# Obsidian Cli > | - **Type:** Skill - **Install:** `agentstack add skill-jlaska-obsidian-claude-plugins-obsidian-cli` - **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior - **Seller:** [jlaska](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/jlaska) - **Installs:** 0 - **Category:** [Productivity](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/productivity) - **Latest version:** 0.1.0 - **License:** MIT - **Upstream author:** [jlaska](https://github.com/jlaska) - **Source:** https://github.com/jlaska/obsidian-claude-plugins/tree/main/skills/obsidian-cli ## Install ```sh agentstack add skill-jlaska-obsidian-claude-plugins-obsidian-cli ``` Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent. ## About # Obsidian CLI Skill The `obsidian` CLI (available in Obsidian 1.12+) lets you control the running Obsidian app from the terminal. It has awareness of the vault's search index, link graph, tags, and UI state — things that direct file access cannot provide. Full command reference: `skills/obsidian-cli/references/commands-full.md` --- ## Prerequisites 1. **Obsidian 1.12+** must be installed and running 2. **CLI must be registered**: In Obsidian → Settings → General → scroll to "CLI" → enable it 3. **PATH must include the CLI binary**: Add to `~/.zprofile`: ```bash export PATH="$PATH:/Applications/Obsidian.app/Contents/MacOS" ``` Then reload: `source ~/.zprofile` ### Verify setup ```bash obsidian version ``` If this fails, walk through the prerequisites above. If the app is installed but CLI isn't on PATH: ```bash /Applications/Obsidian.app/Contents/MacOS/obsidian version ``` --- ## Core Syntax ``` obsidian [param=value] [--flag] ``` - **Named parameters**: `obsidian read file="path/to/note.md"` - **Vault targeting**: defaults to the vault matching the current directory; use `vault=VaultName` to override - **Copy to clipboard**: append `--copy` to any command - **Multiline content**: use `\n` for newlines, `\t` for tabs in `content=` params - **Output formats**: many commands support `format=json`, `format=md`, `format=csv` ### File path conventions Paths are relative to the vault root: ```bash obsidian read file="Meetings/2026/03-March/02-Monday/2026-03-02-Team Sync.md" ``` --- ## When to Use CLI vs Direct File Access ### Prefer CLI | Task | CLI Command | |------|-------------| | Search with index/property awareness | `obsidian search query=X` | | Find backlinks to a note | `obsidian backlinks file=X` | | Find orphan or dead-end notes | `obsidian orphans`, `obsidian deadends` | | Open a file in Obsidian's UI | `obsidian open file=X` | | Aggregate tasks across vault | `obsidian tasks todo` | | List/filter tags | `obsidian tags counts` | | Run a command palette command | `obsidian command id=X` | | Enable/disable a plugin | `obsidian plugin:enable id=X` | | View file version history | `obsidian history file=X` | | Diff against a previous version | `obsidian diff file=X` | | Resolve template variables | `obsidian template:read file=X resolve=true` | | Query a Base | `obsidian base:query file=X` | | Take a UI screenshot | `obsidian dev:screenshot` | | Evaluate JS in Obsidian context | `obsidian eval code=X` | ### Prefer direct file access (Read/Edit/Write) | Task | Reason | |------|--------| | Surgical section-level editing | Edit tool gives precise control | | Complex content creation | Write tool is more reliable for large content | | Bulk file operations | Bash/Glob/Grep is faster | | Obsidian is not running | CLI requires a running app | | Frontmatter YAML manipulation | Edit tool handles quoting and indentation | | Working with file structure/paths | Glob is faster than CLI for discovery | ### Use both (common pattern) ``` CLI for discovery → direct access for manipulation ``` Example: Find all meetings with a person (CLI search), then read/edit the specific file (Read/Edit tools). --- ## File & Folder Commands ```bash # Create a new note obsidian create file="Notes/My Note.md" content="# My Note\n\nContent here" # Read a note's content obsidian read file="Notes/My Note.md" # Open a note in Obsidian's UI obsidian open file="Notes/My Note.md" # Append content to a note obsidian append file="Notes/My Note.md" content="New paragraph\n\nMore text" # Prepend content to a note obsidian prepend file="Notes/My Note.md" content="## Added at top\n\n" # Move or rename a note obsidian move file="Old Name.md" target="New Name.md" # Delete a note obsidian delete file="Notes/Old Note.md" # Get file metadata (size, modified date, links, tags) obsidian info file="Notes/My Note.md" # List files in a folder obsidian files folder="Meetings/2026" # List folders obsidian folders ``` --- ## App Control ```bash # List all available command palette commands obsidian commands # Run a specific command by ID obsidian command id="editor:toggle-bold" # List workspaces obsidian workspaces # Switch to a workspace obsidian workspace name="Research" # List open tabs obsidian tabs # Close a tab obsidian tab:close file="Notes/Something.md" # Get recently opened files obsidian recents # Reload Obsidian (soft reload, preserves vault) obsidian reload # Restart Obsidian obsidian restart ``` --- ## Plugin Management ```bash # List all plugins (installed, enabled status) obsidian plugins # Enable a plugin obsidian plugin:enable id="dataview" # Disable a plugin obsidian plugin:disable id="dataview" # Install a community plugin obsidian plugin:install id="plugin-id" # Uninstall a plugin obsidian plugin:uninstall id="plugin-id" # Reload a plugin (after code changes) obsidian plugin:reload id="dataview" ``` --- ## Theme & Snippet Management ```bash # List installed themes obsidian themes # Set active theme obsidian theme:set name="Minimal" # Install a community theme obsidian theme:install name="Minimal" # List CSS snippets and their enabled status obsidian snippets # Enable a CSS snippet obsidian snippet:enable name="my-snippet" # Disable a CSS snippet obsidian snippet:disable name="my-snippet" ``` --- ## History & Versions ```bash # View version history for a file obsidian history file="Notes/My Note.md" # Read a specific historical version obsidian history:read file="Notes/My Note.md" version=2 # Diff current version against a historical version obsidian diff file="Notes/My Note.md" version=1 # Restore a file to a historical version obsidian history:restore file="Notes/My Note.md" version=3 ``` --- ## Developer Tools ```bash # Open DevTools obsidian devtools # Take a screenshot of the Obsidian window obsidian dev:screenshot # Read the developer console log obsidian dev:console # Get recent JavaScript errors obsidian dev:errors # Evaluate JavaScript in Obsidian's context obsidian eval code="app.vault.getName()" # Read live plugin settings (useful for config discovery) obsidian eval "code=JSON.stringify(app.internalPlugins.getPluginById('daily-notes').instance.options)" obsidian eval "code=JSON.stringify(app.internalPlugins.getPluginById('templates').instance.options)" obsidian eval "code=JSON.stringify(app.plugins.getPlugin('templater-obsidian')?.settings)" # Get computed CSS for an element obsidian dev:css selector=".workspace-leaf" # Inspect DOM structure obsidian dev:dom selector=".workspace" ``` --- ## Templates ```bash # List available templates obsidian templates # Read a template's raw content (use name=, not file=) obsidian template:read "name=Meeting Template" # Read a template with Templater variables resolved obsidian template:read "name=Meeting Template" resolve=true # Insert a template into the active note obsidian template:insert "name=Meeting Template" ``` --- ## Error Handling - **"Obsidian is not running"**: Start Obsidian, then retry - **"CLI not found"**: Check PATH setup (see Prerequisites); use full path `/Applications/Obsidian.app/Contents/MacOS/obsidian` as fallback - **"CLI not registered"**: Go to Obsidian Settings → General → enable CLI - **"No vault found"**: Run from within the vault directory, or add `vault=VaultName` - **Command fails silently**: Try adding `format=json` to get structured error output --- ## Quick Reference ```bash # Check version / confirm CLI works obsidian version # Vault info (all fields: name, path, files, folders, size) obsidian vault # Vault info — single field obsidian vault info=path obsidian vault info=name # List all registered vaults with paths obsidian vaults verbose # Path to today's daily note (relative to vault root) obsidian daily:path # Open today's daily note in UI obsidian daily # Search vault obsidian search query="kubernetes" # List all tags obsidian tags counts sort=count ``` Full command reference with all parameters and flags: `skills/obsidian-cli/references/commands-full.md` ## Source & license This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code. - **Author:** [jlaska](https://github.com/jlaska) - **Source:** [jlaska/obsidian-claude-plugins](https://github.com/jlaska/obsidian-claude-plugins) - **License:** MIT Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above. ## Pricing - **Free** — Free ## Security capabilities Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access: - **Network access:** no - **Filesystem access:** no - **Shell / process execution:** no - **Environment & secrets:** no - **Dynamic code execution:** no *"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.* ## Versions - **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source. ## Links - Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-jlaska-obsidian-claude-plugins-obsidian-cli - Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/jlaska - Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse --- Listed on AgentStack — the marketplace for AI agent skills and MCP servers. Every listing is security-reviewed. Creators keep 70%.