Obsidian — Dave Drach

Contents

Architecture Overview
Prerequisites & Setup
Integration Path 1: Claude Code (Terminal in Vault)
Integration Path 2: Claudian Plugin (Embedded Agent)
Integration Path 3: MCP Server Plugin (Claude Desktop / Cowork Bridge)
Integration Path 4: Claude Cowork (Desktop Agent)
Vault Structure & CLAUDE.md Configuration
Agent Skills & Custom Commands
n8n / External Agent Integration
Mobile Capture Workflow
Recommended Plugin Stack
Key Resources

01 — Architecture

How the Pieces Fit Together

Your Obsidian vault is the central nervous system — a folder of plain markdown files on your local filesystem. Every integration layer reads and writes to these same files, creating a unified knowledge base accessible to both you and your agents.

📱 Obsidian Mobile

🖥 Obsidian Desktop

↕ Obsidian Sync / iCloud ↕

📁 Vault (Markdown Files)

↕ Filesystem Access ↕

Claude Code (Terminal)

Cowork (Desktop Agent)

↕ MCP Protocol ↕

MCP Server Plugin

n8n Workflows

Custom GPTs / Agents

The key insight: because Obsidian stores everything as plain .md files, any tool that can access your filesystem can interact with your knowledge base. Claude Code reads/writes directly. Cowork accesses the vault folder. n8n workflows can manipulate the same files. Your custom agents via MCP can query and update notes. Everything converges on the same set of markdown files.

02 — Prerequisites

What You Need Before Starting

⬇

Obsidian

Required Free download. Desktop (macOS/Win) + Mobile (iOS/Android). Get Obsidian Sync ($4/mo) for reliable cross-device sync.

⬇

Claude Subscription

Required Claude Pro ($20/mo) minimum. Claude Max ($100-$200/mo) for heavier Cowork usage. Or Anthropic API key for Claude Code.

⬇

Claude Code CLI

Recommended Install via npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code. Requires Node.js 18+. This is the backbone of the agent integration.

⬇

Claude Desktop App

Recommended Required for Cowork mode and Claude Desktop MCP connections. Available macOS and Windows (launched Feb 10, 2026).

⬇

Node.js 18+

Required Needed for Claude Code, MCP server plugins, and npm package management. Install from nodejs.org.

⬇

Git (optional but smart)

Optional Version control for your vault. When AI agents are writing to your files, having commit history is excellent insurance.

03 — Integration Path 1

Claude Code via Terminal in Obsidian

This is the most direct and powerful integration. You run Claude Code from a terminal embedded inside Obsidian, giving it full agentic access to your vault. It can read, write, edit, search, run bash commands, and execute multi-step workflows.

Setup Steps

Install the Terminal Plugin

In Obsidian → Settings → Community Plugins → Browse → search "Terminal" by polyipseity → Install → Enable. This embeds a terminal panel directly in your Obsidian workspace.

Install Obsidian Agent Skills

These are the official skill definitions from Obsidian's CEO (Kepano) that teach Claude how to properly create Obsidian-compatible files.

# From your vault root directory:
cd /path/to/your/vault

# Option A: Marketplace install (if supported by your Claude Code version)
/marketplace add kepano/obsidian-skills
/plugin install obsidian@obsidian-skills

# Option B: Manual install (always works)
git clone https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills.git .claude
      

Initialize Claude Code in Your Vault

Open the terminal in Obsidian, navigate to your vault root, and run claude. Then run /init to create the CLAUDE.md file — this becomes Claude's persistent memory across every session.

Customize CLAUDE.md

This file is loaded at the start of every Claude Code session. Define your vault conventions, folder structure, linking rules, and personal context here. See Section 07 for a detailed template.

💡 Power Tip

Run your vault root one level above the Obsidian vault folder. This lets Claude Code access both your vault and adjacent folders (like code repos, agent configs, or n8n workflow exports) in the same session.

What You Can Do

With Claude Code running in your vault, you can give natural language commands like:

"Read my journal entry from today and add backlinks to all people, places, and books mentioned."
"Create a project note for the Databricks Q1 launch with links to all related meeting notes."
"Review my Inbox folder, summarize each note, file them into the right folders, and add proper tags."
"Search all notes mentioning 'enterprise sales' and create a synthesis note with key patterns."
"Convert my rough brain dump into a formatted note with sections, backlinks, and action items."
      

04 — Integration Path 2

Claudian Plugin (Embedded Agent Sidebar)

If you want Claude Code's power without leaving Obsidian's GUI, Claudian embeds it directly in the sidebar. It's the same Claude Code engine wrapped in an Obsidian-native interface.

Key Features

Full Agentic Capabilities — read, write, edit, search, bash commands, all within your vault. Context-Aware — auto-attaches the focused note, use @ to reference other files. MCP Support — connect external MCP servers (stdio, SSE, HTTP) with @-mention activation. Plan Mode — toggle via Shift+Tab to have Claude design before implementing. Custom Agents — add agent.md files to .claude/agents/ and invoke them via @Agents/ in chat. Skills Integration — auto-discovers skills from .claude/skills/ directories.

Installation

# Via BRAT plugin (recommended for beta plugins):
# 1. Install BRAT from Community Plugins
# 2. In BRAT settings, add: https://github.com/YishenTu/claudian

# Or manual install:
cd /path/to/vault/.obsidian/plugins
git clone https://github.com/YishenTu/claudian.git
cd claudian && npm install && npm run build
      

Authentication

Works with your Anthropic API key (set in plugin settings), an environment variable (ANTHROPIC_API_KEY), or your Claude Max subscription via claude setup-token in your terminal.

Dave's Use Case

Claudian is ideal for your custom agent workflow. You can define your CRO, CMO, PR, and Demand agents as .claude/agents/ markdown files, then invoke them directly from the Obsidian sidebar. Each agent gets full vault context plus its specialized instructions.

05 — Integration Path 3

MCP Server Plugin (Bridge to Claude Desktop & Cowork)

This plugin turns your Obsidian vault into an MCP server that Claude Desktop and Cowork can connect to. It's the bridge that lets the desktop app interact with your vault through a standardized protocol.

How It Works

The plugin runs inside Obsidian and exposes your vault via two transport layers: WebSocket (for Claude Code auto-discovery) and HTTP/SSE (for Claude Desktop / Cowork). Both can connect simultaneously.

Setup

Install the MCP Plugin in Obsidian

Community Plugins → Browse → search "Claude Code MCP" by iansinnott → Install → Enable. Default port is 22360.

Configure Claude Desktop

Add the following to your Claude Desktop MCP config file:

// Claude Desktop config (~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json)
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "obsidian": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["mcp-remote", "http://localhost:22360/sse"],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}
      

Restart Claude Desktop

After saving config, restart the app. Test with: "What files are in my Obsidian vault?"

Available MCP Tools

The plugin exposes file operations (view, create, edit, insert), workspace operations (get current file, list vault files), and search functionality — all accessible to Claude Desktop and Cowork via MCP.

06 — Integration Path 4

Claude Cowork (Desktop Agent for Non-Coding Tasks)

Cowork is Anthropic's desktop agent that gives Claude direct access to your local files. Point it at your vault folder and it can autonomously organize, process, synthesize, and create — without you touching a terminal.

Why It Matters for Your Vault

Cowork runs on the same agentic architecture as Claude Code but wrapped in a visual interface. It can plan multi-step workflows, execute them in parallel, loop you in for approval on significant actions, and schedule recurring tasks.

⚡

Cowork Capabilities with Your Vault

Direct File Access — reads, edits, and creates markdown files in your vault folder. Scheduled Tasks — set up daily/weekly automated vault maintenance (type /schedule). MCP Connectors — connects to Slack, Notion, Figma, and your custom MCP servers. Claude in Chrome — pair with browser extension for web research that feeds directly into vault notes. Parallel Execution — coordinates multiple sub-agents working simultaneously on different parts of your vault. Plugins — install pre-built or custom plugins for specialized workflows (sales, legal, finance, marketing).

Setup

Open Claude Desktop → Switch to Cowork Tab

Look for the mode selector with "Chat" and "Cowork" tabs. Click Cowork to switch to task mode.

Grant Vault Folder Access

Point Cowork to your Obsidian vault folder. Claude can only access folders you explicitly share.

Set Global Instructions (Optional)

Set folder-specific instructions that persist across sessions. Example: "When working in this vault, always use [[wikilinks]] for connections, add YAML frontmatter to new notes, and follow the folder conventions in CLAUDE.md."

💡 Scheduled Task Example

Set up a weekly Cowork task: "Every Sunday at 8am, review all Daily Notes from this week, extract action items and key decisions, create a Weekly Review note with summaries, and flag any unlinked notes that should be connected." Cowork runs this automatically while you're having coffee.

⚠ Important

Cowork can delete files if instructed. It will ask permission first, but keep Git versioning on your vault as a safety net. Also: Cowork consumes significantly more usage allocation than standard chat — monitor usage in Settings if on Pro plan.

07 — Vault Configuration

Vault Structure & CLAUDE.md

This is the recommended vault structure optimized for agent collaboration. The CLAUDE.md file is the single most important piece — it's loaded into every Claude Code session as persistent context.

Recommended Vault Structure

Your-Vault/
├── CLAUDE.md              # Agent context & navigation (loaded every session)
├── .claude/
│   ├── skills/            # Reusable agent skills (SKILL.md format)
│   │   ├── obsidian-markdown/
│   │   ├── obsidian-bases/
│   │   ├── json-canvas/
│   │   └── your-custom-skills/
│   ├── agents/            # Specialized agent definitions
│   │   ├── cro-agent.md
│   │   ├── cmo-agent.md
│   │   ├── pr-agent.md
│   │   └── research-agent.md
│   ├── hooks/             # Auto-commit, session init scripts
│   └── settings.json      # Permissions, env vars, hooks config
├── Daily Notes/           # YYYY-MM-DD.md — daily capture
├── Inbox/                 # Quick captures, brain dumps, SuperWhisper transcripts
├── Projects/              # Active projects (AIDC, investments, etc.)
│   ├── AIDC/
│   │   ├── CLAUDE.md      # Project-specific agent context
│   │   ├── Databricks/
│   │   ├── Go-to-Market/
│   │   └── Agent-Configs/
│   └── Investments/
├── People/                # Personal CRM — one note per person
├── References/            # Research, articles, PDFs, supporting docs
├── Goals/                 # 3-year → quarterly → weekly goal cascade
├── Templates/             # Reusable note structures
└── Archives/              # Completed/inactive content
      

CLAUDE.md Template

This is the file Claude reads at session start. Customize it to match your workflow:

# CLAUDE.md — Agent Context for Dave's Vault

## Who I Am
Dave Drach. CEO/Founder of AIDC (AI Data Co-op). 30 years enterprise
sales. Serial entrepreneur. Based in Denver, CO.

## Vault Conventions
- Daily notes: Daily Notes/YYYY-MM-DD.md
- New captures go to Inbox/ for processing
- Always use [[wikilinks]] for internal connections
- Add YAML frontmatter: tags, date, type, status
- People notes go in People/ with format [[FirstName LastName]]
- Project notes get their own subfolder under Projects/

## Agent Governance
- Skills live in .claude/skills/{name}/SKILL.md
- Agents live in .claude/agents/{name}.md
- Always read this file before operating
- Commit after significant changes (use git)
- Never delete files without asking — move to Archives/ instead

## Current Priorities
- AIDC Databricks Marketplace launch
- Agent infrastructure buildout (n8n + custom GPTs)
- Expert Six productivity framework
- Investment strategy (23-year horizon)

## My Preferences
- Informal, direct communication style
- Bias toward action over analysis
- 4-hour deep focus blocks are sacred
- Use the 10x Rule for automation decisions
      

08 — Skills & Commands

Agent Skills & Custom Slash Commands

Skills are reusable instruction sets that Claude loads when relevant. They live as SKILL.md files in your .claude/skills/ directory. Slash commands are shortcuts you can trigger during Claude Code sessions.

Official Obsidian Skills (Kepano)

Three foundational skills that teach Claude how to properly create Obsidian-native file types: Obsidian Markdown (wikilinks, callouts, frontmatter, embeds), Obsidian Bases (database views — .base files), and JSON Canvas (visual boards — .canvas files).

Custom Skills You Should Build

📥

/inbox-process

Scan Inbox/ folder, summarize each note, file into correct project/reference folder, add backlinks, tags, and frontmatter.

📊

/daily

Create today's daily note from template, pull in calendar events, show active project status, surface relevant reminders.

🔗

/backlink-sweep

Scan recent notes for unlinked mentions of People, Projects, and Concepts. Add [[wikilinks]] where appropriate.

📋

/weekly-review

Read all daily notes from the week, extract action items and decisions, create a Weekly Review note, flag orphaned notes.

Skill File Format

# .claude/skills/inbox-process/SKILL.md

## Inbox Processing Skill

When triggered, perform these steps:
1. List all files in the Inbox/ folder
2. For each file:
   a. Read the content
   b. Determine the appropriate destination folder
   c. Add YAML frontmatter (date, tags, type, status)
   d. Scan for mentions of people → add [[Person Name]] links
   e. Scan for project references → add [[Project]] links
   f. Move file to destination folder
3. Create a summary of what was processed
4. Commit changes with descriptive message

## Rules
- Never delete inbox items — always move them
- Ask before creating new People/ notes
- Default status: "inbox-processed"
      

09 — External Agents

n8n & External Agent Integration

Since your vault is just files on disk, n8n workflows can read and write to it directly. This opens up powerful automation chains that connect your vault to external systems.

Integration Patterns

🔄

n8n → Vault (Write)

Use n8n's file system nodes or SSH nodes to write markdown files directly into your vault's Inbox/ folder. Example: email arrives with meeting notes → n8n processes it → writes a formatted note to Inbox/ → Claude Code picks it up during next /inbox-process.

📤

Vault → n8n (Read)

n8n watches a folder (e.g., Projects/AIDC/Outbound/) for new files. When a new campaign brief appears, n8n triggers a workflow that sends it through your CRO agent, generates outreach sequences, and pushes to your CRM.

🌐

MCP Server → n8n

Use the Obsidian MCP server plugin to expose your vault to any MCP-compatible agent — including your custom GPTs and n8n AI agent nodes. They can query your vault for context before generating outputs.

💡 SuperWhisper Integration

Configure SuperWhisper to save transcriptions directly to your vault's Inbox/ folder as .md files. Claude Code or a Cowork scheduled task can then process them — extracting action items, filing notes, and adding backlinks — without any manual intervention.

10 — Mobile Workflow

Mobile Capture Strategy

Mobile is for capture, desktop is for processing. Keep it simple.

Quick Notes → Obsidian Mobile

Open Obsidian on your phone, type or dictate a note (SuperWhisper transcripts can be pasted in). It lands in your Inbox/ folder.

Obsidian Sync Delivers to Desktop

Within seconds, the note appears in your desktop vault. No manual transfer needed.

Agents Process It

Claude Code (manual) or Cowork (scheduled) picks up new Inbox items, processes them, and files them properly — adding backlinks, tags, and structure.

Web Clipper for Browser Captures

Install the Obsidian Web Clipper browser extension. Save articles, pages, and snippets directly to your vault from any browser. Claude can then summarize and connect them to existing notes.

11 — Recommended Plugins

Essential Obsidian Plugin Stack

Terminal (polyipseity) — Embed terminal for Claude Code. Required

Claudian (YishenTu) — Embedded Claude Code sidebar with agent support. Recommended

Claude Code MCP (iansinnott) — MCP server bridge for Claude Desktop/Cowork. Recommended

Obsidian Git — Auto-commit vault changes. Essential safety net with AI writes. Recommended

Dataview — Query your notes like a database. Powerful for dashboards and project views. Optional

Templater — Advanced templates with dynamic content for daily notes, meetings, etc. Optional

Web Clipper (official) — Browser extension for capturing web content into vault. Recommended

Calendar — Visual calendar navigation for daily notes. Optional

12 — Resources

Key Links & References

Official Resources

github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills — Official Obsidian Agent Skills github.com/iansinnott/obsidian-claude-code-mcp — MCP Server Plugin github.com/YishenTu/claudian — Claudian Embedded Agent Plugin github.com/Roasbeef/obsidian-claude-code — Native Claude Sidebar Plugin support.claude.com — Get Started with Cowork claude.com/product/cowork — Cowork Product Page

Starter Kits & Tutorials

github.com/ballred/obsidian-claude-pkm — Complete PKM Starter Kit kyleygao.com — Using Claude Code with Obsidian (Anthropic employee) whytryai.com — Build Your Second Brain with Claude Code & Obsidian xda-developers.com — Claude Code Inside Obsidian eleanorkonik.com — Claude + Obsidian Got a Level Up github.com/jykim/claude-obsidian-skills — Extended Skill Collection

💡 Getting Started Fast

Don't try to set up everything at once. Start with Integration Path 1 (Terminal + Claude Code) — it takes 15 minutes and gives you 80% of the value. Add Cowork and MCP connections once your vault structure is established and your CLAUDE.md is dialed in.

Built for Dave Drach / AIDC — February 2026

Obsidian + Claude Code + Cowork + MCP + n8n