Click Add and start a new chat — Obsidian Publish capabilities are ready to use.
Configuration · claude_desktop_config.jsonCopy
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "obsidian-publish-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_2g0EdU9eeaIsXiKX4gDTqfxPUZ4owDXPPYajo4f3/mcp"
    }
  }
}
Copy into chat04

  • Read the markdown in my [Note Name] note and summarize the main arguments.

  • Search my [Vault Name] vault for any mentions of [Topic] and list the relevant notes.

  • Compare the content of [Note A] and [Note B] to find conflicting ideas.

  • Based on my published notes about [Topic], what are the three most important takeaways?

  • Claude
  • ChatGPT
  • Cursor
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  • Windsurf
  • Claude Code
  • JetBrains
  • Cline

Start here

Connect Obsidian Publish once, then ask.

Follow the single link to authorize the connection. Your credentials stay encrypted, and you can immediately start chatting with your notes.

Connect Obsidian Publish to your AI

FAQ

How this task behaves

  • 01

    Can the AI edit my Obsidian notes?

    No. The AI can only read the markdown files via the get_metadata tool. It has no permission to write, delete, or modify your vault.

  • 02

    Does the AI see my private local vault?

    No. The AI only has access to what you have explicitly published to Obsidian Publish.

  • 03

    Can I use this with any AI client?

    Yes, as long as the client supports the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

  • 04

    Will the AI find notes that aren't published?

    No. The agent can only retrieve data from the files visible on your Obsidian Publish site.

  • 05

    How does the AI know which note to read?

    It uses the get_metadata tool to map out your published files and find the specific markdown paths needed to answer your question.

  • More questions about Obsidian Publish? See everything the Obsidian Publish Connector can do

Connect Obsidian Publish to Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT & more