OpenClaw + Obsidian & Notion: Build Your AI Knowledge Workflow
Your OpenClaw agent attends meetings, researches topics, and processes documents — but where does all that knowledge go? Connect it to Obsidian (local, privacy-first) or Notion (cloud, collaborative) and your agent becomes a tireless knowledge curator that automatically organizes everything it learns.
What This Unlocks
Instead of manually copy-pasting agent outputs into your notes, configure a workflow once and your agent automatically archives meeting summaries, tags research notes, creates knowledge graph links, and maintains a searchable knowledge base — entirely hands-free.
Choose Your Workflow
Obsidian — Local & Private
- ✓ Everything stays on your machine
- ✓ Works offline, no API key needed for the vault
- ✓ Full Markdown + backlinks + graph view
- ~ Sync requires Obsidian Sync or git
- ✗ No built-in team collaboration
Notion — Cloud & Collaborative
- ✓ Real-time collaboration with your team
- ✓ Rich database views (table, gallery, calendar)
- ✓ Public sharing, embeds, integrations
- ~ Requires Notion API key (free)
- ✗ Data lives in Notion's cloud
Setup: Obsidian Workflow
The Obsidian MCP skill reads and writes Markdown files directly to your vault folder. No Obsidian app needs to be running — it's just file operations.
{
"mcpServers": {
"obsidian": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@openclaw/obsidian"],
"env": {
"VAULT_PATH": "/Users/yourname/Documents/MyVault",
"DEFAULT_FOLDER": "AI Notes",
"TEMPLATE_FOLDER": "_templates",
"DATE_FORMAT": "YYYY-MM-DD"
}
}
}
}Find Your Vault Path
Open Obsidian → Settings → Files and Links → "Vault folder location". Copy this path into VAULT_PATH.
Create an AI Notes Folder
In your vault, create a folder called "AI Notes" (or customize DEFAULT_FOLDER). The agent will write here.
Install the Skill
Add the config above to your clawhub.json. The skill will be available on next agent start.
Setup: Notion Workflow
The Notion skill uses the official Notion API. You'll need a free integration token and a database ID.
{
"mcpServers": {
"notion": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@openclaw/notion"],
"env": {
"NOTION_API_KEY": "secret_xxx",
"DEFAULT_DATABASE_ID": "your-database-id",
"DATE_PROPERTY": "Date",
"TAG_PROPERTY": "Tags"
}
}
}
}Get Your Notion API Key
1. Go to notion.so/my-integrations → Create new integration → Copy the "Internal Integration Token"
2. Open your Notion database → Share → Invite your integration
3. The database ID is the 32-character string in the database URL
Real-World Scenarios
After each meeting, give the agent the transcript. It extracts action items, decisions, and key points — then creates a structured note in your vault or database.
Give the agent a research topic. It searches the web, synthesizes findings, and creates a structured research note with sources — saved directly to your knowledge base.
Obsidian vs Notion: Quick Comparison
| Feature | Obsidian | Notion |
|---|---|---|
| Data location | Local files | Notion cloud |
| API required | No (file system) | Yes (free key) |
| Offline access | ✓ Always | ✗ Needs internet |
| Team sharing | Via git or Sync | ✓ Built-in |
| Database views | Plugin-based | ✓ Native (table, calendar, etc.) |
| Search quality | Full-text + graph | Full-text + filters |
| Free plan | ✓ Free forever | ✓ Free tier (1K blocks) |
FAQ
Is Obsidian or Notion better with OpenClaw?
Obsidian is better for privacy-sensitive workflows since everything stays local. Notion is better for team collaboration and structured database workflows.
Does OpenClaw need a Notion API key?
Yes. You need a free Notion integration token and the database ID of your target database. The Config Wizard walks you through this setup.
Can OpenClaw write to Obsidian automatically?
Yes. The Obsidian MCP skill reads and writes Markdown files directly to your vault folder. Obsidian does not need to be open for the agent to write notes.
Ready to Build Your Knowledge Workflow?
Add the Obsidian or Notion skill to your config, or browse the full Skill Registry for more integrations.