# How to Manually Install Obsidian Skills for OpenCode: Complete Setup Guide > Manually install Obsidian skills for OpenCode with this complete setup guide. Clone the repository and restart OpenCode to enable Obsidian capabilities. - Repository: [Steph Ango/obsidian-skills](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills) - Tags: how-to-guide - Published: 2026-03-24 --- **Clone the kepano/obsidian-skills repository into `~/.opencode/skills/obsidian-skills` and restart OpenCode to auto-discover all Obsidian capabilities.** The **kepano/obsidian-skills** repository provides a comprehensive collection of Agent Skills that enable OpenCode to understand and manipulate Obsidian-specific formats including Markdown, Canvas files, and Bases. To manually install obsidian skills for OpenCode, you must clone the entire repository structure into OpenCode's designated skills directory rather than copying individual skill folders. ## Step-by-Step Manual Installation ### Clone the Repository to the Skills Directory OpenCode discovers Agent Skills by scanning the `~/.opencode/skills/` directory for [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/SKILL.md) files. Execute the following command to clone the complete repository into the correct location: ```bash git clone https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills.git ~/.opencode/skills/obsidian-skills ``` ### Verify the Directory Layout After cloning, confirm that the repository structure matches OpenCode's expectations. The loader requires [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/SKILL.md) files to reside under `/skills//` according to the repository's installation guidelines. ```bash tree ~/.opencode/skills/obsidian-skills ``` Expected structure: ``` ~/.opencode/skills/obsidian-skills/ ├── README.md ├── LICENSE └── skills/ ├── obsidian-markdown/ │ └── SKILL.md ├── obsidian-bases/ │ └── SKILL.md ├── json-canvas/ │ └── SKILL.md ├── obsidian-cli/ │ └── SKILL.md └── defuddle/ └── SKILL.md ``` ### Restart OpenCode to Activate Once the files are in place, **restart OpenCode** or reload the skill list. No modifications to [`opencode.json`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/opencode.json) or other configuration files are necessary. As documented in the repository's [`README.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/README.md), the system automatically walks the directory tree, loads every [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/SKILL.md), and registers the skill set without requiring manual configuration changes. ## Why You Must Clone the Entire Repository According to the [`README.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/README.md) in the kepano/obsidian-skills repository, copying only the inner `skills/` directory breaks the relative path resolution that OpenCode expects. The installation requires the full repository at `~/.opencode/skills/obsidian-skills/` so that the nested `skills/` subdirectory maintains the correct depth in the file hierarchy. This ensures paths like `~/.opencode/skills/obsidian-skills/skills/obsidian-markdown/SKILL.md` resolve correctly during the discovery phase. ## Available Obsidian Capabilities Once installed, OpenCode gains access to five specialized skills defined in their respective [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/SKILL.md) files: - **obsidian-markdown**: Handles wikilinks, embeds, callouts, and YAML front-matter as implemented in [`skills/obsidian-markdown/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/skills/obsidian-markdown/SKILL.md) - **obsidian-bases**: Provides commands for working with `.base` files and database-style queries - **json-canvas**: Enables creation and editing of `.canvas` files for visual note mapping - **obsidian-cli**: Interfaces with the Obsidian CLI for plugin and theme development workflows - **defuddle**: Wraps the Defuddle CLI to extract clean Markdown from web pages ## Verification Steps Confirm successful installation by listing available skills: ```bash opencode skills list ``` The output should include `obsidian-markdown`, `obsidian-bases`, `json-canvas`, `obsidian-cli`, and `defuddle`. Alternatively, invoke `help` within the OpenCode interface to see the new commands registered under these skill names. ## Summary - **Clone location**: Must be `~/.opencode/skills/obsidian-skills/`, not just the inner `skills/` folder - **Discovery mechanism**: OpenCode automatically scans for [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/SKILL.md) files under the skills directory without configuration changes - **Repository structure**: The full kepano/obsidian-skills repository is required to maintain correct relative paths - **Activation**: Restart OpenCode after cloning to load obsidian-markdown, obsidian-bases, json-canvas, obsidian-cli, and defuddle capabilities - **Verification**: Use `opencode skills list` to confirm the five Obsidian skills are registered ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Can I copy only the skills folder instead of cloning the entire repository? No. The [`README.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/README.md) explicitly warns that copying only the inner `skills/` directory breaks the path resolution required by OpenCode's loader. The system expects the repository root at `~/.opencode/skills/obsidian-skills/` with the nested `skills/` subdirectory containing individual skill folders. ### Do I need to edit opencode.json to register these skills? No configuration changes are required. OpenCode's loader recursively searches `~/.opencode/skills/` for [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/SKILL.md) files and automatically registers them based on the YAML front-matter containing `name` and `description` fields parsed from each skill definition. ### Where are the SKILL.md files located within the repository? Each skill's definition file resides in `skills//SKILL.md`. For example, the Markdown skill definitions are in [`skills/obsidian-markdown/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/skills/obsidian-markdown/SKILL.md), while the Canvas capabilities are defined in [`skills/json-canvas/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/kepano/obsidian-skills/blob/main/skills/json-canvas/SKILL.md). ### How do I update the Obsidian Skills after installation? Navigate to the skills directory and pull the latest changes: ```bash cd ~/.opencode/skills/obsidian-skills git pull origin main ``` Then restart OpenCode to load any updated skill definitions.