---
title: Obsidian
description: Sync your Obsidian vault with the SurfSense plugin
---

# Obsidian Plugin Setup Guide

SurfSense integrates with Obsidian through the SurfSense Obsidian plugin.

## How it works

The plugin runs inside your Obsidian app and pushes note updates to SurfSense over HTTPS.
This works for cloud and self-hosted deployments, including desktop and mobile clients.

## What gets indexed

| Content Type | Description |
|--------------|-------------|
| Markdown files | Note content (`.md`) |
| Frontmatter | YAML metadata like title, tags, aliases, dates |
| Wiki links | Linked notes (`[[note]]`) |
| Tags | Inline and frontmatter tags |
| Vault metadata | Vault and path metadata used for deep links and sync state |

## Quick start

1. Open **Connectors** in SurfSense and choose **Obsidian**.
2. Install the plugin (recommended via BRAT) using the steps below.
3. In Obsidian, open **Settings → SurfSense**.  
4. Paste your SurfSense API token from the user settings section.
5. Paste your Server URL in the plugin setting: either your SurfSense main domain (if `/api/v1` rewrites are enabled) or your direct backend URL.
6. Choose the Search Space in the plugin, then the first sync should run automatically.
7. Confirm the connector appears as **Obsidian - &lt;vault&gt;** in SurfSense.

## Install via BRAT (recommended)

1. In Obsidian, open **Settings → Community plugins** and install **[BRAT](obsidian://show-plugin?id=obsidian42-brat)**.
2. Open BRAT settings and click **Add beta plugin** button.
3. Paste the repository: `https://github.com/MODSetter/SurfSense/`.
4. Select the latest plugin version, then click "Add plugin".
5. Open **Settings → SurfSense** to finish setup.

## Migrating from the legacy connector

If you previously used the legacy Obsidian connector architecture, migrate to the plugin flow:

1. Delete the old legacy Obsidian connector from SurfSense.
2. Install and configure the SurfSense Obsidian plugin using the quick start above.
3. Run the first plugin sync and verify the new **Obsidian - &lt;vault&gt;** connector is active.

<Callout type="warn">
    Deleting the legacy connector also deletes all documents that were indexed by that connector. Always finish and verify plugin sync before deleting the old connector.
</Callout>

## Troubleshooting

**Plugin connects but no files appear**
- Verify the plugin is pointed to the correct Search Space.
- Trigger a manual sync from the plugin settings.
- Confirm your API token is valid and not expired.

**Self-hosted URL issues**
- Use a public or LAN backend URL that your Obsidian device can reach.
- If your instance is behind TLS, ensure the URL/certificate is valid for the device running Obsidian.

**Unauthorized / 401 errors**
- Regenerate and paste a fresh API token from SurfSense.
- Ensure the token belongs to the same account and workspace you are syncing into.

**Cannot reach server URL**
- Check that the backend URL is reachable from the Obsidian device.
- For self-hosted setups, verify firewall and reverse proxy rules.
- Avoid using localhost unless SurfSense and Obsidian run on the same machine.
