Obsidian CLI REST — User guide

Obsidian CLI REST exposes all Obsidian CLI commands as a local HTTP API and MCP server, enabling programmatic control of your vault from scripts, tools, and AI assistants.

Key features

• REST API — All CLI commands available at /api/v1/cli/* via standard HTTP
• MCP server — 2-tool Code Mode interface at /mcp for AI assistants (search + execute)
• API key authentication — Auto-generated Bearer token for secure access
• Safety controls — Dangerous command gating, per-command blocklist
• Configurable — Port, bind address, CORS, timeouts, independent REST/MCP toggles

Getting started

Prerequisites

1. Obsidian desktop app (v1.4.0+)
2. Obsidian CLI enabled in Obsidian: Settings > General > Advanced > Command line interface

Verify the CLI is available:

obsidian --version

Installation

Community plugins (recommended)

1. In Obsidian, go to Settings → Community plugins.
2. Disable Restricted mode if it’s enabled.
3. Select Browse, search for REST and MCP server, install it, then enable it.

You can also browse the catalog on the Obsidian Community website.

Manual installation

If the plugin isn’t listed in the community catalog yet (or you want a specific version):

1. Download main.js, manifest.json, and styles.css from the latest release.
2. Copy them into <Vault>/.obsidian/plugins/cli-rest-mcp/.
3. Reload Obsidian and enable REST and MCP server in Settings → Community plugins.

BRAT (bleeding edge)

BRAT (Beta Reviewers Auto-update Tool) installs plugins straight from a GitHub repo and keeps them updated automatically. Use this if you want the latest commits — things might break.

1. Install Obsidian42 - BRAT from Settings → Community plugins → Browse and enable it.
2. Run BRAT: Add a beta plugin for testing from the command palette.
3. Paste https://github.com/dsebastien/obsidian-cli-rest.
4. Select the latest version and confirm.
5. Enable REST and MCP server in Settings → Community plugins.

Once enabled, the server starts automatically on http://127.0.0.1:27124.

Get your API key

1. Go to Settings > Obsidian CLI REST
2. In the Security section, select Copy API key
3. Use this key in the Authorization header for all requests

Make your first request

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  http://127.0.0.1:27124/api/v1/cli/files

You should see a JSON response listing all files in your vault.

Status bar

When the server is running, the status bar shows:

• CLI REST: 127.0.0.1:27124 — Server is running with the displayed address
• CLI REST: off — Server is stopped

Select the status bar item to toggle the server on/off.

Obsidian commands

The plugin registers two commands accessible from the command palette:

Command	Description
Toggle REST/MCP server	Start or stop the server
Copy API key	Copy the API key to clipboard

Further reading

• Usage guide — Detailed usage examples and patterns
• API reference — Endpoints, request/response formats, status codes
• MCP integration — Connect AI assistants
• Command reference — All supported commands
• Configuration — All settings explained
• Tips and troubleshooting — Common issues and solutions

About

Created by Sebastien Dubois. Licensed under MIT.