aaronsb_obsidian-mcp-plugin/docs/troubleshooting.md
Aaron Bockelie ae03b2e5f9 refactor: Remove concurrent mode toggle, simplify connection setup (ADR-100)
Always run in pooled/concurrent mode — the dual code path (single
MCPServer vs MCPServerPool) existed for backward compatibility with
clients that couldn't handle HTTP transport. All modern MCP clients
now support Streamable HTTP natively.

Changes:
- Remove enableConcurrentSessions toggle and maxConcurrentConnections
  setting from interfaces, defaults, and settings UI
- Remove single-server code path (setupMCPHandlers, non-concurrent
  request handling branch) — ~200 lines of dead code
- Simplify connection templates from 4 options to 2:
  Claude Code command + standard JSON with Authorization header
- Drop mcp-remote and Windows workaround templates
- Fix auth format: use standard Authorization header instead of
  URL-embedded credentials
- Remove unused imports (schema types, DataviewTool, FileSystemAdapter)
- Update README and troubleshooting docs
- Accept ADR-100

Net: -433 lines
2026-03-14 23:13:35 -05:00

3.1 KiB

Troubleshooting

Common issues and solutions for the Obsidian MCP Plugin.

Connection Refused

Symptoms: AI client cannot connect to the MCP server.

Solutions:

  1. Check plugin is enabled: Settings → Community plugins → Semantic MCP should be enabled
  2. Verify server is running: Look for the MCP status indicator in Obsidian's status bar
  3. Check port availability: Default ports are 3001 (HTTP) and 3443 (HTTPS)
  4. Firewall: Ensure your firewall allows local connections on these ports

Authentication Errors

Symptoms: Connection works but requests are rejected with 401/403 errors.

Solutions:

  1. Check API key: Ensure the key in your client config matches the one in plugin settings
  2. Header format: Use Authorization: Bearer YOUR_KEY (note the space after Bearer)
  3. Regenerated key: The API key regenerates on plugin updates — copy the new key from settings

SSL Certificate Errors

Symptoms: Certificate warnings or connection failures when using HTTPS.

Solutions:

  1. For development: Set NODE_TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=0 in your client config
  2. Self-signed certs: The plugin generates self-signed certificates on first run
  3. Certificate location: Certificates are stored in the plugin's data folder

Server Not Starting

Symptoms: MCP status bar shows error or server doesn't respond.

Solutions:

  1. Port conflict: Another application may be using ports 3001/3443. Change ports in plugin settings.
  2. Check console: Open Developer Tools (Ctrl+Shift+I) and check for error messages
  3. Restart plugin: Disable and re-enable the plugin in Community plugins settings

Dataview/Bases Not Working

Symptoms: Dataview queries or Bases operations return errors.

Solutions:

  1. Install required plugins: Dataview and/or Bases plugins must be installed and enabled
  2. Wait for indexing: After opening a vault, wait for plugins to finish indexing
  3. Query syntax: Ensure DQL queries are properly formatted

Performance Issues

Symptoms: Slow responses or timeouts.

Solutions:

  1. Large vault: Enable pagination in search results
  2. Complex queries: Use more specific search terms
  3. Graph traversal: Limit depth for large, highly-connected vaults
  4. Debug logging: Disable debug logging in production (Settings → Semantic MCP)

n8n Integration

Symptoms: n8n MCP tool reports "unable to connect" or expects SSE endpoint.

Cause: Older versions of n8n only support SSE (Server-Sent Events) transport, while this plugin uses Streamable HTTP transport (the newer MCP standard).

Solution: Update n8n to the latest version which supports Streamable HTTP transport.

Configuration:

MCP URL: http://<your-ip>:3001/mcp

Ensure the plugin is enabled and the server is running (check the status bar in Obsidian).

Still Having Issues?

  • Check GitHub Issues for known problems
  • Open a new issue with:
    • OS and version
    • Obsidian version
    • Plugin version
    • AI client being used
    • Error messages from Developer Tools console