Connect Pro

Use your notes from an AI app without copying them into every conversation. Connect Pro exposes enabled tools in your running Obsidian vault: read a source, find related material, inspect a Smart Context, or propose a specific change for review.

New connection? Start with Getting started. Already connected? Choose an example. Need to fix something? Open troubleshooting.

In this guide

Examples | Connections | Permissions | Inbox review | Practice a correction | Review feedback | Recovery | Smart CLI

Examples and workflows

Start with a read-oriented task. Choose your Connect Pro connection in the app and replace the bracketed values before sending a prompt. Use Tool permissions and the app's current tool list to check availability; installed plugins and access settings determine which examples you can run.

These prompts request limited tasks. They do not replace access controls, and inputs and returned content may be processed by the app's model provider.

Resume from recent notes

Find a useful place to pick up your work without opening every recent note.

Use only Connect Pro for "[vault name]".
Use the read-only recents tool or command to list up to five recent
note references. Do not read their contents or change anything.
If the tool is unavailable, tell me rather than using another connection.

What to expect: note names or references, not note bodies. The tool may return more entries than the app displays; an empty list is valid. Choose one returned note to read next.

Requires: the native recents command and Obsidian CLI support. For its dedicated Local MCP tool, enable that tool's individual switch. Remote GPT uses the native command through its CLI connection.

Find notes about a topic

Find material related by meaning, then decide which sources deserve a closer read.

Use only Connect Pro for "[vault name]".
Find up to five notes about "[topic]" using Smart Lookup.
Use query="[topic]", limit=5, results_collection_key="smart_sources",
and include_content=false. Show the source references and relevance
information actually returned, not quotations or summaries of note text.
Do not change anything. Report a missing tool or index/provider error
instead of using another connection.

What to expect: references you can choose to read, not summaries of their contents. No matches is a valid result. Semantic search may use the configured embedding provider even though this request does not return note bodies.

Requires: Smart Lookup, a ready semantic index/provider, and the permitted smart_lookup_query tool. Remote GPT uses smart:lookup:query with the same arguments.

Search within the demo folder for source references, then choose which notes to read. This request did not return their full text.

Same call, a different native result-panel scroll position. The response reports three matches; only its first result object is visible here. The three-row table is the assistant's reference-only answer, not the complete native JSON.

Inspect a named Smart Context

Check what you have already collected for a task before sending its contents to an app.

Use only Connect Pro for "[vault name]".
Get the existing Smart Context "[context name]" using
name="[context name]" and output_type="manifest".
Show its returned name, description, item count, and item references.
Do not export source text, create a context, or change its membership.
If it is unavailable, tell me rather than using another connection.

What to expect: the saved context's membership, not the contents of its notes. Names and descriptions can also contain private information. Select a member to read, or deliberately request a content export afterward.

Requires: Smart Context and smart_context_get (smart:context:get through Remote GPT). To find an existing name first, use smart_context_list or smart:contexts.

Workflows that create review items or change data

To change notes through review, practice one correction or learn the move controls. A proposal creates a pending Inbox item; applying it is a separate action in Obsidian.

Creating a Smart Context is a direct data change, not an Inbox proposal. With the relevant tools enabled, choose a new name and exact source, use smart_context_create followed by smart_context_add, then inspect the manifest. If only creation succeeds, inspect that context before retrying the add; do not repeatedly create new contexts. Use the installed tools' argument requirements.

Select and check a connection

Keep the intended vault open in Obsidian Desktop. The setup guide contains the requirements and client instructions; settings supplies this installation's URL and Claude extension.

Local MCP and Remote GPT are independent. A running server means it can accept requests; a successful read confirms that the app used the intended vault. Local transport does not mean the app's model runs locally.

Understand tool permissions

Open Settings > Smart Connect Pro > Tool permissions. You can inspect access while connections are off.

These controls are not a global command allowlist. Other enabled tools can provide additional access, and unrelated CLI commands are outside these switches. New Smart actions default to enabled; the native default selection can include writes. Review the actual controls rather than assuming a read-only starting setup.

After changing permissions, refresh your app's tool list. A disabled Smart CLI action is blocked immediately, even if its command remains listed until Obsidian restarts.

An individual MCP switch controls that dedicated tool. Broad CLI access provides a separate path to native commands.

Know whether a tool reads, proposes, or changes

A read returns information. A proposal saves an Inbox item for later review. A direct-write tool can change notes or Context data when invoked. Only the dedicated proposal tools defer their source changes to Inbox review. Client confirmation dialogs and tool effect labels are separate from that review process.

Keep a request focused

Choose the vault and exact note, block, or named context. Read current content before requesting a change. For blocks, use keys returned by the tools rather than constructing one from a heading.

When the result is unexpected, inspect the request before retrying. Advanced > Tool requests > View requests contains completed request payloads from the current Obsidian session. These can include note content. They are not saved Inbox History and do not include every failure.

Review proposed changes in the Inbox

The Inbox is where you decide whether a proposed correction or move belongs in your notes. Review the evidence and exact changes, refine the proposal where supported, then apply, reject, or leave it for later.

The overview and Friday correction exercise use current Connect Pro 2.0.1 captures. The other illustrated move and editing examples retain their earlier-release provenance; they do not show the current settings layout.

Choose the right proposal tool

Check whether the correction evidence actually supports the new wording. An older historical record should not be rewritten merely because a later decision differs.

A move must explicitly append to an existing destination or create a new .md or .txt note. Missing append targets and sections are not created automatically. A new destination file is created only when you apply the proposal.

Recognize a pending result

A successful proposal returns an item key, status: pending, and source_files_changed: false. The notes have not changed yet. Do not repeat the request just because it is waiting for review.

An identical, still-valid pending proposal returns the existing key with deduplicated: true. This detects an exact repeat, not a similar idea. Changing only its reason, priority, group, or label does not update that existing item. Rejection does not permanently suppress a future proposal.

Open and organize the Inbox

Use Settings > Smart Connect Pro > Review > Connect Pro Inbox, the ribbon action Open Connect Pro Inbox, or the Command Palette action Open: Connect Pro Inbox view.

Pending holds work awaiting a decision; History holds applied and rejected items. Group and Label filter independent proposals. Priority sets review order, not confidence or shared approval.

Open a proposal to review its changes. Each item has its own decision; these are the actual counts before the correction was applied.

Inspect and refine the result

Use Changes, Before, and After to inspect the proposed result. A new destination has no Before view because it does not exist yet.

For a correction or excerpt move, edit the permitted replacement or insertion. Done editing keeps a local review draft; it does not apply the change or save a final decision. Cancel restores the text from the beginning of that editing session.

Finish editing, inspect the updated preview, then make the separate apply decision.

For moves, Change opens the destination chooser. Select an existing note and insertion location, or Create new note....

Choose where the moved content will go before applying it.

For block moves, you can reorder the original selection; adding or removing blocks requires a new proposal. Check included child sections, heading placement, and source removals. Moving a heading does not automatically nest it under the destination heading, and links are not repaired.

A rewritten excerpt requires separate approval of its removal and rewritten insertion. See the illustrated move. Relevant edits reset those confirmations and require a current preview.

Apply, reject, or skip

Select the displayed apply action only after the preview matches your intent. Connect Pro rechecks the reviewed plan and current source snapshots, including correction evidence, before writing. Open the affected notes afterward to check the result.

Reject records a decision without changing the source files. Skip leaves the item pending. Applied and rejected items appear in History.

History records decisions. It is not an Undo control.

Example: combine selected sections

This separate example moves two unchanged sections from Reader interviews and Editorial plan into Launch playbook. It combines selected sections, not entire notes.

The initial preview places Reader need before Weekly format:

Use Up beside Weekly format to change the order:

Inspect Source changes, then apply the reviewed move. In this captured example, the destination contains the revised order, while Open question and Follow-up remain in their source notes:

The saved result follows the reordered preview, not the initial order.

Practice one reviewed change

After setup, use two disposable notes to learn the review loop. This exercise creates a saved proposal and changes the target only if you apply it. It is not a connection requirement.

An 18-second still-frame walkthrough of the pending tool receipt, Inbox, correction preview, Applied History, and saved notes. The Apply click is not shown; looping replays the captures, not Undo.

Propose one correction

Manually prepare a reference note with The review happens on Friday. and a target with The review happens on Monday. Treat Friday as the intended current fact for this exercise. Replace the paths and vault name below:

Use only Connect Pro for "[vault name]".
Read "[reference note path]" and "[target note path]".
Use propose_correction to suggest replacing the target's Monday claim
with the exact Friday claim supported by the reference.
Make one proposal, leave it pending for review in Obsidian, and report
its item key. Do not use a direct-write tool or another connection.

The result should be pending, with source_files_changed: false. Check that the target still says Monday.

1. In this captured run, both exact reads completed before the user requested this correction. The prompt is not evidence that a proposal succeeded.

2. The native tool receipt confirms pending item 1789335133924 and no source-file change. This is the same call at its Response view, not an Applied result.

Review in Obsidian

Open the Inbox and review that item. Compare the reference evidence with the replacement. Edit the replacement only as needed, then inspect a current preview.

3. Check the Friday evidence and exact replacement. Apply correction is still a separate decision. An independent move was also queued in this run but was not applied.

Apply or reject and inspect the outcome

Choose Apply correction to make the target say Friday, or Reject to keep Monday. Check the actual target and reference notes, then the item's History entry. The reference should be unchanged.

4. After native Apply correction, this same item appears as Applied. History records the decision; it is not the actual target note.

5. The saved target matches the reviewed replacement.

6. The reference is unchanged. The target and reference crops come from the same final native frame; History and the earlier proposal captures are separate moments from this one correction. The independent move remains pending.

Read the decision and stop the route you used

When enabled, get_proposal_feedback can read the returned item key to show the recorded decision. It does not apply the proposal. Disconnect the connection you used when finished; stopping access does not undo an applied change.

Optional example: review a rewritten excerpt move

This historical example follows a different proposal: move an excerpt from Launch working notes into a new Reader voice note, with revised insertion wording.

Choose the suggestion

In Pending, select Review beside Move excerpt to Reader voice. Other queue items have separate decisions.

Adjust the insertion

Check the destination, use Edit insertion, then Done editing. The draft does not yet create Reader voice or remove the source excerpt.

Review both changes

Compare the new wording with the exact original passage marked for removal. This is a move, not a copy.

Review the insertion and removal separately. Link impact is not checked.

Confirm and apply

Check Approve inserting the rewritten text and Approve removing the original excerpt only when both match your intent. Then select Move and rewrite.

The action is ready, but the proposal is still pending until applied.

Verify the outcome

Open the Applied item's Details in History, then inspect both notes. Confirm that Reader voice contains the final insertion and the source no longer contains the moved excerpt.

Original excerpt is saved historical text, not the current source. Follow the proposal's identity across screenshots; queue counts change as other items are reviewed.

Continue after the first result

Expand to a small project or review batch. Group and Label help find related items without combining approvals. Keep reading current sources before each new proposal; earlier decisions are context, not authorization.

Use proposal feedback

get_proposal_feedback returns saved proposals and decisions so an app can consult related review history. It does not read current source notes, make decisions, or automatically learn preferences.

Use an exact item key alone, or query a filtered list. Lists default to reviewed items, newest review first, and 10 results; limit accepts 1 through 25. Filters include status, proposal type, Group, and Label. Continue with the returned next_cursor as cursor alone, preserving the original query.

A rejected item means the whole proposal was declined. proposal_reason is the proposer's rationale, not a human rejection reason. A pending item has no human decision.

Ground observations in item keys and relevant cases. Repeated items, a filtered page, or an empty result do not establish a general preference. Current instructions and current source text still govern the next task.

Understand approval, recovery, and stopping

Use Inbox review for the dedicated proposal tools. Other write-capable tools are not automatically held for approval there.

If a source changes, refresh and inspect the preview. If the excerpt or block no longer matches, read current content and make a new proposal. If a new-note path becomes occupied, choose the intended destination again; creation does not silently become append.

Connect Pro checks writes and attempts recovery after a partial failure, but it cannot guarantee full rollback across multiple files. The Inbox has no Undo command or automatic link repair. Keep a backup or version-history workflow.

An indexing warning after a successful application is different from a failed write. Inspect the notes and refresh indexing rather than applying the same change again.

Stopping Local MCP or disconnecting Remote GPT stops new requests through that connection. Neither control disables the other connection or Smart CLI, undoes changes, or guarantees cancellation of requests already running.

Access from another device

Local MCP is for an app on the same computer. Its 127.0.0.1 address is not a public endpoint. To use the dedicated GPT separately, follow Remote GPT setup and keep the desktop vault open; the local server's state does not establish remote availability.

Smart CLI Pro

Smart CLI exposes registered Obsidian commands for the same Smart actions. Enable host CLI support and check Advanced > Obsidian CLI integration. The installed command metadata determines available arguments.

These commands require the corresponding available, enabled action. A CLI proposal still creates a pending Inbox item. It does not bypass review.

smart_source_read uses an exact existing Smart Source key; for a vault note, use its source key rather than a block key or guessed title. A permitted native read command instead uses its own file-path arguments. Follow the live schema when resolving a note.

Older instructions may mention smart:help or smart:skills; they are not available commands in this implementation. Use the current command inventory instead.

Troubleshooting

Go to FAQ and troubleshooting for a symptom and its next check.

Related documentation

Getting started | Connect Pro FAQs | Smart Plugins documentation