How to Build a Shared Team Knowledge Base with Claude, Obsidian and Relay

Set up one Obsidian vault that Claude can read and update, then share a folder of it with your team through the Relay plugin. It takes about 10 minutes and is free for up to 3 users.

What you'll end up with

• One Obsidian vault on your computer, with Claude able to read and update it.
• One shared folder that your colleagues see and edit live, through Relay.
• Prompts that make Claude file client, project and process facts into that folder as you work.

What you'll need

• A Mac or Windows PC.
• The Claude Desktop app. ChatGPT works only on Team, Enterprise or Education plans.
• About 10 minutes.

1Step 1: Install Obsidian

1. Download Obsidian from https://obsidian.md/download. It's free, including for business use.
2. Open it, choose Create new vault, and name it, for example Company Knowledge.
3. Save the vault in a normal local folder, such as Documents/Obsidian/Company Knowledge.
   • Don't use a Dropbox, OneDrive or iCloud folder if you'll be using Relay (see Step 4).
4. Create these folders: Clients, Projects, Team, Processes.

2Step 2: Install Node.js

1. Download the LTS version from https://nodejs.org. You need version 22.12 or later.
2. Install it with the default settings.
3. Check it worked: open Terminal (Mac) or Command Prompt (Windows) and type node -v.

3Step 3: Connect Claude to your vault (MCPVault)

MCPVault is a free, open-source connector that lets Claude read, search and edit your notes. It needs no Obsidian plugin. GitHub: https://github.com/bitbonsai/mcpvault

1. Open Claude Desktop and go to Settings → Developer → Edit Config.
2. Paste the following. Replace the path with your vault's folder.
   jsonCopy

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "obsidian": {
         "command": "npx",
         "args": ["@bitbonsai/mcpvault@latest", "/Users/you/Documents/Obsidian/Company Knowledge"]
       }
     }
   }

   • Windows paths look like C:\\Users\\you\\Documents\\Obsidian\\Company Knowledge, with double backslashes.
   • If the file already has an mcpServers section, add the obsidian block inside it.
3. Quit Claude completely and reopen it.
4. Test it by asking Claude: "List the folders in my Obsidian vault."
5. If Claude can't connect on a Mac, run which npx in Terminal. Put the full path it returns in place of "npx".

Claude Code users can run this instead:

claude mcp add obsidian --scope user npx @bitbonsai/mcpvault /path/to/your/vault

4Step 4: Share a folder with your team (Relay)

Relay is a free Obsidian plugin by System 3. It shares chosen folders between team members, with live editing. Your personal notes stay private.

• Website: https://relay.md
• GitHub: https://github.com/No-Instructions/Relay

1. In Obsidian, open Settings → Community plugins and turn community plugins on.
2. Click Browse, search for Relay (by System 3), then click Install and Enable.
3. Open the Relay settings and sign in.
4. Click Create to make a Relay Server for your company.
5. Click Share local folder and choose the folder to share, such as Clients. Subfolders are included.
6. Copy the Share Key and send it to your colleagues.
7. Each colleague then:
   1. installs Obsidian and Relay;
   2. enters the Share Key in Relay's settings;
   3. sees the shared folder appear in their own vault.

Free plan: up to 3 users, 2 devices each, notes (.md files) only. Attachments such as PDFs and images need the Hobby plan: $5/month for up to 6 users, with 10 GB of storage. Prices were checked on 3 Nov 2026 at https://relay.md/pricing.

Already on SharePoint, OneDrive or Dropbox? Pick one service per folder:

• Live editing for a small team: use Relay, and keep that folder outside Dropbox, OneDrive and iCloud.
• Everyone already works in SharePoint or Dropbox: you can skip Relay. Store the shared folder there instead and connect Claude to it. You won't get live editing, so avoid two people editing the same note at once.
• Never sync the same folder with Relay and a cloud drive at the same time. Both Relay and Obsidian warn this causes conflicts and data loss.

5Step 5: Prompts

Build a knowledge base for a client

Using my Obsidian vault, create a note in Clients/ called "[Client name]". Pull together what we know from this conversation and the documents I share: who the contacts are, what we have delivered, what is open, key dates and commercial terms. Use headings, keep it factual, and add a "Last updated" date. If a note already exists, update it rather than creating a new one.

Keep it updated as you work. Paste this into a Claude Project's instructions, or into CLAUDE.md for Claude Code:

At the end of every reply where new facts come up about a client, project, team member or process, save them to my Obsidian vault without being asked. Search the vault first. If a note exists, update it; if not, create one in the right folder: Clients/, Projects/, Team/ or Processes/. Add frontmatter with tags, status and last-modified date. Don't save small talk or anything already in the vault.

Catch up before a meeting

Read the [Client name] note and the related Projects/ notes in my vault and give me a one-page brief: where things stand, open actions and anything overdue.

Good practice

• Don't put passwords, bank details or other credentials in the vault.
• Everyone on a Relay Server can see its shared folders. Share only what the whole group should see.
• Claude can edit and delete notes through MCPVault, so keep a backup of the vault (Time Machine, or a copy of a folder that isn't synced).
• Turn on Obsidian's File recovery core plugin. It keeps local snapshots of your notes.

Downloads and links