Obsidian Integration

Basic Memory works with Obsidian to visualize and navigate your knowledge graph.

For more information about Obsidian, visit the Obsidian home page.

Using with Basic Memory Cloud

Basic Memory Cloud enables a hybrid workflow: edit locally in Obsidian while your notes sync to the cloud.

Sync requires the Basic Memory CLI. See Local Installation for installation steps.

Sign Up for Basic Memory Cloud

Create your account at app.basicmemory.com

Enable Cloud Mode

Authenticate and enable cloud mode:

bm cloud login

This enables cloud mode and validates your subscription.

Set Up Sync

Install rclone and configure credentials:

bm cloud setup

This installs rclone automatically and configures your cloud credentials.

Create Project with Local Sync

Point Basic Memory to your Obsidian vault:

# If you have an existing vault
bm project add my-vault --local-path ~/path/to/obsidian-vault

# Or create a new project for a new vault
bm project add notes --local-path ~/Documents/notes

This creates the project on cloud and prepares local sync.

Establish Sync Baseline

Preview and run the initial sync:

# Preview first (recommended)
bm project bisync --name my-vault --resync --dry-run

# If all looks good, establish baseline
bm project bisync --name my-vault --resync

This creates the initial sync state. Only use --resync for the first sync.

Open Your Vault in Obsidian

Open your local directory as a vault in Obsidian. Continue editing locally with full graph view, plugins, and IDE features.

Sync Changes

After editing in Obsidian or making changes in cloud (via AI assistants), run bidirectional sync:

bm project bisync --name my-vault

This syncs changes in both directions - edit locally or in cloud, both stay in sync.

Bidirectional sync: bisync keeps local and cloud in sync automatically. Changes flow both ways, with newer files winning conflicts. For one-way sync options and advanced configuration, see the Cloud Sync Guide.

Setup

Setting Up Obsidian with Basic Memory

You can either create a new vault for Basic Memory or configure Basic Memory to use your existing vault.

Option 1: Use an Existing Obsidian Vault

If you have an existing Obsidian vault where you want Basic Memory to save notes:

Configure Basic Memory project

# Point Basic Memory to your existing vault
basic-memory project add main ~/path/to/your/obsidian-vault

# Set it as default
basic-memory project default main

Restart Claude Desktop

Restart Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect

Test the integration

Ask Claude to create a note - it will now appear in your existing vault

Option 2: Create a New Vault for Basic Memory

Download Obsidian

Download and install Obsidian

Create a new vault

Create a new vault in Obsidian pointing to your Basic Memory directory (~/basic-memory by default)

Enable core plugins

Enable core plugins like Graph View, Backlinks, and Tags

Visualization Features

Graph View

Obsidian’s Graph View provides a visual representation of your knowledge network:

Node Representation

Each document appears as a node

Connection Lines

Relations appear as connections between nodes

Color Customization

Colors can be customized to distinguish types

Filter Options

Filters let you focus on specific aspects

Local graphs show connections for individual documents, providing focused views of specific areas in your knowledge base.

Backlinks

Obsidian automatically tracks references between documents:

View all documents that reference the current one
See the exact context of each reference
Navigate easily through connections
Track how concepts relate to each other

Tag Explorer

Use tags to organize and filter content:

View all tags in your knowledge base
See how many documents use each tag
Filter documents by tag combinations
Create hierarchical tag structures

Knowledge Elements

Basic Memory’s knowledge format works natively with Obsidian:

Wiki Links

## Relations
- implements [[Search Design]]
- depends_on [[Database Schema]]

These display as clickable links in Obsidian and appear in the graph view.

Observations with Tags

## Observations
- [tech] Using SQLite #database
- [design] Plain-text #architecture

Tags become searchable and filterable in Obsidian’s tag pane.

Frontmatter

---
title: Document Title
type: note
tags: [search, design]
---

Frontmatter provides metadata for Obsidian to use in search and filtering.

Canvas Integration

Basic Memory can create Obsidian Canvas files:

Ask Claude to create a visualization

You: "Create a canvas showing the structure of our project components."

Claude generates a .canvas file

The file is automatically created in your knowledge base

Open the file in Obsidian

View and edit the visual representation in Obsidian

Canvas files maintain references

Canvas files keep live references to your documents

Recommended Plugins

These Obsidian plugins work especially well with Basic Memory:

Dataview

Query your knowledge base programmatically

Kanban

Organize tasks from knowledge files

Calendar

View and navigate temporal knowledge

Templates

Create consistent knowledge structures

Workflow Suggestions

Daily Notes

# 2024-01-21

## Progress
- Updated [[Search Design]]
- Fixed [[Bug Report 123]]

## Notes
- [idea] Better indexing #enhancement
- [todo] Update docs #documentation

## Links
- relates_to [[Current Sprint]]
- updates [[Project Status]]

Project Tracking

# Current Sprint

## Tasks
- [ ] Update [[Search]]
- [ ] Fix [[Auth Bug]]

## Tags
#sprint #planning #current

Advanced Obsidian Features

Graph Analysis

Global Graph

View your entire knowledge network to identify:

Central concepts (highly connected nodes)
Knowledge clusters
Isolated information
Missing connections

Local Graph

Focus on specific documents to see:

Direct connections
Related concepts
Knowledge pathways
Context around ideas

Quick Switcher

Rapidly navigate between documents using Cmd/Ctrl + O

Global Search

Search across all content with advanced filtering options

Tag Navigation

Browse by tags and see tag hierarchies

Backlink Panel

See all references to the current document

Visual Customization

You can customize how your knowledge appears in Obsidian:

/* Custom CSS for Basic Memory observations */
.observation-tech {
  color: #4A90E2;
  font-weight: bold;
}

.observation-design {
  color: #7ED321;
  font-style: italic;
}

.observation-decision {
  color: #F5A623;
  background: rgba(245, 166, 35, 0.1);
  padding: 2px 4px;
  border-radius: 3px;
}

Integration Benefits

Why use Obsidian with Basic Memory?

Visual Knowledge Mapping: See the structure of your knowledge
Powerful Navigation: Move through connected concepts easily
Rich Plugin Ecosystem: Extend functionality with community plugins
Mature Editor: Professional markdown editing with live preview
Local Files: Everything stays on your machine, just like Basic Memory