AI CLI Chat

An AI assistant that lives in your Obsidian vault. Chat with Claude and let it read, write, and edit your notes directly.

What This Plugin Does

• Chat with Claude in a sidebar panel
• Claude can access your vault - read files, search content, make edits
• Custom Skills - teach Claude specialized workflows for your use case
• Session History - save and resume conversations

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Quick Start

Step 1: Install Claude Code CLI

This plugin requires the Claude Code command-line tool. Here's how to install it:

Check if you have Node.js

Open Terminal (Mac) or Command Prompt (Windows) and run:

node --version

If you see a version number (like v18.0.0), you're good. If not, download Node.js first.

Install Claude Code

In Terminal/Command Prompt, run:

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

Authenticate

Run this command and follow the prompts to log in with your Anthropic account:

claude

Step 2: Install the Plugin

1. Download this plugin folder to your vault:

   YourVault/.obsidian/plugins/obsidian-claude-code/
   

2. In Obsidian, go to Settings → Community plugins

3. Click Reload plugins, then enable Claude Code

Step 3: Verify Setup

1. Go to Settings → Claude Code
2. You should see a green "✅ Claude CLI Connected" message
3. If not, click Auto-detect or follow the setup instructions shown

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How to Use

Basic Chat

1. Click the chat bubble icon in the left ribbon (or use Command Palette → "Open Claude Chat Panel")
2. Type your message and press Enter
3. Claude responds and can use tools to work with your vault

What Claude Can Do

Action	Example
Read files	"What's in my meeting notes from yesterday?"
Search vault	"Find all notes mentioning Project X"
Edit files	"Add a summary section to this note"
Create files	"Create a new note for today's standup"
Run commands	"List all markdown files in the Projects folder"

Using Skills

Skills are specialized modes that give Claude specific instructions for certain tasks.

1. Select a skill from the Mode dropdown (above the chat input)
2. Type your request
3. Claude follows the skill's workflow

Built-in: Skill Creator - helps you create new skills

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Creating Custom Skills

Skills live in your vault at .claude/skills/ (configurable in settings).

Using the Built-in Skill Creator (Recommended)

The easiest way to create a new skill:

1. Select Skill Creator from the Mode dropdown
2. Describe what you want the skill to do, e.g.:
   • "Create a skill for processing meeting notes that extracts action items"
   • "I need a skill for writing blog posts with SEO optimization"
3. Claude will create the skill folder and SKILL.md file for you
4. Restart Obsidian to see your new skill in the Mode dropdown

Manual Creation

You can also create skills manually:

1. Create a folder in .claude/skills/ (e.g., .claude/skills/daily-note/)
2. Add a SKILL.md file with YAML frontmatter:

---
name: daily-note
description: Create daily notes with consistent formatting. Use when starting a new day or journaling.
---

# Daily Note Creator

Create daily notes with this structure:
- Date header
- Morning intentions
- Tasks for today
- Evening reflection section

Always save to the Journal/ folder with filename YYYY-MM-DD.md

1. Restart Obsidian - your skill appears in the Mode dropdown

Skill Structure

.claude/skills/
└── my-skill/
    ├── SKILL.md          # Required - instructions for Claude
    ├── scripts/          # Optional - automation scripts
    ├── references/       # Optional - docs Claude can read
    └── assets/           # Optional - templates, images

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Settings

Setting	Description
Claude CLI Path	Usually auto-detected. Click "Auto-detect" if needed.
Skills Folder	Where to find skills (default: .claude/skills)
Max Turns	How many actions Claude can take per request
Include Current Note	Auto-include the open note as context
Show Tool Calls	See what tools Claude uses
Session Storage	Where chat history is saved

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Troubleshooting

"Claude CLI Not Found"

1. Open Terminal and run claude --version
2. If it works there but not in Obsidian, click Auto-detect in settings
3. Or manually enter the path (run which claude to find it)

Skills Not Appearing

1. Check the Skills Folder path in settings matches where your skills are
2. Each skill needs a SKILL.md file
3. Try restarting Obsidian after adding skills

Chat Not Responding

1. Check the connection status in settings
2. Run claude in Terminal to verify authentication
3. Check Obsidian's developer console (Cmd+Opt+I) for errors

"Command not found: npm"

You need Node.js installed. Download it here.

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FAQ

Q: Do I need a paid Anthropic account? A: Yes, Claude Code requires an Anthropic account with API access.

Q: Is my data sent to Anthropic? A: Only the content you chat about. Claude Code runs locally and sends prompts to Anthropic's API.

Q: Can Claude edit any file? A: Claude can only access files within your Obsidian vault.

Q: How do I stop Claude mid-response? A: Click the Stop button that appears while Claude is responding.

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Requirements

• Obsidian 1.4.0 or later
• Node.js 18 or later
• Claude Code CLI (installed via npm)
• Anthropic account with API access

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Support

• Claude Code Documentation
• Report Issues

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Created by Nealey • Powered by Claude Code by Anthropic