obsidian-cli

name	obsidian-cli
description	Control Obsidian from the terminal using CLI v2 (1.12+). Create, read, append, search files; manage properties, tags, tasks; query bases; use templates; analyze links. Use when performing vault operations, automating note workflows, appending content to notes, managing frontmatter properties, or searching the vault from the command line. Requires Obsidian app to be running.
triggers	["obsidian vault operations","obsidian command line","search my obsidian vault"]

Obsidian CLI Skill

Control Obsidian from the terminal. Create files, append content, manage properties, search the vault, toggle tasks, query bases, and more — all from the command line.

Prerequisites

• Obsidian 1.12+ installer (check: obsidian version)
• CLI enabled in Settings > General > Command line interface
• Obsidian app must be running — CLI connects to the running instance
• On macOS, PATH is set via ~/.zprofile: export PATH="$PATH:/Applications/Obsidian.app/Contents/MacOS"

Core Concepts

Two Modes

1. Single command: obsidian <command> [params] [flags]
2. TUI (Terminal UI): Run obsidian alone to enter interactive mode with autocomplete and history

Parameters vs Flags

• Parameter: takes a value — name=Note content="Hello world"
• Flag: boolean switch, no value — open, overwrite, newtab
• Multiline content: use \n for newline, \t for tab
• Spaces in values: wrap in quotes — content="Hello world"

Vault Targeting

• Default: current working directory if it's a vault, otherwise the active vault
• Explicit: vault=<name> or vault=<id> as FIRST parameter before the command

obsidian vault=PraxVault daily
obsidian vault="My Vault" search query="test"

File Targeting

Many commands accept file and path:

• file=<name> — wikilink-style resolution (name only, no path/extension needed)
• path=<path> — exact path from vault root, e.g. 100xDevBootcamp/03_Web3/SelfStudy/classes/SS-W01.md
• If neither provided, defaults to active file

Copy Output

Add --copy to any command to copy output to clipboard:

obsidian read --copy
obsidian search query="TODO" --copy

---

File Operations

create — Create or overwrite a file

obsidian create name=<name> path=<path> content=<text> template=<name>
# Flags: overwrite, open, newtab

Examples:

# Create with content
obsidian create name="SS-W01 - Blockchains" content="# SS-W01\n\nStudy notes"

# Create from template
obsidian create name="New Note" template=Travel

# Create at specific path and open it
obsidian create path="Projects/idea.md" content="# Idea" open

# Overwrite existing
obsidian create name=Note content="Fresh start" overwrite

read — Read file contents

obsidian read                          # active file
obsidian read file=Recipe              # by name
obsidian read path="folder/note.md"    # by path

append — Append content to end of file

obsidian append content=<text>         # active file
obsidian append file=<name> content=<text>
obsidian append path=<path> content=<text>
# Flag: inline (no newline before appended content)

Examples:

# Append to specific file
obsidian append file="SS-W01 - Blockchains" content="\n## New Section\nContent here"

# Inline append (no preceding newline)
obsidian append file=Note content=" more text" inline

prepend — Prepend content after frontmatter

obsidian prepend content=<text>
obsidian prepend file=<name> content=<text>
# Flag: inline

[!important] Prepend inserts AFTER frontmatter, not at the very top of the file.

move — Move or rename a file

obsidian move file=<name> to=<path>       # move to folder
obsidian move path=<path> to=<new-path>   # move with new path

Automatically updates internal links if enabled in vault settings.

rename — Rename a file

obsidian rename file=<name> name=<new-name>
obsidian rename path=<path> name=<new-name>

Extension preserved automatically if omitted.

delete — Delete a file

obsidian delete file=<name>       # to trash (default)
obsidian delete file=<name> permanent  # skip trash

open — Open a file

obsidian open file=<name>
obsidian open path=<path> newtab

---

File & Folder Info

file — Show file metadata

obsidian file                    # active file
obsidian file file=<name>

Returns: path, name, extension, size, created, modified timestamps.

files — List vault files

obsidian files                   # all files
obsidian files folder=<path>     # filter by folder
obsidian files ext=md            # filter by extension
obsidian files total             # just the count

folder — Show folder info

obsidian folder path=<path>
obsidian folder path=<path> info=files    # file count only
obsidian folder path=<path> info=size     # size only

folders — List vault folders

obsidian folders                       # all folders
obsidian folders folder=<path>         # filter by parent
obsidian folders total                 # just the count

---

Properties (Frontmatter)

properties — List properties

obsidian properties                           # all vault properties
obsidian properties active                    # active file's properties
obsidian properties file=<name>               # specific file
obsidian properties name=status               # specific property count
obsidian properties counts sort=count         # sorted by frequency
obsidian properties format=yaml               # yaml|json|tsv

property:set — Set a property

obsidian property:set name=<prop> value=<val>
obsidian property:set name=<prop> value=<val> file=<name>
obsidian property:set name=<prop> value=<val> type=<type>
# Types: text, list, number, checkbox, date, datetime

Examples:

# Set status on active file
obsidian property:set name=status value=in-progress

# Set status on specific file
obsidian property:set name=status value=complete file="SS-W01 - Blockchains"

# Set a date property
obsidian property:set name=date value=2026-03-02 type=date

# Set a list property
obsidian property:set name=tags value="[100xdev, web3]" type=list

property:read — Read a property value

obsidian property:read name=status
obsidian property:read name=status file=<name>

property:remove — Remove a property

obsidian property:remove name=<prop>
obsidian property:remove name=<prop> file=<name>

---

Search

search — Search vault text (returns file paths)

obsidian search query=<text>
obsidian search query=<text> path=<folder>    # limit to folder
obsidian search query=<text> limit=10         # max results
obsidian search query=<text> case             # case sensitive
obsidian search query=<text> total            # count only
obsidian search query=<text> format=json      # text|json

search:context — Search with line context

Returns grep-style path:line: text output.

obsidian search:context query=<text>
obsidian search:context query=<text> path=<folder>
obsidian search:context query="TODO" format=json

search:open — Open search view in Obsidian

obsidian search:open query="meeting notes"

---

Tags

tags — List tags

obsidian tags                         # all vault tags
obsidian tags active                  # active file's tags
obsidian tags file=<name>             # specific file
obsidian tags counts                  # with occurrence counts
obsidian tags counts sort=count       # sorted by frequency
obsidian tags total                   # just the count
obsidian tags format=json             # json|tsv|csv

tag — Tag info

obsidian tag name=web3                # occurrence count
obsidian tag name=web3 total          # just the number
obsidian tag name=web3 verbose        # include file list

---

Tasks

tasks — List tasks

obsidian tasks                        # all tasks
obsidian tasks todo                   # incomplete only
obsidian tasks done                   # completed only
obsidian tasks file=<name>            # from specific file
obsidian tasks daily                  # from daily note
obsidian tasks active                 # from active file
obsidian tasks verbose                # group by file with line numbers
obsidian tasks total                  # just the count
obsidian tasks 'status=?'            # filter by custom status char
obsidian tasks format=json            # json|tsv|csv|text

task — Show or update a task

# Show task info
obsidian task file=Recipe line=8
obsidian task ref="Recipe.md:8"

# Toggle completion
obsidian task ref="Recipe.md:8" toggle

# Mark done/todo
obsidian task file=Recipe line=8 done
obsidian task file=Recipe line=8 todo
obsidian task daily line=3 toggle

# Set custom status
obsidian task file=Recipe line=8 status=-

---

Daily Notes

daily — Open daily note

obsidian daily
obsidian daily paneType=tab

daily:path — Get daily note path

Returns the expected path even if the file hasn't been created yet.

obsidian daily:path

daily:read — Read daily note

obsidian daily:read

daily:append — Append to daily note

obsidian daily:append content="- [ ] Buy groceries"
obsidian daily:append content="## Evening\nReflection" open
# Flags: inline, open

daily:prepend — Prepend to daily note

obsidian daily:prepend content="# Morning Priorities"
# Flags: inline, open

---

Templates

templates — List available templates

obsidian templates
obsidian templates total

template:read — Read template content

obsidian template:read name=<template>
obsidian template:read name=<template> resolve         # resolve variables
obsidian template:read name=<template> title="My Note" resolve

The resolve flag processes {{date}}, {{time}}, {{title}} variables.

template:insert — Insert template into active file

obsidian template:insert name=<template>

[!tip] Creating files from templates Use obsidian create path=<path> template=<name> to create a new file with a template applied.

---

Links Analysis

backlinks — Incoming links to a file

obsidian backlinks                     # active file
obsidian backlinks file=<name>
obsidian backlinks file=<name> counts  # include link counts
obsidian backlinks total               # just the count
obsidian backlinks format=json         # json|tsv|csv

links — Outgoing links from a file

obsidian links                         # active file
obsidian links file=<name>
obsidian links total

unresolved — Broken/unresolved links

obsidian unresolved                    # list all
obsidian unresolved total              # count
obsidian unresolved counts verbose     # with source files

orphans — Files with no incoming links

obsidian orphans
obsidian orphans total

deadends — Files with no outgoing links

obsidian deadends
obsidian deadends total

---

Bases

bases — List .base files

obsidian bases

base:views — List views in a base

obsidian base:views                    # active base

base:create — Create a new item in a base

obsidian base:create file=<base> name=<name> content=<text>
obsidian base:create file=<base> view=<view> name=<name>
# Flags: open, newtab

base:query — Query a base

obsidian base:query file=<base>
obsidian base:query file=<base> view=<view>
obsidian base:query file=<base> format=json    # json|csv|tsv|md|paths

---

Outline

outline — Show headings

obsidian outline                       # active file
obsidian outline file=<name>
obsidian outline format=tree           # tree|md|json
obsidian outline total                 # heading count

---

Plugins

plugins — List installed plugins

obsidian plugins
obsidian plugins filter=community versions
obsidian plugins filter=core
obsidian plugins format=json

plugin — Plugin info

obsidian plugin id=<plugin-id>

plugin:enable / plugin:disable

obsidian plugin:enable id=<id>
obsidian plugin:disable id=<id>

plugin:install / plugin:uninstall

obsidian plugin:install id=<id> enable
obsidian plugin:uninstall id=<id>

plugin:reload — Reload plugin (for developers)

obsidian plugin:reload id=my-plugin

---

Themes & Snippets

Themes

obsidian themes                        # list installed
obsidian theme                         # show active
obsidian theme:set name=<name>         # set active
obsidian theme:install name=<name> enable
obsidian theme:uninstall name=<name>

CSS Snippets

obsidian snippets                      # list all
obsidian snippets:enabled              # list enabled
obsidian snippet:enable name=<name>
obsidian snippet:disable name=<name>

---

Bookmarks

obsidian bookmarks                     # list bookmarks
obsidian bookmarks total verbose
obsidian bookmark file=<path>          # bookmark a file
obsidian bookmark file=<path> subpath="#Heading"
obsidian bookmark search="TODO"        # bookmark a search
obsidian bookmark url="https://..."    # bookmark a URL

---

Vault Info

vault — Show vault info

obsidian vault
obsidian vault info=name               # name|path|files|folders|size

vaults — List known vaults

obsidian vaults
obsidian vaults verbose                # include paths
obsidian vaults total

vault:open — Switch vault (TUI only)

vault:open PraxVault

---

Wordcount

obsidian wordcount                     # active file
obsidian wordcount file=<name>
obsidian wordcount words               # word count only
obsidian wordcount characters          # char count only

---

Workspace

obsidian workspace                     # show tree
obsidian workspaces                    # list saved
obsidian workspace:save name=<name>
obsidian workspace:load name=<name>
obsidian workspace:delete name=<name>
obsidian tabs                          # list open tabs
obsidian tabs ids
obsidian recents                       # recently opened files

---

File History & Diff

diff — Compare file versions

obsidian diff                          # list versions of active file
obsidian diff file=<name>              # list versions
obsidian diff file=<name> from=1       # compare latest to current
obsidian diff file=<name> from=2 to=1  # compare two versions
obsidian diff filter=sync              # only sync versions

history — Local file recovery

obsidian history file=<name>           # list versions
obsidian history:list                  # all files with history
obsidian history:read file=<name> version=1
obsidian history:restore file=<name> version=2
obsidian history:open file=<name>      # open recovery UI

---

Command Palette

Execute any registered Obsidian command:

obsidian commands                      # list all command IDs
obsidian commands filter=editor        # filter by prefix
obsidian command id=<command-id>       # execute a command
obsidian hotkeys                       # list all hotkeys
obsidian hotkey id=<command-id>        # get hotkey for command

---

Developer Commands

devtools — Toggle dev tools

obsidian devtools

dev:screenshot — Take screenshot

obsidian dev:screenshot path=screenshot.png

eval — Execute JavaScript

obsidian eval code="app.vault.getFiles().length"
obsidian eval code="app.workspace.getActiveFile().path"

dev:console — Show console messages

obsidian dev:console
obsidian dev:console limit=10 level=error
obsidian dev:console clear

dev:errors — Show JavaScript errors

obsidian dev:errors
obsidian dev:errors clear

dev:css — Inspect CSS

obsidian dev:css selector=".workspace" prop=background

dev:dom — Query DOM

obsidian dev:dom selector=".nav-file-title" total
obsidian dev:dom selector=".cm-line" text all

dev:debug — Chrome DevTools Protocol

obsidian dev:debug on     # attach
obsidian dev:debug off    # detach

dev:cdp — Run CDP command

obsidian dev:cdp method="Page.captureScreenshot" params='{"format":"png"}'

dev:mobile — Toggle mobile emulation

obsidian dev:mobile on
obsidian dev:mobile off

---

Miscellaneous

obsidian help                          # all commands
obsidian help <command>                # specific command help
obsidian version                       # show version
obsidian reload                        # reload app window
obsidian restart                       # restart app
obsidian random                        # open random note
obsidian random:read                   # read random note
obsidian web url="https://..."         # open URL in web viewer
obsidian unique name=<text>            # create unique note

---

TUI Keyboard Shortcuts

When in TUI mode (obsidian with no command):

Navigation

Action	Shortcut
Cursor left	Left / Ctrl+B
Cursor right (accepts suggestion at end)	Right / Ctrl+F
Start of line	Ctrl+A
End of line	Ctrl+E
Back one word	Alt+B
Forward one word	Alt+F

Editing

Action	Shortcut
Delete to start	Ctrl+U
Delete to end	Ctrl+K
Delete previous word	Ctrl+W / Alt+Backspace

Autocomplete

Action	Shortcut
Enter suggestions / accept selected	Tab
Exit suggestions	Shift+Tab
Accept first suggestion (at end of line)	Right

History

Action	Shortcut
Previous entry / navigate up	Up / Ctrl+P
Next entry / navigate down	Down / Ctrl+N
Reverse search	Ctrl+R

Other

Action	Shortcut
Execute / accept	Enter
Undo / exit suggestions / clear	Escape
Clear screen	Ctrl+L
Exit TUI	Ctrl+C / Ctrl+D

---

Obsidian Headless (Separate Tool)

Obsidian Headless is a STANDALONE client — no desktop app required. It syncs vaults from the command line.

Install

npm install -g obsidian-headless

Requires Node.js 22+ and an active Obsidian Sync subscription.

Authentication

ob login                               # interactive login
ob logout                              # log out
export OBSIDIAN_AUTH_TOKEN="your-token" # for CI/scripts

Headless Sync Commands

ob sync-list-remote                    # list remote vaults
ob sync-list-local                     # list local vaults
ob sync-create-remote --name "Vault" --encryption e2ee --password <pw>
ob sync-setup --vault "Vault" --path ~/vaults/my-vault
ob sync                                # one-time sync
ob sync --continuous                   # watch for changes
ob sync-status                         # check sync status
ob sync-config                         # view/change sync settings
ob sync-unlink                         # disconnect vault

[!warning] Do NOT use both desktop Sync and Headless Sync on the same device. Use one sync method per device.

---

Agent Workflow Patterns

Common patterns for AI agents working with Obsidian vaults:

Pattern: Append Learning to Study Note

# Append a section to a specific study note
obsidian append path="100xDevBootcamp/03_Web3/SelfStudy/classes/SS-W01 - Blockchains.md" content="\n## New Insight\nContent here..."

# Update status property after studying
obsidian property:set name=status value=in-progress path="100xDevBootcamp/03_Web3/SelfStudy/classes/SS-W01 - Blockchains.md"

Pattern: Create Concept Note on Demand

# Create a new concept note
obsidian create path="100xDevBootcamp/03_Web3/SelfStudy/concepts/PDAs.md" content="---\ntitle: PDAs\ntags:\n  - web3\n  - concept\nstatus: active\n---\n\n# Program Derived Addresses (PDAs)\n\n## Intuition\n..."

Pattern: Search Before Creating

# Check if a concept note already exists
obsidian search query="Program Derived Addresses" path="100xDevBootcamp/03_Web3/SelfStudy"

# If no result, create it; if found, append to it

Pattern: Check Study Progress

# List all files in SelfStudy
obsidian files folder="100xDevBootcamp/03_Web3/SelfStudy"

# Check properties of a study note
obsidian properties file="SS-W01 - Blockchains"

# Get tasks from study notes
obsidian tasks path="100xDevBootcamp/03_Web3/SelfStudy"

Pattern: Daily Study Log

# Append study session to daily note
obsidian daily:append content="\n## Web3 Study Session\n- Studied: W01 - Blockchains\n- Key concepts: Distributed ledger, transaction lifecycle\n- Next: W02 - Wallets"

Pattern: Vault Health Check

# Find orphaned notes
obsidian orphans

# Find broken links
obsidian unresolved verbose

# Find dead-end notes
obsidian deadends

---

Troubleshooting

CLI not found

# Check if binary exists
which obsidian

# macOS: verify PATH in ~/.zprofile
cat ~/.zprofile | grep Obsidian

# Manual PATH addition (macOS)
export PATH="$PATH:/Applications/Obsidian.app/Contents/MacOS"

Commands not executing

• Ensure Obsidian app is running (CLI connects to the running instance)
• Restart terminal after initial CLI registration
• Check version: obsidian version (requires 1.12+)

File not found

• Use file= for wikilink-style resolution (just the name)
• Use path= for exact vault-relative paths
• Check if file exists: obsidian search query="filename"

References

• Obsidian CLI Docs
• Obsidian Headless
• Headless Sync