Vault Cortex MCP Server

Vault Cortex is a standalone MCP server that gives any AI agent hybrid search, task management, structured memory, and read/write access to your Obsidian vault. No plugins, no running Obsidian, no separate bridge. One Docker container, your vault folder, a full tool suite + guided prompts. Run it on a remote server with Obsidian Sync, and the same vault is accessible from your phone, claude.ai, or any remote MCP…. Its 30 documented tools cover vault, note, memory, property.

People who need documentation tools inside Claude, Cursor, VS Code, or another MCP client. The project is written in TypeScript.

VERIFIED ACTIVE

LAST COMMIT 2026-08-25 · ★ 17 · #130 OF 183 MAINTAINED DOCUMENTATION · VERIFIED 2026-08-25

MIT · TypeScript servers · how we verify → /methodology

01 · Install Vault Cortex

before you install - you'll need

The README does not document required environment variables for a basic install.

Docker

docker run -i --rm ghcr.io/aliasunder/vault-cortex:0.42.1

Claude Desktop - add to config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "aliasunder-vault-cortex": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "ghcr.io/aliasunder/vault-cortex:0.42.1"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Using another client? Same JSON, different key

Claude Desktop · mcpServers

Cursor · mcpServers

VS Code · servers

Windsurf · mcpServers

Zed · context_servers

Cline · mcpServers

Roo Code · mcpServers

Continue · mcpServers

LibreChat · mcpServers

Gemini CLI · mcpServers

Codex CLI · mcp_servers

Full setup guides: every client.

02 · Evidence

Security posture

What to check before giving this server access to your agent - from the registry, GitHub, and our own probes. We don't score safety; we show what's verifiable.

runs as container (OCI image) - can be sandboxed away from your filesystem

license MIT - declared in the repository

registry namespace io.github.aliasunder is GitHub-verified and matches the repo owner

03 · What Vault Cortex can do

Prose above is summarized from the project's README and registry record - no invented capabilities.

What you can build

With this server connected, an agent can read a note - full body, properties, outline, or a section, create a note (fails if it already exists, delete a block of lines by short anchors, no full re-quote, and list notes with optional glob/folder filter.

The 30 tools it gives your agent

Extracted from the project's README - what Vault Cortex lets an agent do.

vault_read_note: - Read a note - full body, properties, outline, or a section
vault_write_note: - Create a note (fails if it already exists; set overwrite to replace)
vault_patch_note: - Heading-targeted edit (append, prepend, replace with include_children guard, insert)
vault_replace_in_note: - Find-and-replace text in a note (first match or replace_all_occurrences)
vault_delete_span: - Delete a block of lines by short anchors, no full re-quote
vault_list_notes: - List notes with optional glob/folder filter
vault_delete_note: - Delete a note (protected paths enforced)
vault_move_note: - Move or rename a note, rewriting links across the vault
vault_search: - Hybrid search with tag/folder/property/date filters
vault_search_by_tag: - Find notes by tag (exact or prefix match)
vault_search_by_folder: - Browse notes in a folder with metadata
vault_recent_notes: - Recently modified or created notes

show all 30 tools

vault_list_tags: - All tags with usage counts
vault_list_tasks: - Vault-wide task index - Kanban-aware, 6 date fields, priority, folder/heading scope
vault_update_task: - One-call status, priority, and lane changes - auto-detects done lanes on Kanban boards
vault_get_memory: - Read structured memory (file, section, or all)
vault_update_memory: - Append a dated entry to a memory section
vault_delete_memory: - Remove a specific memory entry by date
vault_list_memory_files: - Discover memory files, their sections, and each file's entry policy
vault_memory_recall: - Entry-granular hybrid recall of a topic across memory files, oldest-first
vault_list_property_keys: - All property keys with sample values
vault_list_property_values: - Distinct values for a property key
vault_search_by_property: - Find notes by property key-value
vault_update_properties: - Add or update properties without touching the body
vault_get_backlinks: - Notes linking to a given path
vault_get_outgoing_links: - Links from a given note
vault_find_orphans: - Notes with no incoming links
vault_read_file: - Read a non-markdown file - images delivered as images, canvases as readable outlines
vault_list_files: - Browse the vault's non-markdown files with sizes and per-extension counts
vault_get_daily_note: - Today's (or any date's) daily note

Latest releases

cli-v0.13.0 · 2026-08-25

v0.13.0 · replace Docker-based get-sync-token with native Obsidian API call (#492) · align descriptions with one-click deploy positioning; add DAILY_NOTES env vars (#487) · strip quoted values from .env before docker…

v0.42.1 · 2026-08-25

Replace Docker-based get-sync-token with native Obsidian API call (#492) · Strip quoted values from .env before docker run (#491) · Align descriptions with one-click deploy positioning; add DAILY_NOTES env vars (#487)…

cli-v0.12.0 · 2026-08-24

v0.12.0 · trust the gateway's Forwarded header behind a locked tunnel; TRUST_FORWARDED_HOPS replaces TRUST_FORWARDED_HEADER (#484) · Published to npm:

04 · Who maintains Vault Cortex

Vault Cortex is maintained by aliasunder. It's the only MCP server we track from this author; the repo dates to May 2026.

05 · Facts

repository: github.com/aliasunder/vault-cortex
website: https://github.com/aliasunder/vault-cortex
category: documentation - ranked #130 of 183 actively-maintained documentation servers as of 2026-08-25.
release cadence: 10+ releases in the last 90 days (latest 2026-08-25)
registry: io.github.aliasunder/vault-cortex (active, first published 2026-05-20 · 123 versions)
packages: oci:ghcr.io/aliasunder/vault-cortex:0.42.1

06 · Vault Cortex FAQ

Is Vault Cortex still maintained?

Yes - as of 2026-08-25, its last commit was 2026-08-25 and it shipped 10+ releases in the last 90 days. We re-verify nightly.

What can Vault Cortex do?

How do I install Vault Cortex?

Run `docker run -i --rm ghcr.io/aliasunder/vault-cortex:0.42.1`. The README does not document required environment variables for a basic install. You can also paste the ready-made client config above.

07 · Alternatives to Vault Cortex

Alternatives to Vault Cortex

Maintained documentation servers if Vault Cortex isn't the fit.

Pairs well with

Servers that cover what Vault Cortex doesn't - only shown when the pairing reason fits the companion.

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