How to Install Claudian: 3 Methods Compared

Installation Methods

Claudian offers three installation paths, each suited to different use cases. Here’s a quick comparison:

Method	Best For	Auto-update
GitHub Release	First-time users	Manual
BRAT	Beta testers	Automatic
Build from Source	Contributors	Manual

Method 1: GitHub Release (Recommended)

This is the simplest and most stable method.

Steps:

1. Go to the latest release
2. Download main.js, manifest.json, and styles.css
3. Create a folder at <your-vault>/.obsidian/plugins/claudian/
4. Copy the three files into that folder
5. Open Obsidian → Settings → Community Plugins → Enable Claudian

Method 2: BRAT (Auto-update)

BRAT (Beta Reviewers Auto-update Tool) lets you install Claudian and receive automatic update notifications.

Steps:

1. Install BRAT from the Obsidian community plugin marketplace
2. Open BRAT settings → click Add Beta plugin
3. Enter the repository URL: https://github.com/YishenTu/claudian
4. Click Add Plugin
5. Enable Claudian in Community Plugins

Method 3: Build from Source

For developers who want to contribute or test the latest code:

# Clone into your vault's plugins directory
git clone https://github.com/YishenTu/claudian.git \
  <your-vault>/.obsidian/plugins/claudian

cd <your-vault>/.obsidian/plugins/claudian
npm install
npm run build

Then enable Claudian in Obsidian → Settings → Community Plugins.

System Requirements

Before installing, ensure:

• Obsidian v1.4.5 or later
• Platform: macOS, Linux, or Windows (desktop only — mobile not supported)
• Claude Code CLI: required when using the Claude provider
• Codex or Opencode (optional): only needed for those providers

First Launch

After enabling the plugin, click the Claudian icon in the left sidebar to open the chat panel. Type @ to reference a vault file, or start a conversation and let the AI get to work.