Obsidian works best when you treat it as a local-first thinking layer, not a productivity app. Markdown files on disk, no lock-in, instant search, backlinks, and graph view when you want it—zero friction when you don’t.
That becomes especially powerful once you pair it with AI coding agents.
The Core Loop
- Think and write in Obsidian
- Store everything as plain markdown
- Let AI agents read, modify, and generate against those files
- Review, refine, and connect ideas back in Obsidian
No copy-paste gymnastics. No context loss.
Why Obsidian Works So Well Here
- Files live locally → perfect for CLI tools and VS Code agents
- Markdown is predictable → AI understands it cleanly
- Backlinks + folders → structure emerges naturally over time
- You can keep ideas, specs, prompts, and logs in one place
Obsidian becomes the source of truth, not the AI tool.
Working With AI Agents
Using tools like Claude in VS Code or via CLI:
- Agents can scan folders, not just single files
- They can refactor notes, extract TODOs, or turn thoughts into specs
- You can ask an agent to “update all related notes” or “summarize this week’s ideas”
The key shift: AI works on your knowledge base, not isolated chats.
Practical Patterns
- Keep one folder for rough thoughts, another for “promoted” notes
- Use frontmatter consistently so agents can filter and classify
- Let agents write drafts, but keep final edits human
- Treat AI as a junior collaborator with filesystem access
What This Unlocks
- Faster ideation → implementation loop
- Less mental friction between thinking and building
- Notes that evolve instead of rotting
- A personal knowledge base that compounds
Obsidian handles the memory.
AI agents handle the leverage.
Together, they form a workflow that feels surprisingly close to how you actually think and build.