# aliasunder/vault-cortex [Health: Active]

**Category:** 🧠 Knowledge & Memory  
**Repository:** https://github.com/aliasunder/vault-cortex/  
**GitHub Stars:** 32  
**npm Downloads (last month):** 718  
**Views:** 8  
**Installs:** 0  
**Upvotes:** 0  
**Directory Page:** https://allmcps.com/mcp/aliasunder-vault-cortex

## Description
MCP server for Obsidian vaults — hybrid search, notes & files, memory, tasks, link graph, OAuth-protected.

## Claude Desktop Quick Installation
Install path detected from listing signals. Uses `npx` (confidence: high):

```json
"mcpServers": {
  "vault-cortex": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["-y","vault-cortex@latest"],
    "env": {
      "MCP_AUTH_TOKEN": "",
      "VAULT_PATH": ""
    }
  }
}
```

**Requires environment variables:** `MCP_AUTH_TOKEN`, `VAULT_PATH` — the values above are empty placeholders; fill in real credentials before running (see the repository for what each one is for).

## Documentation

## What aliasunder/vault-cortex does

aliasunder/vault-cortex exposes an Obsidian vault to AI agents through the Model Context Protocol. It works directly with files on disk, so the Obsidian desktop application does not need to be open and no Obsidian plugin or separate bridge is required. A vault can contain standard Markdown notes as well as Obsidian-native structures such as frontmatter, wikilinks, tags, headings, and daily notes.

The server supports both retrieval and write-back. Agents can search notes, read and update content, manage tasks, store dated memory entries, inspect relationships between notes, and work with non-Markdown files. Built-in prompts support workflows such as vault health checks, memory review, and daily reconciliation using current vault data.

## How it works

Search combines FTS5 keyword matching with vector semantic similarity through reciprocal-rank fusion. A cross-encoder reranker then refines results for queries where intent matters. This lets exact terms and specialist vocabulary remain searchable while also finding notes whose wording differs from the query.

Memory entries are dated and append-only. Topic recall can return both the latest position on a subject and the dated history behind it, allowing an agent to follow how a viewpoint changed over time. Task handling recognizes both Tasks-plugin emoji syntax and Dataview inline fields. Recurring tasks produce their next occurrence when completed.

The server runs in Docker and reads the vault folder directly. For remote use, the vault can reside on a server and stay synchronized through Obsidian Sync. OAuth 2.1 protects remote access, while local setup uses an MCP authentication token.

## Setup and configuration

The quickest local setup uses Node.js 22.12 or newer for the command-line setup tool and Docker, or a compatible runtime such as OrbStack, Colima, or Podman. An existing Obsidian vault is suitable, and a folder containing Markdown files can also be used.

Run the setup wizard with:

```bash
npx vault-cortex@latest init
```

The wizard asks for the vault path, creates authentication and configuration files, starts the container, and displays connection details for the MCP client. The CLI also provides commands for configuration, upgrades, starting, restarting, viewing logs, and stopping the service.

Manual Docker Compose setup is available without Node.js. Configure `MCP_AUTH_TOKEN` and `VAULT_PATH` in the environment file, then start the service with `docker compose up`. Local deployments can be used from the same machine; remote deployments support access from a phone, claude.ai, or another remote MCP client. One-click deployment options handle HTTPS, restarts, generated tokens, and persistent storage, while self-hosted HTTPS requires separate configuration.

## Tools and capabilities

- Search vault content with keyword, semantic, and reranked hybrid retrieval.
- Read and write Markdown notes and other files in the vault.
- Process images, PDFs, canvases, and data files in supported readable forms.
- Create and update dated, append-only memory entries and recall topic history.
- Query, complete, reprioritize, and move tasks between Kanban lanes.
- Handle recurring tasks by creating their next occurrence after completion.
- Inspect backlinks, outgoing links, and orphaned notes.
- Use guided prompts for vault health, memory review, and daily reconciliation.
- Work with frontmatter, wikilinks, tags, headings, and daily-note conventions.

_Full upstream README: https://allmcps.com/mcp/aliasunder-vault-cortex/readme_