How to connect Obsidian to Codex and the ChatGPT desktop app

Add Obsidian to Codex

1. Add the server

   In a terminal, run:

   codex mcp add obsidian --url https://mcp.shardconnector.com/mcp
   

   This writes the server to ~/.codex/config.toml and starts the sign-in. Put the entry in a project’s .codex/config.toml to limit it to that project.

   In the ChatGPT desktop app, open Settings, MCP servers, Add server (or the gear menu in the IDE extension). Name it obsidian, pick Streamable HTTP, paste https://mcp.shardconnector.com/mcp, save and click Restart.

2. Sign in

   Your browser opens a Shard Connector page asking you to allow Codex. Click Allow, then sign in with the Google account you use on this site.

   

   If no browser opens, run codex mcp login obsidian, or click Authenticate next to obsidian in the app or extension.

3. Ask Codex about your notes

   Start a Codex session, or a Codex or Work chat in the desktop app, and mention your vault, for example “Search my Obsidian vault for my notes on the billing redesign.”

Signing in over SSH

On a remote machine without a browser, run codex mcp login obsidian --no-browser and open the link it prints on your computer. After you sign in, the browser redirects to a 127.0.0.1 URL that won’t load; copy that full URL from the address bar and paste it into the terminal.

Things to ask

• “Read my Obsidian note on the API design and check this branch against it.”
• “Add what we changed today to my Changelog note in Obsidian.”
• “Search my vault for meeting notes that mention the payments team and list the open questions.”

Hosted or local

If the vault is already on the same machine, Codex can edit the Markdown files directly without an MCP server, and your notes stay local, which gives you maximum security. Shard Connector is for machines without the vault, such as a work laptop or remote dev box, syncing edits through Obsidian Sync without Obsidian open. Obsidian MCP server: hosted or local? compares the options.

Troubleshooting

Codex never asks you to sign in. Run codex mcp login obsidian. Check that the URL in config.toml is exactly https://mcp.shardconnector.com/mcp and that the entry uses url, not command.

The desktop app doesn’t use your notes. MCP servers work in Codex and Work chats. Start one of those and check that obsidian is enabled under Settings, MCP servers.

Sign-in says there’s no vault for your account. Check on your dashboard that your vault is connected and your subscription is active. If you signed in with a different Google account, run codex mcp logout obsidian and codex mcp login obsidian, and pick the account you use on the dashboard.

What Codex can do in your vault

Codex works in the one vault you connected. It can search, read, create and edit notes and folders, and move notes to a Trash/ folder, but it can’t delete anything for good, see .obsidian or open images and PDFs. See the full list.

If Codex says the vault is syncing, your space is waking up and catching up with Obsidian Sync. Wait a few seconds and ask again.

Questions