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@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"$schema": "https://anthropic.com/claude-code/marketplace.schema.json",
|
||||
"name": "obsidian-cli-skill",
|
||||
"description": "Obsidian CLI skill for Claude Code — interact with Obsidian vaults from the terminal",
|
||||
"owner": {
|
||||
"name": "pablo-mano"
|
||||
},
|
||||
"plugins": [
|
||||
{
|
||||
"name": "obsidian-cli",
|
||||
"description": "Interact with Obsidian vaults using the official Obsidian CLI (v1.12+). Read, create, append, search, and manage notes, daily notes, properties, tags, tasks, bookmarks, templates, themes, sync, plugins, and links — all from the terminal.",
|
||||
"author": {
|
||||
"name": "pablo-mano"
|
||||
},
|
||||
"source": "./plugins/obsidian-cli",
|
||||
"category": "productivity",
|
||||
"homepage": "https://github.com/pablo-mano/Obsidian-CLI-skill"
|
||||
}
|
||||
]
|
||||
}
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"name": "obsidian-cli",
|
||||
"description": "Interact with Obsidian vaults using the official Obsidian CLI (v1.12+). Read, create, append, search, and manage notes, daily notes, properties, tags, tasks, bookmarks, templates, themes, sync, plugins, and links — all from the terminal.",
|
||||
"version": "1.2.0",
|
||||
"author": {
|
||||
"name": "pablo-mano"
|
||||
},
|
||||
"homepage": "https://github.com/pablo-mano/Obsidian-CLI-skill",
|
||||
"repository": "https://github.com/pablo-mano/Obsidian-CLI-skill"
|
||||
}
|
||||
@@ -53,20 +53,40 @@ Covers **100+ commands** across all major areas:
|
||||
|
||||
### Claude Code — Plugin (native)
|
||||
|
||||
Install directly from GitHub using the Claude Code plugin system:
|
||||
**Option A — Marketplace install (recommended):**
|
||||
|
||||
1. Open Claude Code and run:
|
||||
```
|
||||
/plugin marketplace add https://github.com/pablo-mano/Obsidian-CLI-skill
|
||||
/plugin install obsidian-cli
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
Done — the skill auto-triggers when you ask Claude to interact with Obsidian.
|
||||
|
||||
**Option B — Direct plugin load:**
|
||||
|
||||
1. Clone this repository:
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
git clone https://github.com/pablo-mano/Obsidian-CLI-skill
|
||||
```
|
||||
/plugin marketplace add https://github.com/pablo-mano/Obsidian-CLI-skill
|
||||
2. Load the plugin with the `--plugin-dir` flag:
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
claude --plugin-dir ./Obsidian-CLI-skill
|
||||
```
|
||||
2. Install the `obsidian-cli` skill from the plugin list.
|
||||
3. Done — the skill auto-triggers when you ask Claude to interact with Obsidian, automate vault operations, manage daily notes, search your vault, etc.
|
||||
|
||||
**Alternative — manual install:**
|
||||
1. Download `obsidian-cli-skill-v1.0.0.zip` from the [Releases](https://github.com/pablo-mano/Obsidian-CLI-skill/releases) page.
|
||||
2. Open Claude Code → Skills plugin settings → Import → select the `.zip`.
|
||||
**Option C — Persistent via `settings.json`:**
|
||||
|
||||
> The `plugin.json` manifest at the repo root makes this repository directly compatible with Claude Code's plugin system.
|
||||
Add to your project's `.claude/settings.json`:
|
||||
```json
|
||||
{
|
||||
"plugins": {
|
||||
"obsidian-cli": {
|
||||
"source": { "source": "github", "repo": "pablo-mano/Obsidian-CLI-skill" }
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
}
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
> The `.claude-plugin/marketplace.json` manifest makes this repository compatible with Claude Code's marketplace system.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
@@ -74,17 +94,30 @@ Install directly from GitHub using the Claude Code plugin system:
|
||||
|
||||
Cursor has a native skills system (launched Feb 2026) that is directly compatible with the `SKILL.md` format — no rules file needed.
|
||||
|
||||
**Option A — GitHub install (recommended):**
|
||||
1. Open Cursor Settings → Rules
|
||||
2. Click **Add Rule** → **Remote Rule (GitHub)**
|
||||
3. Paste `https://github.com/pablo-mano/Obsidian-CLI-skill`
|
||||
4. Done — the skill auto-triggers on Obsidian-related tasks.
|
||||
In a terminal:
|
||||
|
||||
**Option B — Local copy:**
|
||||
1. Clone or download this repo
|
||||
2. Copy the folder into your project: `.cursor/skills/obsidian-cli/`
|
||||
(or globally: `~/.cursor/skills/obsidian-cli/`)
|
||||
3. Cursor picks it up automatically — no restart needed.
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/pablo-mano/Obsidian-CLI-skill /tmp/Obsidian-CLI-skill
|
||||
mkdir -p ~/.cursor/skills
|
||||
cp -r /tmp/Obsidian-CLI-skill/skills/obsidian-cli ~/.cursor/skills/obsidian-cli
|
||||
rm -rf /tmp/Obsidian-CLI-skill
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
Cursor picks it up automatically — no restart needed.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
### GitHub Copilot (VS Code)
|
||||
|
||||
Copilot supports [custom instructions](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/customizing-copilot/adding-custom-instructions-for-github-copilot) via repository files:
|
||||
|
||||
**Option A — Repository-wide (recommended):**
|
||||
1. Create `.github/copilot-instructions.md` in your repo.
|
||||
2. Paste the body of `SKILL.md` into the file.
|
||||
|
||||
**Option B — Path-scoped:**
|
||||
1. Create `.github/instructions/obsidian-cli.instructions.md`
|
||||
2. Add frontmatter `applyTo: "**/*"` then paste the `SKILL.md` body.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
@@ -93,7 +126,7 @@ Cursor has a native skills system (launched Feb 2026) that is directly compatibl
|
||||
Windsurf uses a Rules system (`.windsurf/rules/`). Rules have a 12,000 character limit per file, so split the skill across two files:
|
||||
|
||||
1. Create `.windsurf/rules/obsidian-cli.md` — paste the body of `SKILL.md` (everything after the `---` frontmatter).
|
||||
2. Create `.windsurf/rules/obsidian-cli-reference.md` — paste the contents of `references/command-reference.md`.
|
||||
2. Create `.windsurf/rules/obsidian-cli-reference.md` — paste the contents of `skills/obsidian-cli/references/command-reference.md`.
|
||||
|
||||
Set the activation mode to **Always On** or **Model Decision** in each file's frontmatter to control when the rules apply.
|
||||
|
||||
@@ -127,27 +160,13 @@ Openclaw loads skills from the `skills/` directory at the project root using the
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
### GitHub Copilot (VS Code)
|
||||
|
||||
Copilot supports [custom instructions](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/customizing-copilot/adding-custom-instructions-for-github-copilot) via repository files:
|
||||
|
||||
**Repository-wide** (applies to all files):
|
||||
1. Create `.github/copilot-instructions.md` in your repo.
|
||||
2. Paste the body of `SKILL.md` into the file.
|
||||
|
||||
**Path-scoped** (optional alternative):
|
||||
1. Create `.github/instructions/obsidian-cli.instructions.md`
|
||||
2. Add frontmatter `applyTo: "**/*"` then paste the `SKILL.md` body.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
### Any Other LLM Agent or Assistant
|
||||
|
||||
`SKILL.md` is a plain Markdown document. For any agent that supports custom system prompts or instructions:
|
||||
|
||||
1. Open the agent's system prompt / custom instructions settings.
|
||||
2. Paste the contents of `SKILL.md` (with or without the YAML frontmatter — most agents accept either).
|
||||
3. Optionally include `references/command-reference.md` for the complete command reference.
|
||||
3. Optionally include `skills/obsidian-cli/references/command-reference.md` for the complete command reference.
|
||||
|
||||
This works with any chat interface or coding agent that has a system prompt or custom instructions field.
|
||||
|
||||
@@ -190,7 +209,7 @@ obsidian daily:append content="- Started [[projects/new-feature|New Feature]]"
|
||||
|
||||
## Full Command Reference
|
||||
|
||||
See [`references/command-reference.md`](references/command-reference.md) for the complete reference covering all commands, parameters, flags, output formatting, multi-vault usage, and headless Linux setup.
|
||||
See [`skills/obsidian-cli/references/command-reference.md`](skills/obsidian-cli/references/command-reference.md) for the complete reference covering all commands, parameters, flags, output formatting, multi-vault usage, and headless Linux setup.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"name": "obsidian-cli",
|
||||
"version": "1.0.0",
|
||||
"description": "Interact with Obsidian vaults using the official Obsidian CLI (v1.12+). Read, create, search, and manage notes, daily notes, properties, tags, tasks, bookmarks, templates, sync, plugins, and links — all from the terminal.",
|
||||
"author": "pablo-mano",
|
||||
"repository": "https://github.com/pablo-mano/Obsidian-CLI-skill",
|
||||
"skills": ["."]
|
||||
}
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
|
||||
{
|
||||
"name": "obsidian-cli",
|
||||
"description": "Interact with Obsidian vaults using the official Obsidian CLI (v1.12+). Read, create, append, search, and manage notes, daily notes, properties, tags, tasks, bookmarks, templates, themes, sync, plugins, and links — all from the terminal.",
|
||||
"version": "1.2.0",
|
||||
"author": {
|
||||
"name": "pablo-mano"
|
||||
},
|
||||
"homepage": "https://github.com/pablo-mano/Obsidian-CLI-skill",
|
||||
"repository": "https://github.com/pablo-mano/Obsidian-CLI-skill"
|
||||
}
|
||||
@@ -55,25 +55,31 @@ If omitted, the CLI targets the most recently active vault.
|
||||
|
||||
## Command Overview
|
||||
|
||||
The CLI provides **100+ commands** across these groups:
|
||||
The CLI provides **130+ commands** across these groups:
|
||||
|
||||
| Group | Key Commands | Purpose |
|
||||
|---|---|---|
|
||||
| **files** | `read`, `create`, `append`, `prepend`, `move`, `delete`, `files`, `folders`, `file` | Note CRUD and file discovery |
|
||||
| **daily** | `daily`, `daily:read`, `daily:append`, `daily:prepend` | Daily note operations |
|
||||
| **search** | `search` | Full-text vault search with scoping and JSON output |
|
||||
| **files** | `read`, `create`, `append`, `prepend`, `move`, `rename`, `delete`, `files`, `folders`, `file`, `random` | Note CRUD and file discovery |
|
||||
| **daily** | `daily`, `daily:read`, `daily:append`, `daily:prepend`, `daily:path` | Daily note operations |
|
||||
| **search** | `search`, `search:context` | Full-text search; `search:context` returns matching lines |
|
||||
| **properties** | `properties`, `property:read`, `property:set`, `property:remove`, `aliases` | Frontmatter/metadata management |
|
||||
| **tags** | `tags`, `tag` | Tag listing, counts, and filtering |
|
||||
| **tasks** | `tasks`, `task` | Task querying, filtering, and toggling |
|
||||
| **links** | `backlinks`, `links`, `unresolved`, `orphans`, `deadends` | Graph and link analysis |
|
||||
| **bookmarks** | `bookmarks` | Bookmark management |
|
||||
| **bookmarks** | `bookmarks`, `bookmark` | List and add bookmarks |
|
||||
| **templates** | `templates`, `template:read`, `template:insert` | Template listing, rendering, insertion |
|
||||
| **plugins** | `plugins`, `plugin:enable`, `plugin:disable`, `plugin:install`, `plugin:reload` | Plugin management |
|
||||
| **plugins** | `plugins`, `plugin`, `plugin:enable`, `plugin:disable`, `plugin:install`, `plugin:uninstall`, `plugins:restrict` | Plugin management |
|
||||
| **sync** | `sync`, `sync:status`, `sync:history`, `sync:read`, `sync:restore`, `sync:deleted` | Obsidian Sync operations |
|
||||
| **themes** | `themes` | Theme management |
|
||||
| **dev** | `dev:screenshot`, `eval`, `dev:console`, `dev:errors` | Developer/debugging tools |
|
||||
| **vault** | `vault`, `vaults`, `version` | Vault info and metadata |
|
||||
| **other** | `outline`, `wordcount`, `recents`, `reload` | Utility commands |
|
||||
| **themes** | `themes`, `theme`, `theme:set`, `theme:install`, `theme:uninstall` | Theme management |
|
||||
| **snippets** | `snippets`, `snippets:enabled`, `snippet:enable`, `snippet:disable` | CSS snippet management |
|
||||
| **commands** | `commands`, `command`, `hotkeys`, `hotkey` | Execute Obsidian commands by ID; inspect hotkeys |
|
||||
| **bases** | `bases`, `base:query`, `base:views`, `base:create` | Obsidian Bases (v1.12+ database feature) |
|
||||
| **history** | `history`, `history:list`, `history:read`, `history:restore` | File version recovery (File Recovery plugin) |
|
||||
| **workspace** | `workspace`, `tabs`, `tab:open` | Workspace layout and tab management |
|
||||
| **diff** | `diff` | Compare local vs sync file versions |
|
||||
| **dev** | `eval`, `dev:screenshot`, `dev:debug`, `dev:console`, `dev:errors`, `dev:css`, `dev:dom`, `devtools` | Developer/debugging tools |
|
||||
| **vault** | `vault`, `vaults`, `version`, `reload`, `restart` | Vault info and app control |
|
||||
| **other** | `outline`, `wordcount`, `recents` | Utility commands |
|
||||
|
||||
## Quick Reference — Most Common Commands
|
||||
|
||||
@@ -104,8 +110,8 @@ obsidian daily:prepend content="## Morning Notes"
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian search query="project alpha"
|
||||
obsidian search query="TODO" path="projects" limit=10
|
||||
obsidian search query="meeting" format=json
|
||||
obsidian search query="urgent" matches case
|
||||
obsidian search query="meeting" format=json # Returns JSON array of file paths
|
||||
obsidian search query="urgent" case
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Properties & Tags
|
||||
@@ -122,18 +128,20 @@ obsidian tag name="project/alpha"
|
||||
### Tasks
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian tasks # All incomplete tasks
|
||||
obsidian tasks # All tasks (done + todo) — same as tasks all in v1.12
|
||||
obsidian tasks all # All tasks (done + todo)
|
||||
obsidian tasks done # Completed only
|
||||
obsidian tasks daily # Tasks in today's daily note
|
||||
obsidian task path="note.md" line=12 toggle
|
||||
obsidian tasks | grep "\[ \]" # Workaround: filter to incomplete only
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Developer & Automation
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian eval code="app.vault.getFiles().length"
|
||||
obsidian dev:screenshot path="screenshot.png"
|
||||
obsidian dev:screenshot path="folder/screenshot.png" # Path must be vault-relative
|
||||
obsidian dev:debug on # Required before dev:console
|
||||
obsidian dev:console limit=20
|
||||
obsidian dev:errors
|
||||
```
|
||||
@@ -178,7 +186,7 @@ obsidian daily:append content="- Started [[projects/new-feature|New Feature]]"
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian files total # Total file count
|
||||
obsidian tags counts sort=count # Most used tags
|
||||
obsidian tasks # Open tasks across vault
|
||||
obsidian tasks | grep "\[ \]" # Incomplete tasks across vault
|
||||
obsidian orphans # Notes needing integration
|
||||
obsidian unresolved # Broken links to fix
|
||||
```
|
||||
@@ -186,7 +194,7 @@ obsidian unresolved # Broken links to fix
|
||||
### Search and Extract for AI Processing
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian search query="meeting notes" format=json | jq '.[] | .path'
|
||||
obsidian search query="meeting notes" format=json | jq '.[]'
|
||||
obsidian read path="meetings/standup.md" | grep "Action item"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
@@ -198,16 +206,29 @@ obsidian sync:history path="important.md" # Version history
|
||||
obsidian sync:restore path="important.md" version=3 # Rollback
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Execute Obsidian Commands
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
# Find a command ID, then execute it
|
||||
obsidian commands | grep "graph"
|
||||
obsidian command id="graph:open"
|
||||
|
||||
# Open settings, trigger a plugin action
|
||||
obsidian command id="app:open-settings"
|
||||
obsidian command id="dataview:dataview-force-refresh-views"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
## Tips
|
||||
|
||||
1. **Paths are vault-relative** — use `folder/note.md`, not absolute filesystem paths.
|
||||
2. **`create` paths omit `.md`** — the extension is added automatically.
|
||||
3. **`move` requires full target path** including `.md` extension.
|
||||
4. **Pipe-friendly** — plain text output works with `grep`, `awk`, `sed`, `jq`.
|
||||
5. **JSON output** — use `format=json` on search and file commands for machine parsing.
|
||||
5. **JSON output** — use `format=json` on `search` for a JSON array of file paths. The `files` command does not support JSON output.
|
||||
6. **Stderr noise** — GPU/Electron warnings on headless are harmless; filter with `2>/dev/null`.
|
||||
7. **`daily:prepend`** inserts content after frontmatter, not at byte 0.
|
||||
8. **Use `eval`** to run arbitrary JavaScript against the Obsidian API (`app.*`).
|
||||
9. **`template:insert`** inserts into the currently active file in the Obsidian UI — it does not accept a `path=` parameter. If no file is open, it returns `Error: No active editor. Open a file first.` To create a file from a template via CLI, use `obsidian create path="..." template="..."` instead.
|
||||
|
||||
## Troubleshooting
|
||||
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,631 @@
|
||||
# Obsidian CLI — Full Command Reference
|
||||
|
||||
Complete reference for all official Obsidian CLI commands (v1.12+).
|
||||
|
||||
**Syntax**: `obsidian [vault] <command> [subcommand] [key=value ...] [flags]`
|
||||
|
||||
All parameters use `key=value` syntax. Quote values containing spaces: `content="hello world"`.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Table of Contents
|
||||
|
||||
1. [Files](#files)
|
||||
2. [Daily Notes](#daily-notes)
|
||||
3. [Search](#search)
|
||||
4. [Properties](#properties)
|
||||
5. [Tags](#tags)
|
||||
6. [Tasks](#tasks)
|
||||
7. [Links](#links)
|
||||
8. [Bookmarks](#bookmarks)
|
||||
9. [Templates](#templates)
|
||||
10. [Plugins](#plugins)
|
||||
11. [Sync](#sync)
|
||||
12. [Themes](#themes)
|
||||
13. [CSS Snippets](#css-snippets)
|
||||
14. [Commands & Hotkeys](#commands--hotkeys)
|
||||
15. [Obsidian Bases](#obsidian-bases)
|
||||
16. [History](#history)
|
||||
17. [Workspace & Tabs](#workspace--tabs)
|
||||
18. [Diff](#diff)
|
||||
19. [Developer](#developer)
|
||||
20. [Vault & System](#vault--system)
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Files
|
||||
|
||||
File operations: read, write, create, move, delete, list.
|
||||
|
||||
### Reading Notes
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian read path="folder/note.md"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
Prints raw markdown content of a note to stdout. Path is vault-relative.
|
||||
|
||||
### Creating Notes
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian create path="folder/note" content="# Title\n\nBody text"
|
||||
obsidian create path="folder/note" template="template-name"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
- Path should **not** include `.md` — it is appended automatically.
|
||||
- Use `template=` to create from a template file.
|
||||
- Use `content=` to set initial content directly.
|
||||
|
||||
### Appending & Prepending
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian append path="folder/note.md" content="Appended text"
|
||||
obsidian prepend path="folder/note.md" content="Prepended text"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
- `append` adds content at the end of the file.
|
||||
- `prepend` adds content after the frontmatter (not at byte 0).
|
||||
|
||||
### Moving & Renaming
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian move path="old/path/note.md" to="new/path/note.md"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
- `to=` is the full vault-relative target path including the `.md` extension.
|
||||
- Can be used to move, rename, or both in a single command.
|
||||
|
||||
### Deleting
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian delete path="folder/note.md" # Moves to trash
|
||||
obsidian delete path="folder/note.md" permanent # Permanent deletion
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### File Discovery
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian files # List all files in vault
|
||||
obsidian files ext=md # Filter by extension
|
||||
obsidian files folder="subfolder" # Files in specific folder
|
||||
obsidian files total # Just the file count
|
||||
obsidian folders # List all folders
|
||||
obsidian file path="folder/note.md" # File info (size, created, modified dates)
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Random Notes
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian random # Open a random note in Obsidian
|
||||
obsidian random:read # Print content of a random note to stdout
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Renaming
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian rename path="folder/note.md" name="new-name"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
- `name=` is the new filename only (no path, no `.md` extension).
|
||||
- Use `move` when you also want to change the folder.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Daily Notes
|
||||
|
||||
Operations on the daily note (requires Daily Notes core plugin enabled).
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian daily # Open today's daily note in Obsidian
|
||||
obsidian daily:read # Print today's daily note content to stdout
|
||||
obsidian daily:append content="text" # Append content to today's note
|
||||
obsidian daily:prepend content="text" # Prepend content (after frontmatter)
|
||||
obsidian daily:path # Print vault-relative path of today's note
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
**Notes:**
|
||||
- `daily:prepend` inserts content after the frontmatter block, not at the very beginning.
|
||||
- If today's note doesn't exist, `daily` will create it (using the configured template if set).
|
||||
- Daily note format/folder are configured in Obsidian's Daily Notes plugin settings.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Search
|
||||
|
||||
Full-text search across the vault.
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian search query="search text"
|
||||
obsidian search query="text" path="folder" # Scope to folder
|
||||
obsidian search query="text" limit=10 # Limit results
|
||||
obsidian search query="text" format=json # JSON output (array of file paths)
|
||||
obsidian search query="text" matches # Accepted but returns file paths only
|
||||
obsidian search query="text" case # Case-sensitive search
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
**Parameters:**
|
||||
- `query=` — Search term (required)
|
||||
- `path=` — Restrict search to a folder
|
||||
- `limit=` — Maximum number of results
|
||||
- `format=json` — Returns a JSON array of matching file paths: `["folder/note.md", ...]`
|
||||
- `matches` — Flag accepted by the CLI but does not return match context/snippets in v1.12
|
||||
- `case` — Enable case-sensitive matching
|
||||
|
||||
### Search with Context
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian search:context query="search text"
|
||||
obsidian search:context query="text" path="folder" limit=10
|
||||
obsidian search:context query="text" case
|
||||
obsidian search:context query="text" format=json
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
Returns matching lines with surrounding context (not just file paths). Useful when you need to see the actual content that matched rather than just file paths.
|
||||
|
||||
### Open Search View
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian search:open query="search text"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
Opens the Obsidian search panel in the UI with the given query.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Properties
|
||||
|
||||
Manage frontmatter (YAML metadata) on notes.
|
||||
|
||||
### Read All Properties
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian properties path="note.md"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Read Single Property
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian property:read path="note.md" name="status"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Set Property
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian property:set path="note.md" name="status" value="active"
|
||||
obsidian property:set path="note.md" name="tags" value="[project, alpha]"
|
||||
obsidian property:set path="note.md" name="date" value="2026-02-27"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Remove Property
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian property:remove path="note.md" name="draft"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Aliases
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian aliases path="note.md"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
Lists all aliases defined in the note's frontmatter.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Tags
|
||||
|
||||
Tag discovery and filtering.
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian tags # List all tags in the vault
|
||||
obsidian tags counts # Tags with usage counts
|
||||
obsidian tags counts sort=count # Sorted by frequency (most used first)
|
||||
obsidian tags path="note.md" # Tags in a specific file
|
||||
obsidian tag name="project/alpha" # List notes with a specific tag
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
**Notes:**
|
||||
- Nested tags are supported (e.g., `project/alpha`).
|
||||
- Tags from both frontmatter and inline `#tag` syntax are included.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Tasks
|
||||
|
||||
Query and manage checkbox tasks across the vault.
|
||||
|
||||
### Querying Tasks
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian tasks # All tasks (same as tasks all in v1.12)
|
||||
obsidian tasks all # All tasks (complete + incomplete)
|
||||
obsidian tasks done # Only completed tasks
|
||||
obsidian tasks path="note.md" # Tasks in a specific file
|
||||
obsidian tasks daily # Tasks in today's daily note
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
> **Note:** In v1.12, `tasks` with no arguments returns all tasks (complete + incomplete), identical to `tasks all`. Filtering to incomplete-only is not currently supported without post-processing (e.g. pipe to `grep "\[ \]"`).
|
||||
|
||||
### Toggling Task Status
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian task path="note.md" line=12 toggle
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
Toggles the checkbox on the specified line number between `- [ ]` and `- [x]`.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Links
|
||||
|
||||
Graph analysis and link management.
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian backlinks path="note.md" # Notes linking TO this note
|
||||
obsidian backlinks path="note.md" counts # With link counts per file
|
||||
obsidian links path="note.md" # Outgoing links FROM this note
|
||||
obsidian unresolved # All unresolved [[wikilinks]]
|
||||
obsidian orphans # Notes with no incoming or outgoing links
|
||||
obsidian deadends # Notes with no outgoing links
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Bookmarks
|
||||
|
||||
Manage Obsidian bookmarks (requires Bookmarks core plugin).
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian bookmarks # List all bookmarks
|
||||
obsidian bookmark file="folder/note.md" # Bookmark a note
|
||||
obsidian bookmark file="folder/note.md" subpath="#Heading" # Bookmark a heading
|
||||
obsidian bookmark folder="projects" # Bookmark a folder
|
||||
obsidian bookmark search="query text" title="My Search" # Bookmark a search
|
||||
obsidian bookmark url="https://example.com" title="Link" # Bookmark a URL
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Templates
|
||||
|
||||
Work with note templates (requires Templates or Templater plugin).
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian templates # List available templates
|
||||
obsidian template:read name="weekly-review" # Read template content
|
||||
obsidian template:read name="weekly-review" resolve title="My Note" # Render with variables
|
||||
obsidian template:insert name="weekly-review" # Insert template into the active Obsidian UI file
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
**Parameters:**
|
||||
- `name=` — Template name (without path prefix or extension)
|
||||
- `resolve` — Process template variables (`{{date}}`, `{{title}}`, etc.)
|
||||
- Title and other variables can be passed as `key=value` for template rendering.
|
||||
|
||||
> **Note:** `template:insert` inserts into whichever file is currently active in the Obsidian UI — it does not accept a `path=` parameter. If no file is open, it returns `Error: No active editor. Open a file first.` To create a new file from a template, use `obsidian create path="..." template="..."` instead.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Plugins
|
||||
|
||||
Manage community and core plugins.
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian plugins # List all plugins (core + community)
|
||||
obsidian plugins:enabled # Only enabled plugins
|
||||
obsidian plugins versions # Plugins with version numbers (community only)
|
||||
obsidian plugins:restrict # Show restricted mode status
|
||||
obsidian plugins:restrict on # Enable restricted mode (disables community plugins)
|
||||
obsidian plugins:restrict off # Disable restricted mode
|
||||
obsidian plugin id="dataview" # Get info about a specific plugin
|
||||
obsidian plugin:enable id="canvas" # Enable a plugin
|
||||
obsidian plugin:disable id="canvas" # Disable a plugin
|
||||
obsidian plugin:install id="dataview" # Install from community plugins
|
||||
obsidian plugin:uninstall id="dataview" # Uninstall a community plugin
|
||||
obsidian plugin:reload id="my-plugin" # Reload a plugin (useful for dev)
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
> **Note:** `plugins versions` only shows version numbers for community plugins. Core (built-in) plugins share Obsidian's version and display blank version fields.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Sync
|
||||
|
||||
Manage Obsidian Sync (requires active Sync subscription).
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian sync # Show sync status summary
|
||||
obsidian sync on # Resume syncing
|
||||
obsidian sync off # Pause syncing
|
||||
obsidian sync:status # Detailed sync status
|
||||
obsidian sync:history path="note.md" # Version history for a file
|
||||
obsidian sync:read path="note.md" version=3 # Read a specific version
|
||||
obsidian sync:restore path="note.md" version=3 # Restore a previous version
|
||||
obsidian sync:deleted # List files deleted via sync
|
||||
obsidian sync:open # Open the Sync history view in the UI
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Themes
|
||||
|
||||
Manage appearance themes.
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian themes # List installed themes
|
||||
obsidian themes versions # List installed themes with version numbers
|
||||
obsidian theme # Show the currently active theme
|
||||
obsidian theme name="Minimal" # Get details about a specific theme
|
||||
obsidian theme:set name="Minimal" # Switch to a theme
|
||||
obsidian theme:set name="" # Switch back to default theme
|
||||
obsidian theme:install name="Minimal" # Install a community theme
|
||||
obsidian theme:install name="Minimal" enable # Install and activate immediately
|
||||
obsidian theme:uninstall name="Minimal" # Uninstall a theme
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## CSS Snippets
|
||||
|
||||
Manage custom CSS snippet files (snippets live in `.obsidian/snippets/`).
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian snippets # List all installed CSS snippets
|
||||
obsidian snippets:enabled # List only enabled snippets
|
||||
obsidian snippet:enable name="my-style" # Enable a snippet
|
||||
obsidian snippet:disable name="my-style" # Disable a snippet
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Commands & Hotkeys
|
||||
|
||||
Execute any Obsidian command by its ID, and inspect hotkey bindings.
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian commands # List all available command IDs
|
||||
obsidian command id="app:reload" # Execute a command by ID
|
||||
obsidian command id="editor:toggle-bold" # Example: toggle bold in active editor
|
||||
obsidian hotkeys # List all hotkeys (tab-separated: id \t keybinding)
|
||||
obsidian hotkey id="app:open-settings" # Get hotkey for a specific command
|
||||
obsidian hotkey id="app:open-settings" verbose # Show if custom or default
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
**Typical workflow — find and run a command:**
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian commands | grep "canvas" # Find canvas-related command IDs
|
||||
obsidian command id="canvas:new-file" # Execute the matched command
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
**Getting plugin command IDs:**
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian commands | grep "dataview" # List all Dataview plugin commands
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Obsidian Bases
|
||||
|
||||
Obsidian Bases (v1.12+) is a built-in database feature. Base files (`.base`) store structured data and support multiple views.
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian bases # List all .base files in vault
|
||||
obsidian base:query file="tasks" format=json # Query default view of a base
|
||||
obsidian base:query file="tasks" view="Kanban" # Query a specific view
|
||||
obsidian base:query path="folder/tasks.base" format=csv # Query by path
|
||||
obsidian base:views file="tasks" # List all views in a base file
|
||||
obsidian base:create file="tasks" title="Buy milk" # Add an item to a base
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
**Supported output formats for `base:query`:** `json` (default), `csv`, `tsv`, `md`, `paths`
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## History
|
||||
|
||||
File version history (built-in to Obsidian, separate from Sync). Requires the File Recovery core plugin.
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian history:list # List all files that have history
|
||||
obsidian history path="folder/note.md" # List versions of a specific file
|
||||
obsidian history:read path="folder/note.md" # Read the latest saved version
|
||||
obsidian history:read path="folder/note.md" version=3 # Read a specific version
|
||||
obsidian history:restore path="folder/note.md" version=3 # Restore a version
|
||||
obsidian history:open path="folder/note.md" # Open file recovery UI for a file
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
> **Note:** History is distinct from [Sync version history](#sync). History uses Obsidian's built-in File Recovery snapshots; Sync history uses Obsidian Sync cloud versions.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Workspace & Tabs
|
||||
|
||||
Inspect and manage the Obsidian workspace layout and open tabs.
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian workspace # Show the full workspace tree
|
||||
obsidian tabs # List all open tabs (flat list)
|
||||
obsidian tab:open file="folder/note.md" # Open a file in a new tab
|
||||
obsidian tab:open view="graph" # Open a view type in a new tab
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Diff
|
||||
|
||||
Compare local and sync versions of a file.
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian diff path="folder/note.md" # List available versions (local + sync)
|
||||
obsidian diff path="folder/note.md" from=1 to=2 # Diff two specific versions
|
||||
obsidian diff path="folder/note.md" filter=local # Show only local versions
|
||||
obsidian diff path="folder/note.md" filter=sync # Show only sync versions
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Developer
|
||||
|
||||
Debugging and development tools.
|
||||
|
||||
### Screenshots
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian dev:screenshot path="folder/screenshot.png"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
Takes a screenshot of the Obsidian window and saves it. **Path must be vault-relative** — absolute filesystem paths are silently ignored.
|
||||
|
||||
### JavaScript Evaluation
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian eval code="app.vault.getFiles().length"
|
||||
obsidian eval code="app.vault.getMarkdownFiles().map(f => f.path).join('\n')"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
Executes arbitrary JavaScript in the Obsidian app context. Has access to the full Obsidian API (`app`, `app.vault`, `app.workspace`, `app.metadataCache`, etc.).
|
||||
|
||||
### Console & Errors
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian dev:debug on # Start capturing console output (required before dev:console)
|
||||
obsidian dev:debug off # Stop capturing console output
|
||||
obsidian dev:console limit=20 # Recent console output (requires dev:debug on first)
|
||||
obsidian dev:errors # Recent error messages
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
> **Note:** `dev:console` will return an error unless `dev:debug on` has been run first in the current session.
|
||||
|
||||
### DOM Inspection
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian dev:dom selector=".view-content" # Get outerHTML of first match
|
||||
obsidian dev:dom selector=".view-content" all # Get all matches
|
||||
obsidian dev:dom selector=".view-content" text # Get text content
|
||||
obsidian dev:dom selector=".view-content" total # Count matching elements
|
||||
obsidian dev:dom selector=".view-content" attr=class # Get an attribute value
|
||||
obsidian dev:dom selector=".view-content" css=color # Get a CSS property value
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### CSS Inspection
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian dev:css selector=".view-content" # Inspect CSS with source locations
|
||||
obsidian dev:css selector=".view-content" prop=color # Filter by CSS property name
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Chrome DevTools Protocol
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian devtools # Toggle Electron DevTools panel
|
||||
obsidian dev:cdp method="Runtime.evaluate" params='{"expression":"1+1"}' # Run a CDP command
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Mobile Emulation
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian dev:mobile on # Enable mobile emulation
|
||||
obsidian dev:mobile off # Disable mobile emulation
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Vault & System
|
||||
|
||||
### Vault Information
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian vault # Current vault: name, path, file/folder counts
|
||||
obsidian vaults # List all known vaults
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Other Utilities
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian version # Obsidian version info
|
||||
obsidian outline path="note.md" # Heading structure of a note
|
||||
obsidian wordcount path="note.md" # Word and character count
|
||||
obsidian recents # Recently opened files
|
||||
obsidian reload # Reload the vault (re-index)
|
||||
obsidian restart # Restart the Obsidian app
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Output Formatting & Piping
|
||||
|
||||
The CLI outputs plain text by default, ideal for piping into Unix tools.
|
||||
|
||||
### Supported `format=` values
|
||||
|
||||
| Format | Description | Best for |
|
||||
|---|---|---|
|
||||
| `text` | Plain text (default) | Piping to grep/awk/sed |
|
||||
| `json` | JSON array or object | Processing with jq, AI agents |
|
||||
| `csv` | Comma-separated values | Spreadsheet import |
|
||||
| `tsv` | Tab-separated values | Shell parsing with cut/awk |
|
||||
| `yaml` | YAML output | Config-style processing |
|
||||
| `md` | Markdown table | Embedding results in notes |
|
||||
| `paths` | One path per line | Batch file operations |
|
||||
| `tree` | Tree view | Visual hierarchy |
|
||||
|
||||
Not all formats are supported by every command. Use `text` or `json` when in doubt.
|
||||
|
||||
### Examples
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
# Count notes in a folder
|
||||
obsidian files folder="projects" | wc -l
|
||||
|
||||
# Find notes with a specific tag, then read them
|
||||
obsidian tag name="urgent" | while read -r note; do
|
||||
echo "=== $note ==="
|
||||
obsidian read path="$note"
|
||||
done
|
||||
|
||||
# Export search results as JSON and process with jq
|
||||
# format=json returns an array of file path strings: ["folder/note.md", ...]
|
||||
obsidian search query="meeting" format=json | jq '.[]'
|
||||
|
||||
# Query a base as CSV
|
||||
obsidian base:query file="tasks" format=csv
|
||||
|
||||
# Filter console errors (requires dev:debug on first)
|
||||
obsidian dev:debug on
|
||||
obsidian dev:console limit=50 | grep -i error
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Multi-Vault Usage
|
||||
|
||||
When working with multiple vaults, pass the vault name as the **first argument** (before the command):
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian "Personal" daily:read
|
||||
obsidian "Work" search query="standup"
|
||||
obsidian "Archive" files total
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
If the vault name contains spaces, quote it. The vault name must match what's shown in `obsidian vaults`.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Headless / Server Setup (Linux)
|
||||
|
||||
For running Obsidian CLI on a headless Linux server (useful for AI agent integration):
|
||||
|
||||
1. Install the `.deb` package (not snap — snap confinement breaks IPC)
|
||||
2. Install and start `xvfb`: `Xvfb :5 -screen 0 1920x1080x24 &`
|
||||
3. Start Obsidian under xvfb: `DISPLAY=:5 obsidian &`
|
||||
4. Run CLI commands: `DISPLAY=:5 obsidian daily:read`
|
||||
|
||||
**Systemd note**: If running as a service, ensure `PrivateTmp=false` so the IPC socket is accessible.
|
||||
|
||||
**Stderr filtering**: Headless environments produce harmless GPU warnings. Filter with:
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
DISPLAY=:5 obsidian search query="test" 2>/dev/null
|
||||
```
|
||||
@@ -1,409 +0,0 @@
|
||||
# Obsidian CLI — Full Command Reference
|
||||
|
||||
Complete reference for all official Obsidian CLI commands (v1.12+).
|
||||
|
||||
**Syntax**: `obsidian [vault] <command> [subcommand] [key=value ...] [flags]`
|
||||
|
||||
All parameters use `key=value` syntax. Quote values containing spaces: `content="hello world"`.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Table of Contents
|
||||
|
||||
1. [Files](#files)
|
||||
2. [Daily Notes](#daily-notes)
|
||||
3. [Search](#search)
|
||||
4. [Properties](#properties)
|
||||
5. [Tags](#tags)
|
||||
6. [Tasks](#tasks)
|
||||
7. [Links](#links)
|
||||
8. [Bookmarks](#bookmarks)
|
||||
9. [Templates](#templates)
|
||||
10. [Plugins](#plugins)
|
||||
11. [Sync](#sync)
|
||||
12. [Themes](#themes)
|
||||
13. [Developer](#developer)
|
||||
14. [Vault & System](#vault--system)
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Files
|
||||
|
||||
File operations: read, write, create, move, delete, list.
|
||||
|
||||
### Reading Notes
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian read path="folder/note.md"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
Prints raw markdown content of a note to stdout. Path is vault-relative.
|
||||
|
||||
### Creating Notes
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian create path="folder/note" content="# Title\n\nBody text"
|
||||
obsidian create path="folder/note" template="template-name"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
- Path should **not** include `.md` — it is appended automatically.
|
||||
- Use `template=` to create from a template file.
|
||||
- Use `content=` to set initial content directly.
|
||||
|
||||
### Appending & Prepending
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian append path="folder/note.md" content="Appended text"
|
||||
obsidian prepend path="folder/note.md" content="Prepended text"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
- `append` adds content at the end of the file.
|
||||
- `prepend` adds content after the frontmatter (not at byte 0).
|
||||
|
||||
### Moving & Renaming
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian move path="old/path/note.md" to="new/path/note.md"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
- `to=` is the full vault-relative target path including the `.md` extension.
|
||||
- Can be used to move, rename, or both in a single command.
|
||||
|
||||
### Deleting
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian delete path="folder/note.md" # Moves to trash
|
||||
obsidian delete path="folder/note.md" permanent # Permanent deletion
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### File Discovery
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian files # List all files in vault
|
||||
obsidian files ext=md # Filter by extension
|
||||
obsidian files folder="subfolder" # Files in specific folder
|
||||
obsidian files total # Just the file count
|
||||
obsidian files format=json # JSON output
|
||||
obsidian folders # List all folders
|
||||
obsidian file path="folder/note.md" # File info (size, created, modified dates)
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Daily Notes
|
||||
|
||||
Operations on the daily note (requires Daily Notes core plugin enabled).
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian daily # Open today's daily note in Obsidian
|
||||
obsidian daily:read # Print today's daily note content to stdout
|
||||
obsidian daily:append content="text" # Append content to today's note
|
||||
obsidian daily:prepend content="text" # Prepend content (after frontmatter)
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
**Notes:**
|
||||
- `daily:prepend` inserts content after the frontmatter block, not at the very beginning.
|
||||
- If today's note doesn't exist, `daily` will create it (using the configured template if set).
|
||||
- Daily note format/folder are configured in Obsidian's Daily Notes plugin settings.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Search
|
||||
|
||||
Full-text search across the vault.
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian search query="search text"
|
||||
obsidian search query="text" path="folder" # Scope to folder
|
||||
obsidian search query="text" limit=10 # Limit results
|
||||
obsidian search query="text" format=json # JSON output
|
||||
obsidian search query="text" matches # Include match context/snippets
|
||||
obsidian search query="text" case # Case-sensitive search
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
**Parameters:**
|
||||
- `query=` — Search term (required)
|
||||
- `path=` — Restrict search to a folder
|
||||
- `limit=` — Maximum number of results
|
||||
- `format=json` — Machine-readable JSON output
|
||||
- `matches` — Show matching line context
|
||||
- `case` — Enable case-sensitive matching
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Properties
|
||||
|
||||
Manage frontmatter (YAML metadata) on notes.
|
||||
|
||||
### Read All Properties
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian properties path="note.md"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Read Single Property
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian property:read path="note.md" name="status"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Set Property
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian property:set path="note.md" name="status" value="active"
|
||||
obsidian property:set path="note.md" name="tags" value="[project, alpha]"
|
||||
obsidian property:set path="note.md" name="date" value="2026-02-27"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Remove Property
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian property:remove path="note.md" name="draft"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Aliases
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian aliases path="note.md"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
Lists all aliases defined in the note's frontmatter.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Tags
|
||||
|
||||
Tag discovery and filtering.
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian tags # List all tags in the vault
|
||||
obsidian tags counts # Tags with usage counts
|
||||
obsidian tags counts sort=count # Sorted by frequency (most used first)
|
||||
obsidian tags path="note.md" # Tags in a specific file
|
||||
obsidian tag name="project/alpha" # List notes with a specific tag
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
**Notes:**
|
||||
- Nested tags are supported (e.g., `project/alpha`).
|
||||
- Tags from both frontmatter and inline `#tag` syntax are included.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Tasks
|
||||
|
||||
Query and manage checkbox tasks across the vault.
|
||||
|
||||
### Querying Tasks
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian tasks # All incomplete tasks
|
||||
obsidian tasks all # All tasks (complete + incomplete)
|
||||
obsidian tasks done # Only completed tasks
|
||||
obsidian tasks path="note.md" # Tasks in a specific file
|
||||
obsidian tasks daily # Tasks in today's daily note
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Toggling Task Status
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian task path="note.md" line=12 toggle
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
Toggles the checkbox on the specified line number between `- [ ]` and `- [x]`.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Links
|
||||
|
||||
Graph analysis and link management.
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian backlinks path="note.md" # Notes linking TO this note
|
||||
obsidian backlinks path="note.md" counts # With link counts per file
|
||||
obsidian links path="note.md" # Outgoing links FROM this note
|
||||
obsidian unresolved # All unresolved [[wikilinks]]
|
||||
obsidian orphans # Notes with no incoming or outgoing links
|
||||
obsidian deadends # Notes with no outgoing links
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Bookmarks
|
||||
|
||||
Manage Obsidian bookmarks (requires Bookmarks core plugin).
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian bookmarks # List all bookmarks
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
Bookmarks commands let you view and manage bookmarked notes, searches, and groups. Use `obsidian bookmarks --help` for all available subcommands.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Templates
|
||||
|
||||
Work with note templates (requires Templates or Templater plugin).
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian templates # List available templates
|
||||
obsidian template:read name="weekly-review" # Read template content
|
||||
obsidian template:read name="weekly-review" resolve title="My Note" # Render with variables
|
||||
obsidian template:insert name="weekly-review" # Insert template into active file
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
**Parameters:**
|
||||
- `name=` — Template name (without path prefix or extension)
|
||||
- `resolve` — Process template variables
|
||||
- Title and other variables can be passed as `key=value` for template rendering.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Plugins
|
||||
|
||||
Manage community and core plugins.
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian plugins # List all installed plugins
|
||||
obsidian plugins:enabled # Only enabled plugins
|
||||
obsidian plugins versions # Plugins with version numbers
|
||||
obsidian plugin:enable id="canvas" # Enable a plugin
|
||||
obsidian plugin:disable id="canvas" # Disable a plugin
|
||||
obsidian plugin:install id="dataview" # Install from community plugins
|
||||
obsidian plugin:reload id="my-plugin" # Reload a plugin (useful for dev)
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Sync
|
||||
|
||||
Manage Obsidian Sync (requires active Sync subscription).
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian sync # Show sync status summary
|
||||
obsidian sync on # Resume syncing
|
||||
obsidian sync off # Pause syncing
|
||||
obsidian sync:status # Detailed sync status
|
||||
obsidian sync:history path="note.md" # Version history for a file
|
||||
obsidian sync:read path="note.md" version=3 # Read a specific version
|
||||
obsidian sync:restore path="note.md" version=3 # Restore a previous version
|
||||
obsidian sync:deleted # List files deleted via sync
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Themes
|
||||
|
||||
Manage appearance themes.
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian themes # List available/installed themes
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
Use `obsidian themes --help` for additional subcommands related to theme management (install, switch, etc.).
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Developer
|
||||
|
||||
Debugging and development tools.
|
||||
|
||||
### Screenshots
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian dev:screenshot path="screenshot.png"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
Takes a screenshot of the Obsidian window and saves it.
|
||||
|
||||
### JavaScript Evaluation
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian eval code="app.vault.getFiles().length"
|
||||
obsidian eval code="app.vault.getMarkdownFiles().map(f => f.path).join('\n')"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
Executes arbitrary JavaScript in the Obsidian app context. Has access to the full Obsidian API (`app`, `app.vault`, `app.workspace`, `app.metadataCache`, etc.).
|
||||
|
||||
### Console & Errors
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian dev:console limit=20 # Recent console output
|
||||
obsidian dev:errors # Recent error messages
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Vault & System
|
||||
|
||||
### Vault Information
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian vault # Current vault: name, path, file/folder counts
|
||||
obsidian vaults # List all known vaults
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Other Utilities
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian version # Obsidian version info
|
||||
obsidian outline path="note.md" # Heading structure of a note
|
||||
obsidian wordcount path="note.md" # Word and character count
|
||||
obsidian recents # Recently opened files
|
||||
obsidian reload # Reload the vault (re-index)
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Output Formatting & Piping
|
||||
|
||||
The CLI outputs plain text by default, ideal for piping into Unix tools:
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
# Count notes in a folder
|
||||
obsidian files folder="projects" | wc -l
|
||||
|
||||
# Find notes with a specific tag, then read them
|
||||
obsidian tag name="urgent" | while read -r note; do
|
||||
echo "=== $note ==="
|
||||
obsidian read path="$note"
|
||||
done
|
||||
|
||||
# Export search results as JSON and process with jq
|
||||
obsidian search query="meeting" format=json | jq '.[].path'
|
||||
|
||||
# Filter console errors
|
||||
obsidian dev:console limit=50 | grep -i error
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Multi-Vault Usage
|
||||
|
||||
When working with multiple vaults, pass the vault name as the **first argument** (before the command):
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian "Personal" daily:read
|
||||
obsidian "Work" search query="standup"
|
||||
obsidian "Archive" files total
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
If the vault name contains spaces, quote it. The vault name must match what's shown in `obsidian vaults`.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Headless / Server Setup (Linux)
|
||||
|
||||
For running Obsidian CLI on a headless Linux server (useful for AI agent integration):
|
||||
|
||||
1. Install the `.deb` package (not snap — snap confinement breaks IPC)
|
||||
2. Install and start `xvfb`: `Xvfb :5 -screen 0 1920x1080x24 &`
|
||||
3. Start Obsidian under xvfb: `DISPLAY=:5 obsidian &`
|
||||
4. Run CLI commands: `DISPLAY=:5 obsidian daily:read`
|
||||
|
||||
**Systemd note**: If running as a service, ensure `PrivateTmp=false` so the IPC socket is accessible.
|
||||
|
||||
**Stderr filtering**: Headless environments produce harmless GPU warnings. Filter with:
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
DISPLAY=:5 obsidian search query="test" 2>/dev/null
|
||||
```
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,242 @@
|
||||
---
|
||||
name: obsidian-cli
|
||||
description: >
|
||||
Interact with Obsidian vaults using the official Obsidian CLI (v1.12+).
|
||||
Read, create, append, search, and manage notes, daily notes, properties, tags,
|
||||
tasks, bookmarks, templates, themes, sync, plugins, and links — all from the terminal.
|
||||
Use this skill whenever the user mentions Obsidian CLI, wants to automate Obsidian
|
||||
vault operations, manage notes programmatically, script daily note workflows,
|
||||
query vault metadata, or integrate Obsidian with AI agents or automation pipelines.
|
||||
Also trigger when the user asks about controlling Obsidian from the command line,
|
||||
building scripts around their knowledge base, or running headless Obsidian setups.
|
||||
Even if the user just says "add something to my daily note" or "search my vault"
|
||||
in a CLI/scripting context, this skill applies.
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
# Obsidian CLI
|
||||
|
||||
The official Obsidian CLI (released in v1.12, February 2026) lets you control every aspect of Obsidian from the terminal. It communicates with a running Obsidian desktop instance via IPC.
|
||||
|
||||
> For the full command reference with all subcommands, flags and examples, read
|
||||
> `references/command-reference.md` in this skill folder.
|
||||
|
||||
## Prerequisites
|
||||
|
||||
| Requirement | Details |
|
||||
|---|---|
|
||||
| Obsidian Desktop | **v1.12.0+** |
|
||||
| CLI enabled | Settings → Command line interface → Toggle ON |
|
||||
| Obsidian running | The desktop app **must be running** for CLI to work (IPC) |
|
||||
|
||||
### Platform Notes
|
||||
|
||||
- **macOS / Linux**: The `obsidian` binary is registered in PATH automatically when you enable CLI in settings.
|
||||
- **Windows**: Requires an `Obsidian.com` redirector file placed alongside `Obsidian.exe`. **Must run with normal user privileges** — admin terminals produce silent failures.
|
||||
- **Headless Linux**: Use the `.deb` package (not snap). Run under `xvfb`. Prefix commands with `DISPLAY=:5` (or your xvfb display number). Ensure `PrivateTmp=false` if running as a service.
|
||||
|
||||
## Syntax
|
||||
|
||||
All parameters use **`key=value`** syntax. Quote values containing spaces.
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian <command> [subcommand] [key=value ...] [flags]
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Multi-Vault
|
||||
|
||||
Target a specific vault by making it the **first argument**:
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian "My Vault" daily:read
|
||||
obsidian "Work Notes" search query="meeting"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
If omitted, the CLI targets the most recently active vault.
|
||||
|
||||
## Command Overview
|
||||
|
||||
The CLI provides **130+ commands** across these groups:
|
||||
|
||||
| Group | Key Commands | Purpose |
|
||||
|---|---|---|
|
||||
| **files** | `read`, `create`, `append`, `prepend`, `move`, `rename`, `delete`, `files`, `folders`, `file`, `random` | Note CRUD and file discovery |
|
||||
| **daily** | `daily`, `daily:read`, `daily:append`, `daily:prepend`, `daily:path` | Daily note operations |
|
||||
| **search** | `search`, `search:context` | Full-text search; `search:context` returns matching lines |
|
||||
| **properties** | `properties`, `property:read`, `property:set`, `property:remove`, `aliases` | Frontmatter/metadata management |
|
||||
| **tags** | `tags`, `tag` | Tag listing, counts, and filtering |
|
||||
| **tasks** | `tasks`, `task` | Task querying, filtering, and toggling |
|
||||
| **links** | `backlinks`, `links`, `unresolved`, `orphans`, `deadends` | Graph and link analysis |
|
||||
| **bookmarks** | `bookmarks`, `bookmark` | List and add bookmarks |
|
||||
| **templates** | `templates`, `template:read`, `template:insert` | Template listing, rendering, insertion |
|
||||
| **plugins** | `plugins`, `plugin`, `plugin:enable`, `plugin:disable`, `plugin:install`, `plugin:uninstall`, `plugins:restrict` | Plugin management |
|
||||
| **sync** | `sync`, `sync:status`, `sync:history`, `sync:read`, `sync:restore`, `sync:deleted` | Obsidian Sync operations |
|
||||
| **themes** | `themes`, `theme`, `theme:set`, `theme:install`, `theme:uninstall` | Theme management |
|
||||
| **snippets** | `snippets`, `snippets:enabled`, `snippet:enable`, `snippet:disable` | CSS snippet management |
|
||||
| **commands** | `commands`, `command`, `hotkeys`, `hotkey` | Execute Obsidian commands by ID; inspect hotkeys |
|
||||
| **bases** | `bases`, `base:query`, `base:views`, `base:create` | Obsidian Bases (v1.12+ database feature) |
|
||||
| **history** | `history`, `history:list`, `history:read`, `history:restore` | File version recovery (File Recovery plugin) |
|
||||
| **workspace** | `workspace`, `tabs`, `tab:open` | Workspace layout and tab management |
|
||||
| **diff** | `diff` | Compare local vs sync file versions |
|
||||
| **dev** | `eval`, `dev:screenshot`, `dev:debug`, `dev:console`, `dev:errors`, `dev:css`, `dev:dom`, `devtools` | Developer/debugging tools |
|
||||
| **vault** | `vault`, `vaults`, `version`, `reload`, `restart` | Vault info and app control |
|
||||
| **other** | `outline`, `wordcount`, `recents` | Utility commands |
|
||||
|
||||
## Quick Reference — Most Common Commands
|
||||
|
||||
### Reading & Writing Notes
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian read path="folder/note.md"
|
||||
obsidian create path="folder/note" content="# New Note"
|
||||
obsidian create path="folder/note" template="meeting-notes"
|
||||
obsidian append path="folder/note.md" content="New paragraph"
|
||||
obsidian prepend path="folder/note.md" content="Top content"
|
||||
obsidian move path="old/note.md" to="new/note.md"
|
||||
obsidian delete path="folder/note.md"
|
||||
obsidian delete path="folder/note.md" permanent
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Daily Notes
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian daily # Open today's daily note
|
||||
obsidian daily:read # Print content of today's note
|
||||
obsidian daily:append content="- [ ] New task"
|
||||
obsidian daily:prepend content="## Morning Notes"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Search
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian search query="project alpha"
|
||||
obsidian search query="TODO" path="projects" limit=10
|
||||
obsidian search query="meeting" format=json # Returns JSON array of file paths
|
||||
obsidian search query="urgent" case
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Properties & Tags
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian properties path="note.md"
|
||||
obsidian property:set path="note.md" name="status" value="active"
|
||||
obsidian property:read path="note.md" name="status"
|
||||
obsidian property:remove path="note.md" name="draft"
|
||||
obsidian tags counts sort=count
|
||||
obsidian tag name="project/alpha"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Tasks
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian tasks # All tasks (done + todo) — same as tasks all in v1.12
|
||||
obsidian tasks all # All tasks (done + todo)
|
||||
obsidian tasks done # Completed only
|
||||
obsidian tasks daily # Tasks in today's daily note
|
||||
obsidian task path="note.md" line=12 toggle
|
||||
obsidian tasks | grep "\[ \]" # Workaround: filter to incomplete only
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Developer & Automation
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian eval code="app.vault.getFiles().length"
|
||||
obsidian dev:screenshot path="folder/screenshot.png" # Path must be vault-relative
|
||||
obsidian dev:debug on # Required before dev:console
|
||||
obsidian dev:console limit=20
|
||||
obsidian dev:errors
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
## TUI Mode
|
||||
|
||||
Running `obsidian` with no arguments launches an interactive TUI (Terminal User Interface):
|
||||
|
||||
| Key | Action |
|
||||
|---|---|
|
||||
| `↑↓` | Navigate files |
|
||||
| `Enter` | Open file |
|
||||
| `/` | Search |
|
||||
| `n` | Create new file |
|
||||
| `d` | Delete file |
|
||||
| `r` | Rename file |
|
||||
| `q` | Quit |
|
||||
|
||||
## Common Agent Patterns
|
||||
|
||||
### Daily Journal Automation
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
# Append a timestamped entry
|
||||
obsidian daily:append content="## $(date '+%H:%M') — Status Update
|
||||
- Completed: feature branch merge
|
||||
- Next: code review for PR #42
|
||||
- Blocked: waiting on API credentials"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Create Note from Template with Metadata
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian create path="projects/new-feature" template="project-template"
|
||||
obsidian property:set path="projects/new-feature.md" name="status" value="planning"
|
||||
obsidian property:set path="projects/new-feature.md" name="created" value="$(date -I)"
|
||||
obsidian daily:append content="- Started [[projects/new-feature|New Feature]]"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Vault Analytics Script
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian files total # Total file count
|
||||
obsidian tags counts sort=count # Most used tags
|
||||
obsidian tasks | grep "\[ \]" # Incomplete tasks across vault
|
||||
obsidian orphans # Notes needing integration
|
||||
obsidian unresolved # Broken links to fix
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Search and Extract for AI Processing
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian search query="meeting notes" format=json | jq '.[]'
|
||||
obsidian read path="meetings/standup.md" | grep "Action item"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Sync Management
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian sync:status # Check sync health
|
||||
obsidian sync:history path="important.md" # Version history
|
||||
obsidian sync:restore path="important.md" version=3 # Rollback
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Execute Obsidian Commands
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
# Find a command ID, then execute it
|
||||
obsidian commands | grep "graph"
|
||||
obsidian command id="graph:open"
|
||||
|
||||
# Open settings, trigger a plugin action
|
||||
obsidian command id="app:open-settings"
|
||||
obsidian command id="dataview:dataview-force-refresh-views"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
## Tips
|
||||
|
||||
1. **Paths are vault-relative** — use `folder/note.md`, not absolute filesystem paths.
|
||||
2. **`create` paths omit `.md`** — the extension is added automatically.
|
||||
3. **`move` requires full target path** including `.md` extension.
|
||||
4. **Pipe-friendly** — plain text output works with `grep`, `awk`, `sed`, `jq`.
|
||||
5. **JSON output** — use `format=json` on `search` for a JSON array of file paths. The `files` command does not support JSON output.
|
||||
6. **Stderr noise** — GPU/Electron warnings on headless are harmless; filter with `2>/dev/null`.
|
||||
7. **`daily:prepend`** inserts content after frontmatter, not at byte 0.
|
||||
8. **Use `eval`** to run arbitrary JavaScript against the Obsidian API (`app.*`).
|
||||
9. **`template:insert`** inserts into the currently active file in the Obsidian UI — it does not accept a `path=` parameter. If no file is open, it returns `Error: No active editor. Open a file first.` To create a file from a template via CLI, use `obsidian create path="..." template="..."` instead.
|
||||
|
||||
## Troubleshooting
|
||||
|
||||
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|
||||
|---|---|---|
|
||||
| Empty output / hangs | Obsidian not running, or admin terminal (Windows) | Start Obsidian; use normal-privilege terminal |
|
||||
| Command not found | CLI not registered in PATH | Re-enable CLI in Settings; restart terminal |
|
||||
| Unicode errors | Fixed in v1.12.2+ | Update Obsidian |
|
||||
| Wrong vault targeted | Multi-vault ambiguity | Pass vault name as first arg |
|
||||
| IPC socket not found (Linux) | `PrivateTmp=true` in systemd | Set `PrivateTmp=false` |
|
||||
| Snap confinement issues | Snap restricts IPC | Use `.deb` package instead |
|
||||
@@ -0,0 +1,631 @@
|
||||
# Obsidian CLI — Full Command Reference
|
||||
|
||||
Complete reference for all official Obsidian CLI commands (v1.12+).
|
||||
|
||||
**Syntax**: `obsidian [vault] <command> [subcommand] [key=value ...] [flags]`
|
||||
|
||||
All parameters use `key=value` syntax. Quote values containing spaces: `content="hello world"`.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Table of Contents
|
||||
|
||||
1. [Files](#files)
|
||||
2. [Daily Notes](#daily-notes)
|
||||
3. [Search](#search)
|
||||
4. [Properties](#properties)
|
||||
5. [Tags](#tags)
|
||||
6. [Tasks](#tasks)
|
||||
7. [Links](#links)
|
||||
8. [Bookmarks](#bookmarks)
|
||||
9. [Templates](#templates)
|
||||
10. [Plugins](#plugins)
|
||||
11. [Sync](#sync)
|
||||
12. [Themes](#themes)
|
||||
13. [CSS Snippets](#css-snippets)
|
||||
14. [Commands & Hotkeys](#commands--hotkeys)
|
||||
15. [Obsidian Bases](#obsidian-bases)
|
||||
16. [History](#history)
|
||||
17. [Workspace & Tabs](#workspace--tabs)
|
||||
18. [Diff](#diff)
|
||||
19. [Developer](#developer)
|
||||
20. [Vault & System](#vault--system)
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Files
|
||||
|
||||
File operations: read, write, create, move, delete, list.
|
||||
|
||||
### Reading Notes
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian read path="folder/note.md"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
Prints raw markdown content of a note to stdout. Path is vault-relative.
|
||||
|
||||
### Creating Notes
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian create path="folder/note" content="# Title\n\nBody text"
|
||||
obsidian create path="folder/note" template="template-name"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
- Path should **not** include `.md` — it is appended automatically.
|
||||
- Use `template=` to create from a template file.
|
||||
- Use `content=` to set initial content directly.
|
||||
|
||||
### Appending & Prepending
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian append path="folder/note.md" content="Appended text"
|
||||
obsidian prepend path="folder/note.md" content="Prepended text"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
- `append` adds content at the end of the file.
|
||||
- `prepend` adds content after the frontmatter (not at byte 0).
|
||||
|
||||
### Moving & Renaming
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian move path="old/path/note.md" to="new/path/note.md"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
- `to=` is the full vault-relative target path including the `.md` extension.
|
||||
- Can be used to move, rename, or both in a single command.
|
||||
|
||||
### Deleting
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian delete path="folder/note.md" # Moves to trash
|
||||
obsidian delete path="folder/note.md" permanent # Permanent deletion
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### File Discovery
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian files # List all files in vault
|
||||
obsidian files ext=md # Filter by extension
|
||||
obsidian files folder="subfolder" # Files in specific folder
|
||||
obsidian files total # Just the file count
|
||||
obsidian folders # List all folders
|
||||
obsidian file path="folder/note.md" # File info (size, created, modified dates)
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Random Notes
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian random # Open a random note in Obsidian
|
||||
obsidian random:read # Print content of a random note to stdout
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Renaming
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian rename path="folder/note.md" name="new-name"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
- `name=` is the new filename only (no path, no `.md` extension).
|
||||
- Use `move` when you also want to change the folder.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Daily Notes
|
||||
|
||||
Operations on the daily note (requires Daily Notes core plugin enabled).
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian daily # Open today's daily note in Obsidian
|
||||
obsidian daily:read # Print today's daily note content to stdout
|
||||
obsidian daily:append content="text" # Append content to today's note
|
||||
obsidian daily:prepend content="text" # Prepend content (after frontmatter)
|
||||
obsidian daily:path # Print vault-relative path of today's note
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
**Notes:**
|
||||
- `daily:prepend` inserts content after the frontmatter block, not at the very beginning.
|
||||
- If today's note doesn't exist, `daily` will create it (using the configured template if set).
|
||||
- Daily note format/folder are configured in Obsidian's Daily Notes plugin settings.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Search
|
||||
|
||||
Full-text search across the vault.
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian search query="search text"
|
||||
obsidian search query="text" path="folder" # Scope to folder
|
||||
obsidian search query="text" limit=10 # Limit results
|
||||
obsidian search query="text" format=json # JSON output (array of file paths)
|
||||
obsidian search query="text" matches # Accepted but returns file paths only
|
||||
obsidian search query="text" case # Case-sensitive search
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
**Parameters:**
|
||||
- `query=` — Search term (required)
|
||||
- `path=` — Restrict search to a folder
|
||||
- `limit=` — Maximum number of results
|
||||
- `format=json` — Returns a JSON array of matching file paths: `["folder/note.md", ...]`
|
||||
- `matches` — Flag accepted by the CLI but does not return match context/snippets in v1.12
|
||||
- `case` — Enable case-sensitive matching
|
||||
|
||||
### Search with Context
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian search:context query="search text"
|
||||
obsidian search:context query="text" path="folder" limit=10
|
||||
obsidian search:context query="text" case
|
||||
obsidian search:context query="text" format=json
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
Returns matching lines with surrounding context (not just file paths). Useful when you need to see the actual content that matched rather than just file paths.
|
||||
|
||||
### Open Search View
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian search:open query="search text"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
Opens the Obsidian search panel in the UI with the given query.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Properties
|
||||
|
||||
Manage frontmatter (YAML metadata) on notes.
|
||||
|
||||
### Read All Properties
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian properties path="note.md"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Read Single Property
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian property:read path="note.md" name="status"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Set Property
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian property:set path="note.md" name="status" value="active"
|
||||
obsidian property:set path="note.md" name="tags" value="[project, alpha]"
|
||||
obsidian property:set path="note.md" name="date" value="2026-02-27"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Remove Property
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian property:remove path="note.md" name="draft"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Aliases
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian aliases path="note.md"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
Lists all aliases defined in the note's frontmatter.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Tags
|
||||
|
||||
Tag discovery and filtering.
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian tags # List all tags in the vault
|
||||
obsidian tags counts # Tags with usage counts
|
||||
obsidian tags counts sort=count # Sorted by frequency (most used first)
|
||||
obsidian tags path="note.md" # Tags in a specific file
|
||||
obsidian tag name="project/alpha" # List notes with a specific tag
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
**Notes:**
|
||||
- Nested tags are supported (e.g., `project/alpha`).
|
||||
- Tags from both frontmatter and inline `#tag` syntax are included.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Tasks
|
||||
|
||||
Query and manage checkbox tasks across the vault.
|
||||
|
||||
### Querying Tasks
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian tasks # All tasks (same as tasks all in v1.12)
|
||||
obsidian tasks all # All tasks (complete + incomplete)
|
||||
obsidian tasks done # Only completed tasks
|
||||
obsidian tasks path="note.md" # Tasks in a specific file
|
||||
obsidian tasks daily # Tasks in today's daily note
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
> **Note:** In v1.12, `tasks` with no arguments returns all tasks (complete + incomplete), identical to `tasks all`. Filtering to incomplete-only is not currently supported without post-processing (e.g. pipe to `grep "\[ \]"`).
|
||||
|
||||
### Toggling Task Status
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian task path="note.md" line=12 toggle
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
Toggles the checkbox on the specified line number between `- [ ]` and `- [x]`.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Links
|
||||
|
||||
Graph analysis and link management.
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian backlinks path="note.md" # Notes linking TO this note
|
||||
obsidian backlinks path="note.md" counts # With link counts per file
|
||||
obsidian links path="note.md" # Outgoing links FROM this note
|
||||
obsidian unresolved # All unresolved [[wikilinks]]
|
||||
obsidian orphans # Notes with no incoming or outgoing links
|
||||
obsidian deadends # Notes with no outgoing links
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Bookmarks
|
||||
|
||||
Manage Obsidian bookmarks (requires Bookmarks core plugin).
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian bookmarks # List all bookmarks
|
||||
obsidian bookmark file="folder/note.md" # Bookmark a note
|
||||
obsidian bookmark file="folder/note.md" subpath="#Heading" # Bookmark a heading
|
||||
obsidian bookmark folder="projects" # Bookmark a folder
|
||||
obsidian bookmark search="query text" title="My Search" # Bookmark a search
|
||||
obsidian bookmark url="https://example.com" title="Link" # Bookmark a URL
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Templates
|
||||
|
||||
Work with note templates (requires Templates or Templater plugin).
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian templates # List available templates
|
||||
obsidian template:read name="weekly-review" # Read template content
|
||||
obsidian template:read name="weekly-review" resolve title="My Note" # Render with variables
|
||||
obsidian template:insert name="weekly-review" # Insert template into the active Obsidian UI file
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
**Parameters:**
|
||||
- `name=` — Template name (without path prefix or extension)
|
||||
- `resolve` — Process template variables (`{{date}}`, `{{title}}`, etc.)
|
||||
- Title and other variables can be passed as `key=value` for template rendering.
|
||||
|
||||
> **Note:** `template:insert` inserts into whichever file is currently active in the Obsidian UI — it does not accept a `path=` parameter. If no file is open, it returns `Error: No active editor. Open a file first.` To create a new file from a template, use `obsidian create path="..." template="..."` instead.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Plugins
|
||||
|
||||
Manage community and core plugins.
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian plugins # List all plugins (core + community)
|
||||
obsidian plugins:enabled # Only enabled plugins
|
||||
obsidian plugins versions # Plugins with version numbers (community only)
|
||||
obsidian plugins:restrict # Show restricted mode status
|
||||
obsidian plugins:restrict on # Enable restricted mode (disables community plugins)
|
||||
obsidian plugins:restrict off # Disable restricted mode
|
||||
obsidian plugin id="dataview" # Get info about a specific plugin
|
||||
obsidian plugin:enable id="canvas" # Enable a plugin
|
||||
obsidian plugin:disable id="canvas" # Disable a plugin
|
||||
obsidian plugin:install id="dataview" # Install from community plugins
|
||||
obsidian plugin:uninstall id="dataview" # Uninstall a community plugin
|
||||
obsidian plugin:reload id="my-plugin" # Reload a plugin (useful for dev)
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
> **Note:** `plugins versions` only shows version numbers for community plugins. Core (built-in) plugins share Obsidian's version and display blank version fields.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Sync
|
||||
|
||||
Manage Obsidian Sync (requires active Sync subscription).
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian sync # Show sync status summary
|
||||
obsidian sync on # Resume syncing
|
||||
obsidian sync off # Pause syncing
|
||||
obsidian sync:status # Detailed sync status
|
||||
obsidian sync:history path="note.md" # Version history for a file
|
||||
obsidian sync:read path="note.md" version=3 # Read a specific version
|
||||
obsidian sync:restore path="note.md" version=3 # Restore a previous version
|
||||
obsidian sync:deleted # List files deleted via sync
|
||||
obsidian sync:open # Open the Sync history view in the UI
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Themes
|
||||
|
||||
Manage appearance themes.
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian themes # List installed themes
|
||||
obsidian themes versions # List installed themes with version numbers
|
||||
obsidian theme # Show the currently active theme
|
||||
obsidian theme name="Minimal" # Get details about a specific theme
|
||||
obsidian theme:set name="Minimal" # Switch to a theme
|
||||
obsidian theme:set name="" # Switch back to default theme
|
||||
obsidian theme:install name="Minimal" # Install a community theme
|
||||
obsidian theme:install name="Minimal" enable # Install and activate immediately
|
||||
obsidian theme:uninstall name="Minimal" # Uninstall a theme
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## CSS Snippets
|
||||
|
||||
Manage custom CSS snippet files (snippets live in `.obsidian/snippets/`).
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian snippets # List all installed CSS snippets
|
||||
obsidian snippets:enabled # List only enabled snippets
|
||||
obsidian snippet:enable name="my-style" # Enable a snippet
|
||||
obsidian snippet:disable name="my-style" # Disable a snippet
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Commands & Hotkeys
|
||||
|
||||
Execute any Obsidian command by its ID, and inspect hotkey bindings.
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian commands # List all available command IDs
|
||||
obsidian command id="app:reload" # Execute a command by ID
|
||||
obsidian command id="editor:toggle-bold" # Example: toggle bold in active editor
|
||||
obsidian hotkeys # List all hotkeys (tab-separated: id \t keybinding)
|
||||
obsidian hotkey id="app:open-settings" # Get hotkey for a specific command
|
||||
obsidian hotkey id="app:open-settings" verbose # Show if custom or default
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
**Typical workflow — find and run a command:**
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian commands | grep "canvas" # Find canvas-related command IDs
|
||||
obsidian command id="canvas:new-file" # Execute the matched command
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
**Getting plugin command IDs:**
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian commands | grep "dataview" # List all Dataview plugin commands
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Obsidian Bases
|
||||
|
||||
Obsidian Bases (v1.12+) is a built-in database feature. Base files (`.base`) store structured data and support multiple views.
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian bases # List all .base files in vault
|
||||
obsidian base:query file="tasks" format=json # Query default view of a base
|
||||
obsidian base:query file="tasks" view="Kanban" # Query a specific view
|
||||
obsidian base:query path="folder/tasks.base" format=csv # Query by path
|
||||
obsidian base:views file="tasks" # List all views in a base file
|
||||
obsidian base:create file="tasks" title="Buy milk" # Add an item to a base
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
**Supported output formats for `base:query`:** `json` (default), `csv`, `tsv`, `md`, `paths`
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## History
|
||||
|
||||
File version history (built-in to Obsidian, separate from Sync). Requires the File Recovery core plugin.
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian history:list # List all files that have history
|
||||
obsidian history path="folder/note.md" # List versions of a specific file
|
||||
obsidian history:read path="folder/note.md" # Read the latest saved version
|
||||
obsidian history:read path="folder/note.md" version=3 # Read a specific version
|
||||
obsidian history:restore path="folder/note.md" version=3 # Restore a version
|
||||
obsidian history:open path="folder/note.md" # Open file recovery UI for a file
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
> **Note:** History is distinct from [Sync version history](#sync). History uses Obsidian's built-in File Recovery snapshots; Sync history uses Obsidian Sync cloud versions.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Workspace & Tabs
|
||||
|
||||
Inspect and manage the Obsidian workspace layout and open tabs.
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian workspace # Show the full workspace tree
|
||||
obsidian tabs # List all open tabs (flat list)
|
||||
obsidian tab:open file="folder/note.md" # Open a file in a new tab
|
||||
obsidian tab:open view="graph" # Open a view type in a new tab
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Diff
|
||||
|
||||
Compare local and sync versions of a file.
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian diff path="folder/note.md" # List available versions (local + sync)
|
||||
obsidian diff path="folder/note.md" from=1 to=2 # Diff two specific versions
|
||||
obsidian diff path="folder/note.md" filter=local # Show only local versions
|
||||
obsidian diff path="folder/note.md" filter=sync # Show only sync versions
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Developer
|
||||
|
||||
Debugging and development tools.
|
||||
|
||||
### Screenshots
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian dev:screenshot path="folder/screenshot.png"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
Takes a screenshot of the Obsidian window and saves it. **Path must be vault-relative** — absolute filesystem paths are silently ignored.
|
||||
|
||||
### JavaScript Evaluation
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian eval code="app.vault.getFiles().length"
|
||||
obsidian eval code="app.vault.getMarkdownFiles().map(f => f.path).join('\n')"
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
Executes arbitrary JavaScript in the Obsidian app context. Has access to the full Obsidian API (`app`, `app.vault`, `app.workspace`, `app.metadataCache`, etc.).
|
||||
|
||||
### Console & Errors
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian dev:debug on # Start capturing console output (required before dev:console)
|
||||
obsidian dev:debug off # Stop capturing console output
|
||||
obsidian dev:console limit=20 # Recent console output (requires dev:debug on first)
|
||||
obsidian dev:errors # Recent error messages
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
> **Note:** `dev:console` will return an error unless `dev:debug on` has been run first in the current session.
|
||||
|
||||
### DOM Inspection
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian dev:dom selector=".view-content" # Get outerHTML of first match
|
||||
obsidian dev:dom selector=".view-content" all # Get all matches
|
||||
obsidian dev:dom selector=".view-content" text # Get text content
|
||||
obsidian dev:dom selector=".view-content" total # Count matching elements
|
||||
obsidian dev:dom selector=".view-content" attr=class # Get an attribute value
|
||||
obsidian dev:dom selector=".view-content" css=color # Get a CSS property value
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### CSS Inspection
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian dev:css selector=".view-content" # Inspect CSS with source locations
|
||||
obsidian dev:css selector=".view-content" prop=color # Filter by CSS property name
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Chrome DevTools Protocol
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian devtools # Toggle Electron DevTools panel
|
||||
obsidian dev:cdp method="Runtime.evaluate" params='{"expression":"1+1"}' # Run a CDP command
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Mobile Emulation
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian dev:mobile on # Enable mobile emulation
|
||||
obsidian dev:mobile off # Disable mobile emulation
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Vault & System
|
||||
|
||||
### Vault Information
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian vault # Current vault: name, path, file/folder counts
|
||||
obsidian vaults # List all known vaults
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### Other Utilities
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian version # Obsidian version info
|
||||
obsidian outline path="note.md" # Heading structure of a note
|
||||
obsidian wordcount path="note.md" # Word and character count
|
||||
obsidian recents # Recently opened files
|
||||
obsidian reload # Reload the vault (re-index)
|
||||
obsidian restart # Restart the Obsidian app
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Output Formatting & Piping
|
||||
|
||||
The CLI outputs plain text by default, ideal for piping into Unix tools.
|
||||
|
||||
### Supported `format=` values
|
||||
|
||||
| Format | Description | Best for |
|
||||
|---|---|---|
|
||||
| `text` | Plain text (default) | Piping to grep/awk/sed |
|
||||
| `json` | JSON array or object | Processing with jq, AI agents |
|
||||
| `csv` | Comma-separated values | Spreadsheet import |
|
||||
| `tsv` | Tab-separated values | Shell parsing with cut/awk |
|
||||
| `yaml` | YAML output | Config-style processing |
|
||||
| `md` | Markdown table | Embedding results in notes |
|
||||
| `paths` | One path per line | Batch file operations |
|
||||
| `tree` | Tree view | Visual hierarchy |
|
||||
|
||||
Not all formats are supported by every command. Use `text` or `json` when in doubt.
|
||||
|
||||
### Examples
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
# Count notes in a folder
|
||||
obsidian files folder="projects" | wc -l
|
||||
|
||||
# Find notes with a specific tag, then read them
|
||||
obsidian tag name="urgent" | while read -r note; do
|
||||
echo "=== $note ==="
|
||||
obsidian read path="$note"
|
||||
done
|
||||
|
||||
# Export search results as JSON and process with jq
|
||||
# format=json returns an array of file path strings: ["folder/note.md", ...]
|
||||
obsidian search query="meeting" format=json | jq '.[]'
|
||||
|
||||
# Query a base as CSV
|
||||
obsidian base:query file="tasks" format=csv
|
||||
|
||||
# Filter console errors (requires dev:debug on first)
|
||||
obsidian dev:debug on
|
||||
obsidian dev:console limit=50 | grep -i error
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Multi-Vault Usage
|
||||
|
||||
When working with multiple vaults, pass the vault name as the **first argument** (before the command):
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
obsidian "Personal" daily:read
|
||||
obsidian "Work" search query="standup"
|
||||
obsidian "Archive" files total
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
If the vault name contains spaces, quote it. The vault name must match what's shown in `obsidian vaults`.
|
||||
|
||||
---
|
||||
|
||||
## Headless / Server Setup (Linux)
|
||||
|
||||
For running Obsidian CLI on a headless Linux server (useful for AI agent integration):
|
||||
|
||||
1. Install the `.deb` package (not snap — snap confinement breaks IPC)
|
||||
2. Install and start `xvfb`: `Xvfb :5 -screen 0 1920x1080x24 &`
|
||||
3. Start Obsidian under xvfb: `DISPLAY=:5 obsidian &`
|
||||
4. Run CLI commands: `DISPLAY=:5 obsidian daily:read`
|
||||
|
||||
**Systemd note**: If running as a service, ensure `PrivateTmp=false` so the IPC socket is accessible.
|
||||
|
||||
**Stderr filtering**: Headless environments produce harmless GPU warnings. Filter with:
|
||||
|
||||
```bash
|
||||
DISPLAY=:5 obsidian search query="test" 2>/dev/null
|
||||
```
|
||||
Reference in New Issue
Block a user