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Obsidian Integration

Basic Memory integrates seamlessly with Obsidian, providing powerful visualization and navigation capabilities for your knowledge graph.

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Setup

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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.

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Option 1: Use an Existing Obsidian Vault

If you have an existing Obsidian vault where you want Basic Memory to save notes:
1

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
2

Restart Claude Desktop

Restart Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect
3

Test the integration

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

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Option 2: Create a New Vault for Basic Memory

1

Download Obsidian

Download and install Obsidian
2

Create a new vault

Create a new vault in Obsidian pointing to your Basic Memory directory (~/basic-memory by default)
3

Enable core plugins

Enable core plugins like Graph View, Backlinks, and Tags

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Visualization Features

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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.
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

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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

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Knowledge Elements

Basic Memory’s knowledge format works natively with Obsidian: 
## Relations
- implements [[Search Design]]
- depends_on [[Database Schema]]
These display as clickable links in Obsidian and appear in the graph view.

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Observations with Tags

## Observations
- [tech] Using SQLite #database
- [design] Local-first #architecture
Tags become searchable and filterable in Obsidian’s tag pane.

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Frontmatter

---
title: Document Title
type: note
tags: [search, design]
---
Frontmatter provides metadata for Obsidian to use in search and filtering.

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Canvas Integration

Basic Memory can create Obsidian Canvas files:
1

Ask Claude to create a visualization

You: "Create a canvas showing the structure of our project components."
2

Claude generates a .canvas file

The file is automatically created in your knowledge base
3

Open the file in Obsidian

View and edit the visual representation in Obsidian
4

Canvas files maintain references

Canvas files keep live references to your documents
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

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Workflow Suggestions

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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]]

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Project Tracking

# Current Sprint

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

## Tags
#sprint #planning #current

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Advanced Obsidian Features

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Graph Analysis

View your entire knowledge network to identify:
  • Central concepts (highly connected nodes)
  • Knowledge clusters
  • Isolated information
  • Missing connections

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Search and Navigation

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

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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;
}

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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

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Tips for Effective Use

Consistent Tagging

Use consistent tag patterns to enable better filtering and organization

Meaningful Relations

Create meaningful relation types that help you understand connections

Regular Review

Regularly review your graph to identify knowledge gaps

Template Usage

Use templates for consistent document structure

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Troubleshooting

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Common Issues

  • Use proper tag syntax: #tag or in frontmatter
  • Check tag panel is enabled in Obsidian
  • Ensure tags don’t contain spaces (use hyphens)
  • Update to latest Obsidian version
  • Enable Canvas core plugin
  • Check file permissions