Getting started

Install Seekstone in your MCP client.

Seekstone is a standard MCP stdio server, so it works with every MCP-compatible client. Pick yours below — each guide takes about 30 seconds, and they all end the same way: Claude reading your Obsidian vault directly from disk.

Before you start

Two things every install needs.

Node.js ≥ 22 Every npx path below needs Node.js 22 or newer. The one exception: the one-click .mcpb bundle for Claude Desktop, which has no prerequisites at all.
Your vault path Seekstone finds your vault through the SEEKSTONE_VAULT environment variable — an absolute path to your Obsidian vault folder. You usually won't have to look it up: npx -y seekstone init reads Obsidian's own vault registry and detects it for you.

CLI

Claude Code

Anthropic's agentic coding tool for the terminal. One command auto-detects your vault and configures Claude Code end-to-end:

$ npx -y seekstone init --client code --write

Prefer to set the vault path explicitly? Add the server yourself:

Terminal

claude mcp add seekstone \
  --env SEEKSTONE_VAULT=/absolute/path/to/your/vault \
  -- npx -y seekstone

Verify: run claude mcp list — seekstone should be listed and connected. Then ask Claude: "List a few notes from my vault."

Desktop app

Claude Desktop

Anthropic's desktop app for macOS and Windows. Three ways in, easiest first.

One-click (no terminal, no Node.js)

Download seekstone.mcpb from GitHub Releases.
Open it with Claude Desktop — double-click in Finder, or right-click → Open With → Claude Desktop.
Pick your Obsidian vault folder when prompted. Done.

Download .mcpb

Guided CLI

Auto-detects your vault, validates it, and patches Claude Desktop's config in place (with a backup) when you pass --write:

$ npx -y seekstone init --write

Manual config

Add this to claude_desktop_config.json (Settings → Developer → Edit Config), with SEEKSTONE_VAULT set to your vault's absolute path:

claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "seekstone": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "seekstone"],
      "env": { "SEEKSTONE_VAULT": "/absolute/path/to/your/vault" }
    }
  }
}

Verify: restart Claude Desktop — seekstone appears under the plug icon in the toolbar. Then ask Claude: "List a few notes from my vault."

Editor

Cursor

The AI code editor. Install from your browser, then set SEEKSTONE_VAULT to your vault's absolute path in Cursor's MCP settings (the link installs a placeholder):

Install in Cursor Opens Cursor via deep link

Or let the CLI auto-detect your vault and patch ~/.cursor/mcp.json (with a backup):

$ npx -y seekstone init --client cursor --write

Or add the block manually to ~/.cursor/mcp.json (global) or <project>/.cursor/mcp.json (per-project):

~/.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "seekstone": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "seekstone"],
      "env": { "SEEKSTONE_VAULT": "/absolute/path/to/your/vault" }
    }
  }
}

Verify: Cursor Settings → MCP shows seekstone with a green dot. Then ask the agent: "List a few notes from my vault."

Editor

VS Code (GitHub Copilot)

Requires VS Code 1.102+ — seekstone appears in Copilot Chat's Agent mode tools picker. Install from your browser, then set SEEKSTONE_VAULT when VS Code opens the server config:

Install in VS Code Opens VS Code via deep link

Or let the CLI auto-detect your vault and write the workspace config (.vscode/mcp.json in the current directory):

$ npx -y seekstone init --client vscode --write

Or add it from the terminal:

Terminal

code --add-mcp '{"name":"seekstone","command":"npx",
  "args":["-y","seekstone"],
  "env":{"SEEKSTONE_VAULT":"/absolute/path/to/your/vault"}}'

Or edit the config directly — note VS Code's two quirks: the top-level key is servers (not mcpServers), and "type": "stdio" is required:

.vscode/mcp.json

{
  "servers": {
    "seekstone": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "seekstone"],
      "env": { "SEEKSTONE_VAULT": "/absolute/path/to/your/vault" }
    }
  }
}

Verify: open Copilot Chat in Agent mode, click the tools icon — seekstone's tools are listed. Then ask: "List a few notes from my vault."

Editor

Windsurf

The agentic IDE by Codeium. Add the standard block to ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json (create the file if it doesn't exist), with SEEKSTONE_VAULT set to your vault's absolute path:

~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "seekstone": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "seekstone"],
      "env": { "SEEKSTONE_VAULT": "/absolute/path/to/your/vault" }
    }
  }
}

Verify: Windsurf Settings → Cascade → MCP servers → Refresh — seekstone shows green. Then ask Cascade: "List a few notes from my vault."

VS Code extension

Cline

The open-source autonomous coding agent for VS Code. Open Cline, click the MCP Servers icon → Configure MCP Servers, and add the standard block to cline_mcp_settings.json:

cline_mcp_settings.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "seekstone": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "seekstone"],
      "env": { "SEEKSTONE_VAULT": "/absolute/path/to/your/vault" }
    }
  }
}

Verify: the MCP Servers panel shows seekstone with a green toggle. Then ask Cline: "List a few notes from my vault."

Everything else

Any other MCP client

Zed, JetBrains AI Assistant, LibreChat — Seekstone is a standard MCP stdio server, so any MCP-compatible client can run it. Use the same three ingredients in your client's MCP config: command: npx, args: ["-y", "seekstone"], and env SEEKSTONE_VAULT:

Standard MCP config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "seekstone": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "seekstone"],
      "env": { "SEEKSTONE_VAULT": "/absolute/path/to/your/vault" }
    }
  }
}

Client not covered here? The README's install section stays the canonical, most up-to-date reference.

After installing

What happens next.

Restart your client. On startup Seekstone walks the vault, builds an in-memory full-text index — a few seconds for thousands of notes — and keeps it live as you edit. All 17 tools are then available: ranked search, structured metadata queries, section-level reads, backlinks, periodic notes, and byte-safe writes.

Browse the tools See the benchmarks