Claude Desktop Turns Obsidian Into AI-Powered Notes

Someone figured out a slick way to connect Claude Code (now called Cluade Desktop with MCP) to their Obsidian vault, turning it into a proactive note-finding system.

The basic setup hooks up Claude to Obsidian’s vault folder, then adds custom “skills” so the AI remembers what was discussed in previous sessions. The cool part - the AI can search through months of notes instantly and create new files based on templates without opening Obsidian.

Key trick: Notes use simple frontmatter metadata (like project: alpha, attendees: sarah). The AI then surfaces related notes automatically. A meeting note shows up on the project page, daily note, and person’s profile without manual linking.

To set it up:

1. Point Claude Desktop’s MCP config to the vault folder
2. Create a “skills” directory with text files defining what the AI should know
3. Add session memory so each conversation builds on the last

The vault becomes searchable by natural language instead of hunting through folders. Pretty much turns scattered notes into a knowledge base that actually surfaces stuff when needed.