You don't need to be a coder.
You don't need to be technical.
You need 30 minutes and this guide.
By the end you'll have a Claude Obsidian setup running on your machine doing real work.
What You're Going To Build
By the end of this guide you'll have.
Obsidian installed.
A vault set up.
The Claude plugin installed.
Your Claude API key working.
A second brain that actually does stuff.
Let's go.
Step 1: Install Obsidian
Open your browser.
Go to obsidian.md.
Click the download button.
It detects your operating system automatically.
Download the installer.
Run it.
Click through the install prompts.
Done.
Obsidian is free.
No sign up.
No credit card.
Nothing.
Step 2: Make Your First Vault
Open Obsidian.
It asks you to create a vault.
A vault is just a folder on your machine where your notes live.
Click "Create new vault".
Give it a name.
"AI Brain" works.
"Business Brain" works.
Doesn't matter.
Pick a location on your machine.
I use my Documents folder.
Click create.
You're in.
Step 3: Get Your Claude API Key
Open a new browser tab.
Go to console.anthropic.com.
Sign up if you haven't.
Add a payment method.
You only pay for what you use.
Few quid covers most people for a month.
Click "API Keys" on the left.
Click "Create Key".
Name it "Obsidian".
Copy the key.
Save it somewhere safe.
You'll need it in a minute.
Don't share it with anyone.
Treat it like a password.
Want me to walk you through API setup live? Come into the AI Profit Lab.
Step 4: Install The Claude Plugin
Back in Obsidian.
Click the settings gear in the bottom left.
Click "Community plugins".
If you see "Turn on community plugins", click it.
Click "Browse".
Search for "Claudian".
Or search for "Smart Connections".
Either works.
Click install.
Click enable.
Step 5: Connect Your API Key
Still in settings.
Go to the plugin you just installed.
You'll see a field for API key.
Paste the key you copied.
Save.
That's it.
Claude is now inside Obsidian.
Step 6: Test It
Make a new note.
Type something.
Open the Claude plugin panel.
Ask Claude anything.
"Summarise this note."
"Give me three ideas related to this."
Claude responds inside your notes.
If this works, you've got a working Claude Obsidian setup.
Step 7: Install Claude Code (Optional But Recommended)
The plugin is fine for chatting.
Claude Code is where the real power lives.
Open your terminal.
On Mac it's called Terminal.
On Windows it's called Command Prompt or PowerShell.
Install Claude Code following the official instructions at claude.ai.
One command.
Done.
Then point Claude Code at your Obsidian vault folder.
Now Claude can read, write, organise, and build across every note.
Step 8: Dump Everything In
Don't organise.
Just get stuff in.
Copy old notes from Evernote, Notion, Apple Notes.
Paste them into new notes inside your vault.
Dump voice memo transcripts.
Dump emails.
Dump book notes.
The more you dump, the better Claude gets.
Step 9: Your First Real Prompt
Try this.
"Read every note in this vault. Tell me the five topics I've been thinking about most. Group my notes by topic. Suggest what I should work on first."
Claude reads everything.
Gives you a map of your own brain.
That's when it clicks.
Step 10: Build The Habit
Every time you have a thought, dump it in.
Every meeting, drop the notes in.
Every article you read, drop the key bits in.
Every podcast you listen to, drop the takeaways in.
In a month you'll have a vault full of gold.
Claude turns it into plans, content, and action.
Common Install Problems
"I can't find community plugins"
Go to settings, community plugins, click "Turn on community plugins".
"My API key isn't working"
Make sure you copied the whole key. No spaces. Check your payment method is added at console.anthropic.com.
"Claude is slow"
Big vaults take longer. Narrow the prompt to specific folders.
"I don't know terminal commands"
Stick with the plugin for now. Add Claude Code later when you're ready.
Join the AI Profit Lab and I'll troubleshoot it with you live.
What It Actually Costs
Obsidian: free.
Claude API: pay as you go. Most people spend £5-20 a month.
Claude subscription: about £15 a month if you prefer flat rate.
Claude Code: free tool, uses your existing Claude access.
Total: £5-20 a month for a full AI second brain.
Saves you hundreds of hours.
Easy maths.
The Top Three Prompts To Run This Week
Prompt 1: The Brain Dump Organiser
"Read every note in this vault. Group them by topic. Make a new note called 'brain map' with the topics and best notes for each."
Prompt 2: The Idea Extractor
"Find every note where I had a business idea. Write them all in one new note called 'business ideas'. Rank them by how promising they are."
Prompt 3: The Action List
"Go through every note from the last month. Find every action item I wrote down. Make a single master action list."
Run these three.
Mind blown.
The One Thing That Separates Winners From Losers
Most people install Obsidian.
Spend two days setting up a perfect folder structure.
Abandon it in a week.
The winners install it.
Dump notes in immediately.
Use it messy.
Let Claude handle structure later.
Don't be the first kind.
What To Do Next
Follow this guide.
Step by step.
Don't skip steps.
Don't try to customise before it works.
Get it running.
Then start dumping.
In a week you'll have an AI brain that runs your business.
Come join the AI Profit Lab for live help and the exact prompts I run daily.
FAQ
How long does the full setup take?
30 minutes if you follow every step without skipping. Most time is spent creating the API key.
Do I need a Mac or does Windows work?
Works on Mac, Windows, and Linux. Same steps basically.
Is Claude API safer than ChatGPT for business data?
Anthropic doesn't train on API data. Yes, it's safer for business use.
What if I already use Notion?
Export your Notion data. Dump the markdown files into your Obsidian vault. Done.
Can I use this on my phone?
Obsidian has a mobile app. The plugin works on mobile too. Claude Code is desktop only for now.
Do I need to pay for Obsidian Sync?
No. Your notes are plain text files on your machine. You can sync them with iCloud, Dropbox, or any other service for free.