obsidian-cli

Read, create, search, and inspect Obsidian vault notes from the terminal.

2|Updated Apr 4, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/DoctorMozg/claude-pipelines --skill obsidian-cli-doctormozg
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: obsidian-cli
Source: https://github.com/DoctorMozg/claude-pipelines/tree/main/plugins/mz-knowledge/skills/obsidian-cli
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/DoctorMozg/claude-pipelines --skill obsidian-cli-doctormozg

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? Working with an Obsidian vault from a shell or script normally requires manual file handling and loses Obsidian's wikilink resolution, daily notes, and plugin context. This Skill provides the correct command syntax and conventions for the official obsidian CLI so vault operations work reliably from the terminal. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Read operations: print note content, read daily notes, run full-text search, list tags, and enumerate backlinks. - Write operations: create notes, append content, append to daily notes, and set frontmatter properties. - Developer inspection: reload plugins, view console errors, take screenshots, inspect the DOM, and evaluate JavaScript in the Obsidian context. - Use Case: While scripting a daily standup workflow, append a summary to today's daily note with obsidian daily:append content=... and verify it with obsidian daily:read, all without opening the vault manually. ## Quick Start Ask the assistant to read a note from your Obsidian vault by name using the obsidian CLI, making sure the Obsidian app is running first.

Frequently Asked Questions about obsidian-cli

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I read an Obsidian note from the command line?

Run `obsidian read file=<name>` to print a note's content, using wikilink-style resolution by name. Use `path=<vault-relative-path>` instead when you need an exact location, and `obsidian daily:read` for today's daily note.

How to create or append to Obsidian notes from a shell script?

Use `obsidian create file=<name> content=<text>` to create a note and `obsidian append file=<name> content=<text>` to add to an existing one. Multiline content uses \n and \t escape sequences, and `obsidian daily:append` targets today's daily note.

Does the obsidian CLI work when Obsidian is not running?

No, the obsidian CLI requires the live Obsidian desktop app to be open, and commands will hang or error otherwise. For programmatic vault access without Obsidian running, read the vault files directly from disk instead.

Why does obsidian CLI fail with --file style flags?

The CLI uses `=` parameter syntax such as `file=NoteName`, not `--file NoteName`. Only boolean flags like `--copy`, `--silent`, and `--total` use the double-dash form with no value.

When should I use path= instead of file= in obsidian CLI?

Use `file=` for wikilink-style resolution that searches across the vault, which is the resilient default. Reserve `path=` for cases requiring an exact vault-root-relative path, since it breaks when notes are reorganized.