# How to Install Obsidian Skills via the Marketplace: A Complete Guide

> Install Obsidian Skills via the marketplace easily. Learn the exact commands to register the plugin and discover all bundled skills from the repository for enhanced productivity.

- Repository: [Steph Ango/obsidian-skills](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills)
- Tags: how-to-guide
- Published: 2026-03-24

---

**To install Obsidian Skills via the marketplace, run `/plugin marketplace add kepano/obsidian-skills` followed by `/plugin install obsidian@obsidian-skills`, which registers the plugin and auto-discovers all bundled skills from the repository structure.**

The **obsidian-skills** repository by `kepano` provides a suite of AI-ready tools for working with Obsidian-flavored markdown, JSON Canvas files, and the Obsidian CLI. Because the repository follows the Agent Skills specification, each skill is packaged as a self-contained plugin that agents like Claude Code, Codex CLI, or OpenCode can discover automatically. This eliminates manual file copying and configuration files.

## Understanding the Agent Skills Specification

The repository implements the *Agent Skills* specification, which standardizes how AI agents discover and load capabilities. Each skill resides in its own directory under `skills/<skill-name>/` with a mandatory [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/SKILL.md) file defining the interface.

When you install via the marketplace, the agent reads [`.claude-plugin/marketplace.json`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json) to register the plugin under the `obsidian` namespace. This JSON file declares the plugin name, source path, description, and version, enabling seamless integration.

## Prerequisites for Marketplace Installation

Before installing, ensure your AI agent supports the Agent Skills specification and marketplace commands. Compatible agents include:

- **Claude Code** (Anthropic)
- **Codex CLI** (OpenAI)
- **OpenCode**

You must have internet access to fetch the repository from GitHub.

## Step-by-Step Installation via Marketplace

The installation flow requires two distinct commands: first adding the repository to your local marketplace index, then installing the specific plugin.

### Step 1: Add the Repository to the Marketplace

Run the marketplace add command to record `kepano/obsidian-skills` in the agent's marketplace index:

```bash
/plugin marketplace add kepano/obsidian-skills

```

This command parses the repository's [`.claude-plugin/marketplace.json`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json) file and makes the plugin available for installation under the `obsidian` namespace.

### Step 2: Install the Plugin

Execute the install command to pull the repository and register the skills:

```bash
/plugin install obsidian@obsidian-skills

```

According to the source code in [`README.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/README.md), this command fetches the repository, reads the [`marketplace.json`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/marketplace.json) metadata, and registers the `obsidian` plugin with source path `./`. The agent automatically walks the `skills/` directory to discover available capabilities.

### Step 3: Verify Auto-Discovery

After installation completes, the agent exposes five distinct skills without additional configuration:

- **obsidian-markdown** – Obsidian-flavored markdown handling
- **obsidian-bases** – Base file creation and editing
- **json-canvas** – JSON Canvas file manipulation
- **obsidian-cli** – Direct interaction with the Obsidian CLI
- **defuddle** – Web-page markdown extraction

The auto-discovery mechanism works because the repository follows the expected layout: each skill contains a [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/SKILL.md) file in its respective `skills/<skill-name>/` directory.

## Available Skills After Installation

Once installed via the marketplace, the following skills become available in your agent's toolbox:

**obsidian-markdown**
Handles Obsidian-specific syntax including wikilinks (`[[...]]`), callouts, and frontmatter. Located at [`skills/obsidian-markdown/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/skills/obsidian-markdown/SKILL.md).

**obsidian-bases**
Manages base files and templates for Obsidian vaults. Located at [`skills/obsidian-bases/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/skills/obsidian-bases/SKILL.md).

**json-canvas**
Creates and edits JSON Canvas files (Obsidian's infinite canvas format). Located at [`skills/json-canvas/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/skills/json-canvas/SKILL.md).

**obsidian-cli**
Interfaces directly with the Obsidian command line interface for vault operations. Located at [`skills/obsidian-cli/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/skills/obsidian-cli/SKILL.md).

**defuddle**
Extracts and converts web pages to clean Obsidian-flavored markdown. Located at [`skills/defuddle/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/skills/defuddle/SKILL.md).

## Key Configuration Files

Understanding the metadata files helps troubleshoot installation issues or customize behavior.

### .claude-plugin/marketplace.json

This file, located at [`.claude-plugin/marketplace.json`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json), contains the marketplace metadata:

```json
{
  "name": "obsidian",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "Obsidian skills for working with markdown and canvas files",
  "source": "./",
  "skills": ["obsidian-markdown", "obsidian-bases", "json-canvas", "obsidian-cli", "defuddle"]
}

```

The agent uses this file during `/plugin marketplace add` to understand the plugin structure and available capabilities.

### Repository Structure

The repository layout follows strict conventions:

```

kepano/obsidian-skills/
├── .claude-plugin/
│   ├── marketplace.json    # Metadata for marketplace registration

│   └── plugin.json         # General plugin descriptor

├── skills/
│   ├── obsidian-markdown/
│   │   └── SKILL.md        # Skill specification

│   ├── obsidian-bases/
│   │   └── SKILL.md
│   ├── json-canvas/
│   │   └── SKILL.md
│   ├── obsidian-cli/
│   │   └── SKILL.md
│   └── defuddle/
│       └── SKILL.md
└── README.md               # Installation documentation

```

Because the paths follow the [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/SKILL.md) convention exactly, no extra configuration is required after installation.

## Usage Examples

After completing the marketplace installation, invoke skills using their registered names:

```bash

# Create a new markdown note with a wikilink

obsidian-markdown create-note "Project Overview" --content "See [[Research]] for background."

# Generate a JSON Canvas with two nodes

json-canvas create-canvas "Roadmap.canvas" --nodes "Milestone1,Milestone2"

# Extract markdown from a web page

defuddle extract "https://example.com/article"

```

The exact syntax and available flags for each command are defined in the respective [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/SKILL.md) files located in `skills/<skill-name>/` directories.

## Summary

- **Install Obsidian Skills via the marketplace** using two commands: `/plugin marketplace add kepano/obsidian-skills` and `/plugin install obsidian@obsidian-skills`.
- **Auto-discovery** works immediately because the repository follows Agent Skills conventions with [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/SKILL.md) files in `skills/<skill-name>/` directories.
- **Five skills** become available: obsidian-markdown, obsidian-bases, json-canvas, obsidian-cli, and defuddle.
- **Configuration** relies on [`.claude-plugin/marketplace.json`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json) for metadata and requires no manual file copying.
- **Compatible agents** include Claude Code, Codex CLI, and OpenCode.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What agents support installing Obsidian Skills via the marketplace?

Claude Code, Codex CLI, and OpenCode support the Agent Skills specification required for marketplace installation. These agents automatically parse the [`.claude-plugin/marketplace.json`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json) file and discover skills in the `skills/` directory structure. Other AI assistants may require manual installation methods.

### Can I install individual skills instead of the entire plugin?

No, the marketplace installation registers the entire `obsidian-skills` plugin under the `obsidian` namespace. However, you can choose which skills to invoke after installation. The plugin bundles obsidian-markdown, obsidian-bases, json-canvas, obsidian-cli, and defuddle together, but you only use the specific skill commands you need for each task.

### Where does the marketplace command store the installed files?

The agent pulls the repository to its internal plugins directory and reads the metadata from [`.claude-plugin/marketplace.json`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json). The exact storage location depends on your agent's configuration, but the skills are registered under the `obsidian` namespace, making them available for immediate use without requiring you to manually copy files to your Obsidian vault.

### What if the `/plugin marketplace add` command fails?

Ensure your agent supports the Agent Skills specification and that you have internet connectivity to reach GitHub. Verify the repository path is exactly `kepano/obsidian-skills`. If the command still fails, check that the [`.claude-plugin/marketplace.json`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json) file exists in the repository (as defined in the source), as this file is mandatory for marketplace registration.