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Capture research into a knowledge base agents can read
Research & market intelligence · SOPs & process documentation · checked 2026-10-17
Save sources in Readwise Reader, keep notes as Markdown in an Obsidian vault, and let Claude Code read the vault folder to answer questions with links back to your notes. A pattern built by IonBin’s founder for his own research.
Independent review. IonBin has no partnership with any tool on this page and was not paid for this page. Our evaluation is our own, based on public documentation and our research. Product names are trademarks of their owners and are used for identification only. How disclosure works.
Goal
Build a second brain that any coding agent can read, without locking notes in one app.
Claude Code reads the vault folder and answers with links to notes; Edit deny rules keep it from changing files
AI platform
Confirmed
4
You
Decide what goes in the vault and review answers
Human step
Confirmed
Confirmed means the vendor documents it (linked). It doesn't mean IonBin has tested it. AI-platform and human steps need no source.
Human approval
You control what enters the vault; agents get read-only access.
Watch out for
Keep the human approval step: You control what enters the vault; agents get read-only access.
Starter prompt
Goal: Build a second brain that any coding agent can read, without locking notes in one app. Tools involved: Readwise, Claude. Your part: captures highlights; claude can read them through the readwise mcp server; claude code reads the vault folder and answers with links to notes; edit deny rules keep it from changing files. Work step by step, show me each draft or proposed change, and wait for my approval before anything is sent, published, signed, filed or changed in a live system.
Assembled from this page’s goal and steps. Paste it into your AI platform and adjust it to your situation.
Every MCP and API step is documented for this platform.
Gemini
To verify
Readwise: pairing not named in vendor docs
Perplexity
Confirmed
Every MCP and API step is documented for this platform.
Computed from the MCP and API steps only: "Confirmed" needs the tool's docs to name the platform and the platform to support the connection. Browser, upload and human steps work from any platform.
What we checked (2026-10-17)
Readwise MCP is a remote server with tools to search and list your highlights and Reader documents. It also has tools to create and update highlights, so turn on approval for writes in your client.
Obsidian keeps notes locally as plain Markdown files, which any agent that can read a folder can use.
Claude Code permissions. Reading files in the working directory, or in directories you add, needs no approval. To keep the vault read-only, add Edit deny rules for its path. Claude Code’s docs say Read and Edit rules cover its built-in file tools and recognized shell commands, but not scripts that open files themselves. Use its sandbox for OS-level enforcement.
Pricing. Obsidian is $0. Readwise is Lite $5.59 or Full $9.99 a month billed annually.
Set it up
Save sources in Reader and highlight as you read.
Write your own notes in the vault, one idea per note, linking each to its source.
Start Claude Code with the vault as an additional directory and an Edit deny rule for it.
Ask questions and check the linked notes before you rely on an answer.
