# Obsidian > Interact with Obsidian vaults via obsidian-cli. Read, create, search, and manage markdown notes. Use when user references their Obsidian vault, wants to save information to notes, search their knowledge base, or organize their personal knowledge management system. Use when this capability is needed. - Skill: `tomevault-io/obsidian-12` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tomevault-io/obsidian-12` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tomevault-io/obsidian-12/raw - Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS) - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Docs & Writing - Author: tomevault-io (https://skillmd.com/u/tomevault-io) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tomevault-io/obsidian-12 --- # Obsidian Vault Integration This skill enables interaction with Obsidian vaults through the `obsidian-cli` tool and direct filesystem operations. ## When to Use This Skill Use this skill when the user: - Mentions their Obsidian vault or notes - Wants to save information, research, or summaries to notes - Asks to search their knowledge base or "my notes" - Wants to organize, rename, or manage their notes - References personal knowledge management (PKM) - Asks to read or retrieve information from their notes ## Reading Notes Read note contents directly: ```bash # By note name (searches entire vault) obsidian-cli print "note-name" # By path from vault root obsidian-cli print "folder/subfolder/note-name" # Note: .md extension is optional ``` ## Creating Notes Use direct file writes for reliable note creation: ```bash # Get vault path VAULT=$(obsidian-cli print-default --path-only) # Create a new note cat > "$VAULT/note-name.md" << 'EOF' # Note Title Content goes here. EOF # Create in a subfolder mkdir -p "$VAULT/folder" cat > "$VAULT/folder/note-name.md" << 'EOF' # Title Content here. EOF ``` ## Appending to Notes Add content to existing notes: ```bash VAULT=$(obsidian-cli print-default --path-only) # Append a new section cat >> "$VAULT/note-name.md" << 'EOF' ## New Section Additional content appended. EOF ``` ## Searching Notes Use grep for non-interactive content search: ```bash VAULT=$(obsidian-cli print-default --path-only) # Search for content across all notes grep -r -n -i "search term" "$VAULT" --include="*.md" # Find files containing a term (filenames only) grep -r -l -i "search term" "$VAULT" --include="*.md" # List all notes in vault find "$VAULT" -name "*.md" -type f | sed "s|$VAULT/||" | sort # Search by filename pattern find "$VAULT" -name "*.md" -type f | sed "s|$VAULT/||" | grep -i "pattern" ``` ## Moving and Renaming Notes The move command automatically updates all wikilinks: ```bash # Rename a note (updates [[old-name]] links throughout vault) obsidian-cli move "old-name" "new-name" # Move to a different folder obsidian-cli move "note-name" "folder/note-name" # Move with full paths obsidian-cli move "old-folder/note" "new-folder/note" ``` ## Deleting Notes ```bash # Delete a note (permanent, no trash) obsidian-cli delete "note-name" # Delete by path obsidian-cli delete "folder/note-name" ``` ## Working with Frontmatter Extract and view YAML frontmatter: ```bash # View full note including frontmatter obsidian-cli print "note-name" # Extract just the frontmatter obsidian-cli print "note-name" | sed -n '/^---$/,/^---$/p' ``` To modify frontmatter, read the note, edit the content, and write it back: ```bash VAULT=$(obsidian-cli print-default --path-only) # Read current content CONTENT=$(obsidian-cli print "note-name") # Write modified content back cat > "$VAULT/note-name.md" << 'EOF' --- title: Updated Title tags: [tag1, tag2] --- # Heading Updated content here. EOF ``` ## Multi-Vault Support Specify a different vault for any command: ```bash # Read from a specific vault obsidian-cli print "note" --vault "work-vault" # Move within a specific vault obsidian-cli move "old" "new" --vault "personal-vault" ``` ## Common Workflows ### Save Research to a Note ```bash VAULT=$(obsidian-cli print-default --path-only) # Check if note exists if obsidian-cli print "Research/topic" >/dev/null 2>&1; then # Append to existing note cat >> "$VAULT/Research/topic.md" << 'EOF' ## Additional Findings New research content here. EOF else # Create new note mkdir -p "$VAULT/Research" cat > "$VAULT/Research/topic.md" << 'EOF' # Topic Research Initial research content. EOF fi ``` ### Find and Read Related Notes ```bash VAULT=$(obsidian-cli print-default --path-only) # Search for related notes grep -r -l -i "keyword" "$VAULT" --include="*.md" # Read each match obsidian-cli print "matching-note-1" obsidian-cli print "matching-note-2" ``` ### Organize Notes into Folders ```bash # Find notes matching a pattern VAULT=$(obsidian-cli print-default --path-only) find "$VAULT" -name "*meeting*.md" -type f | sed "s|$VAULT/||" # Move each to organized folder obsidian-cli move "standup-2024-01-15" "Meetings/standup-2024-01-15" obsidian-cli move "standup-2024-01-16" "Meetings/standup-2024-01-16" ``` ### Create a Daily Note ```bash VAULT=$(obsidian-cli print-default --path-only) TODAY=$(date +%Y-%m-%d) mkdir -p "$VAULT/Daily" cat > "$VAULT/Daily/$TODAY.md" << EOF # Daily Note - $TODAY ## Tasks - [ ] ## Notes ## End of Day Review EOF ``` ## Important Notes 1. **Path resolution**: Note names don't need `.md` extension; paths are relative to vault root 2. **Wikilink updates**: The `move` command automatically updates `[[note]]`, `[[note|display]]`, and `[[note#heading]]` links 3. **Case sensitivity**: Search is case-insensitive with `-i` flag 4. **Hidden files**: Operations skip hidden directories (starting with `.`) 5. **Large files**: Files over 10MB are skipped during search operations 6. **No trash**: Delete is permanent; there's no recycle bin ## Error Handling Common errors and solutions: | Error | Cause | Solution | |-------|-------|----------| | `Cannot find vault config` | No default vault set | Run `obsidian-cli set-default "vault-name"` | | `Vault not found in Obsidian config` | Vault name doesn't match | Check vault name in Obsidian app settings | | `Cannot find note in vault` | Note doesn't exist | Verify note name/path with search | --- > Converted and distributed by [TomeVault](https://tomevault.io/claim/balloneij) — claim your Tome and manage your conversions.