Obsidian + Claude Code Setup Guide

I just gave AI access to my brain. Every note I take, every meditation I log, every idea I capture, even every grocery order. All of it goes into one place. Then Claude Code reads it. Open a new chat and it already knows what I've been up to and what I need help with. Not even exaggerating.. this changed how I use AI forever.

The secret is Obsidian. It's a free app that turns any folder on your computer into a second brain. You take notes in plain text files, and because they're just files on your machine, you own them forever. No cloud lock-in. No subscription. No sending your private thoughts to someone else's server. And the best part. Claude Code can read those files directly.

Here is the workflow once this is set up. I open my laptop in the morning and log what's on my mind in Obsidian. A quick note. A feeling. An idea for a post. Whatever. Then I open Claude Code on any project and it already knows what I've been writing about. I can ask it to connect dots between notes I wrote three weeks apart. I can ask it to pull context for an email I'm about to send. No more re-explaining my entire life every single time.

I just created an Obsidian vault at [PASTE YOUR VAULT PATH HERE]. Help me set up a simple daily log system inside it.

1. Create a folder called daily-log inside the vault.
2. Build a daily note template with short sections for what I did today, what I'm thinking about, ideas worth saving, and anything on my mind.
3. Show me how to open a fresh daily note in under 10 seconds so I actually stick with it.

Keep it simple. Do not add plugins or fancy setup. I want to be logging within 2 minutes.

Now for the part most people miss. An Obsidian vault alone is just a folder of notes. The unlock is pointing Claude Code at it so every conversation starts with full context of who you are and what you've been working on.

Update my global CLAUDE.md file at ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md to include my Obsidian vault as a personal context source. My vault lives at [PASTE YOUR VAULT PATH HERE].

Add a clear section that tells you:
1. Where my vault is on disk
2. What is inside it (daily logs, ideas, notes, thoughts, whatever folders I have)
3. That you can read from this vault anytime I reference my notes, my journal, my thoughts, my brain, or my personal context

Keep the new section short and direct. After you save the file, confirm which projects this will apply to and tell me exactly how you will know when to check the vault.

Now the good stuff. Every conversation with Claude Code starts with your full context. You do not need to re-explain who you are, what you are working on, or what you care about. Claude just checks your notes and knows.

Read my Obsidian vault from the past 2 weeks. Pull out the themes I have been writing about, the ideas I have had, and anything I seem stuck on. Then suggest one thing I should act on today based on what is actually in my head, not what you think I should do.

Be specific. Reference the actual notes you saw. Do not make anything up.

A few things to know before you start. Your vault is just a folder of markdown files. Nothing fancy. If something ever looks broken, open the folder in Finder and you can see every note as a plain text file. You own everything.

Be thoughtful about what you write. Claude Code can read your entire vault, which means anything sensitive (passwords, financial info, private details you do not want in an AI's context) should live somewhere else. Keep the vault for notes and ideas, not secrets.

The more structure you add over time, the better Claude gets. Folders for different areas of your life, consistent note templates, and daily logs all make the AI's responses sharper. Start simple. Add structure as you go.

That is the whole thing. Install Obsidian. Pick a folder. Start writing. Point Claude Code at it. Watch AI become something that actually knows you. Not even exaggerating.. once you experience this you are never going back to generic AI chats.

This is just the setup. In the full course I walk through my exact personal life dashboard that feeds everything into Obsidian automatically. Daily logs, workouts, meditations, grocery orders, voice notes, all of it captured without you thinking about it and synced to your vault so Claude Code always has fresh context on your actual life.