obsidian-plugin-skill MCP — Use Cases, Install & Live Demo

Why use it

Key features

Obsidian Plugin API patterns (Plugin/Notice/MarkdownView)
manifest.json + versions.json + minAppVersion handling
Settings tab + editor extensions + commands
Release flow via GitHub tags for Community store
TypeScript + esbuild scaffold

Live Demo

What it looks like in practice

obsidian-plugin-skill.replay ▶ ready

0/0

Install

Pick your client

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json · Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "obsidian-plugin-skill": {
      "command": "git",
      "args": [
        "clone",
        "https://github.com/gapmiss/obsidian-plugin-skill",
        "~/.claude/skills/obsidian-plugin-skill"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config. Restart after saving.

~/.cursor/mcp.json · .cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "obsidian-plugin-skill": {
      "command": "git",
      "args": [
        "clone",
        "https://github.com/gapmiss/obsidian-plugin-skill",
        "~/.claude/skills/obsidian-plugin-skill"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Cursor uses the same mcpServers schema as Claude Desktop. Project config wins over global.

VS Code → Cline → MCP Servers → Edit

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "obsidian-plugin-skill": {
      "command": "git",
      "args": [
        "clone",
        "https://github.com/gapmiss/obsidian-plugin-skill",
        "~/.claude/skills/obsidian-plugin-skill"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Click the MCP Servers icon in the Cline sidebar, then "Edit Configuration".

~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "obsidian-plugin-skill": {
      "command": "git",
      "args": [
        "clone",
        "https://github.com/gapmiss/obsidian-plugin-skill",
        "~/.claude/skills/obsidian-plugin-skill"
      ],
      "_inferred": true
    }
  }
}

Same shape as Claude Desktop. Restart Windsurf to pick up changes.

~/.continue/config.json

{
  "mcpServers": [
    {
      "name": "obsidian-plugin-skill",
      "command": "git",
      "args": [
        "clone",
        "https://github.com/gapmiss/obsidian-plugin-skill",
        "~/.claude/skills/obsidian-plugin-skill"
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Continue uses an array of server objects rather than a map.

~/.config/zed/settings.json

{
  "context_servers": {
    "obsidian-plugin-skill": {
      "command": {
        "path": "git",
        "args": [
          "clone",
          "https://github.com/gapmiss/obsidian-plugin-skill",
          "~/.claude/skills/obsidian-plugin-skill"
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to context_servers. Zed hot-reloads on save.

claude mcp add obsidian-plugin-skill -- git clone https://github.com/gapmiss/obsidian-plugin-skill ~/.claude/skills/obsidian-plugin-skill

One-liner. Verify with claude mcp list. Remove with claude mcp remove.

Use Cases

Real-world ways to use obsidian-plugin-skill

How to build and release your first Obsidian plugin

👤 Obsidian power users who want to scratch an itch ⏱ ~120 min intermediate

When to use: You have a concrete workflow improvement and want a plugin in a day.

Prerequisites

Node 18+ — nvm install 18
A local vault for testing — Create a new Obsidian vault just for development
Skill cloned — git clone https://github.com/gapmiss/obsidian-plugin-skill ~/.claude/skills/obsidian-plugin-skill

Flow

Scaffold the plugin

Scaffold an Obsidian plugin called 'smart-outline' with a command and a settings tab.✓ Copied

→ Folder with manifest, main.ts, build config
Add the feature

Implement: on command, open a modal showing the outline of the active note.✓ Copied

→ Working modal reading from the active MarkdownView
Side-load and test

Install into the dev vault's plugins folder and reload Obsidian.✓ Copied

→ Plugin shows up, command works
Prepare a release

Create versions.json and tag a v0.1.0 release.✓ Copied

→ GitHub release with main.js + manifest.json attached

Outcome: A working, installable plugin you can submit to the Community store.

Pitfalls

Forgetting versions.json — Community store rejects — Skill reminds; always keep it in sync with manifest.json
Referencing Obsidian internals that aren't part of the API — Stick to the public API; treat internals as volatile

Combine with: filesystem · github

Add a proper settings tab to an existing plugin

👤 Existing plugin authors improving UX ⏱ ~30 min intermediate

When to use: Your plugin has grown and needs user-configurable options.

Flow

Design the settings

Based on my plugin's README, what settings should be user-configurable?✓ Copied

→ Short list with rationale
Implement PluginSettingTab

Add a PluginSettingTab with those controls.✓ Copied

→ Settings UI in Obsidian

Outcome: A settings tab users can actually use.

Pitfalls

Too many settings — Ruthlessly cut — unused settings are clutter

Combinations

Pair with other MCPs for X10 leverage

obsidian-plugin-skill + filesystem

Read an existing plugin and extend it

Read my-plugin/, add a new command that exports the active note as PDF.✓ Copied

obsidian-plugin-skill + github

Automate tagging and release creation

Tag v0.2.0 and publish release with the built assets.✓ Copied

Tools

What this MCP exposes

Tool	Inputs	When to call
plugin-scaffolding	plugin intent	New plugin
feature-authoring	feature spec + API surface	Every feature
settings-tab	options	UX improvements
release-flow	version bump	Before publishing

Cost & Limits

What this costs to run

API quota: none
Tokens per call: 5–20k per plugin
Monetary: free
Tip: Work feature-by-feature rather than dumping a full plugin spec on Claude

Security

Permissions, secrets, blast radius

Credential storage: GitHub token for releases (if automating)

Data egress: none at skill layer

Plugins run with full access to the vault — review before installing community plugins

Troubleshooting

Common errors and fixes

Obsidian doesn't load the plugin

Confirm manifest.json is valid JSON and in the right vault path; reload via Ctrl+R.

Verify: cat .obsidian/plugins/my-plugin/manifest.json | jq .

Build produces no main.js

Run the esbuild command; check tsconfig target.

Verify: ls main.js

Alternatives

obsidian-plugin-skill vs others

Alternative	When to use it instead	Tradeoff
logseq	You're on Logseq rather than Obsidian	Different plugin API

More

Resources

📖 Read the official README on GitHub

🐙 Browse open issues

🔍 Browse all 400+ MCP servers and Skills