# Obsidian

> Visualize your knowledge graph and edit notes directly in Obsidian.

Obsidian gives you a visual window into your Basic Memory knowledge base. Point it at your Basic Memory folder and you get graph view, backlinks, rich editing, and more — while your AI keeps working through MCP tools on the same files.

> New to this setup? [Basic Memory for Obsidian](https://basicmemory.com/for/obsidian) has a two-minute overview of what persistent memory changes.

<note>

For more information about Obsidian, [visit the Obsidian home page](https://obsidian.md).

</note>

## Cloud Sync Workflow

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

<note>

Sync requires the Basic Memory CLI. See [Local Installation](/local/local-install) for installation steps.

</note>

<steps>

### Sign Up for Basic Memory Cloud

Create your account at [basicmemory.com](https://basicmemory.com/?utm_source=docs&utm_medium=docs&utm_campaign=obsidian)

### Log In to Basic Memory Cloud

Authenticate with your account:

```bash
bm cloud login
```

### Set Up Sync

Install rclone and configure credentials:

```bash
bm cloud setup
```

This installs rclone automatically and configures your cloud credentials.

### Create Project with Local Sync

Point Basic Memory to your Obsidian vault:

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

# Or create a new project
bm project add notes --cloud --local-path ~/Documents/notes
```

### First Sync

**Existing vault?** The new cloud project is empty — push your notes up to seed it:

```bash
bm cloud push --name my-vault --dry-run
bm cloud push --name my-vault
```

**Notes already in cloud?** Pull them down instead:

```bash
bm cloud pull --name my-vault --dry-run
bm cloud pull --name my-vault
```

The login/setup mechanics are covered in full in the [Cloud Sync Guide](/cloud/cloud-sync).

### Open Your Vault in Obsidian

Open your local directory as a vault in Obsidian. You get full graph view, plugins, and editing.

### Sync Changes

After editing in Obsidian, push your changes up; after changes land in the cloud (AI assistants, web app), pull them down:

```bash
bm cloud pull --name my-vault
bm cloud push --name my-vault
```

</steps>

<note>

**Additive sync**: `pull` and `push` never delete files on the destination. If the same note changed on both sides, the command aborts and lists the conflicts — resolve with `--on-conflict`. See the [Cloud Sync Guide](/cloud/cloud-sync) for details.

</note>

---

## Local Setup

You can either use an existing Obsidian vault or create a new one for Basic Memory.

### Option 1: Use an Existing Vault

<steps>

### Configure Basic Memory project

```bash
# 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 your AI client

Restart Claude Desktop (or your MCP client) for the changes to take effect.

### Test the integration

Ask your AI to create a note — it will appear in your vault immediately.

</steps>

### Option 2: Create a New Vault

<steps>

### Download Obsidian

Download and install [Obsidian](https://obsidian.md).

### Create a new vault

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

### Enable core plugins

Enable Graph View, Backlinks, and Tags in Obsidian's settings.

</steps>

## What You Get

Because Basic Memory uses standard markdown with wiki links, Obsidian understands your knowledge base natively.

- **Graph View** — See your entire knowledge network as an interactive graph. Each note is a node, and relations become connecting lines. Local graphs let you focus on one note's neighborhood.
- **Backlinks** — Every `[[wiki link]]` your AI creates is a clickable backlink in Obsidian. See all documents that reference the current note and navigate connections easily.
- **Tag Explorer** — Tags from observations and frontmatter show up in Obsidian's tag pane. Filter, browse, and combine tags to find what you need.
- **Live Updates** — Notes created by your AI (in Claude Desktop, Claude Code, or any MCP client) automatically appear in Obsidian since they share the same markdown files. No import or export needed.

Use [schemas](/concepts/schema-system) to keep your notes consistent whether you're writing in Obsidian or through your AI.

## Troubleshooting

**Links not appearing in graph**: Make sure you're using wiki link syntax (`[[Note Title]]`) and that referenced documents exist in the vault.

**Tags not showing up**: Use `#tag` syntax (no spaces — use hyphens instead). Ensure the tag panel is enabled in Obsidian settings.

**Notes not syncing to cloud**: Run `bm cloud push --name <project>` after editing. See the [Cloud Sync Guide](/cloud/cloud-sync) for details.

## Next Steps

<card-group>
<card title="Knowledge Format" to="/concepts/knowledge-format">

Learn about observations, relations, and frontmatter.

</card>

<card title="Schema System" to="/concepts/schema-system">

Define consistent structures for your notes.

</card>

<card title="Cloud Sync" to="/cloud/cloud-sync">

Sync your vault with cloud using push and pull.

</card>

<card title="Claude Desktop" to="/integrations/claude-desktop">

Connect your AI assistant to the same knowledge base.

</card>
</card-group>