Build a Knowledge Base with AI in 5 Minutes

If you’re just starting with an AI knowledge base, I don’t recommend diving straight into RAG, vector databases, or automation plugins.

Start with something simpler but more stable:
Obsidian + Markdown notes + Fixed templates + AI-assisted organization.

What makes Obsidian truly suitable for an AI knowledge base isn’t just that it looks like a “second brain”—it’s that it stores notes in local folders and saves them as plain Markdown text. Humans can read it, and AI can read it easily.

5-Minute Setup Steps

1️⃣ Download Obsidian from the official site: https://obsidian.md/

2️⃣ Obsidian is a local document management tool and lacks cloud support. Cloud sync costs $4/month.
But cloud sync is essential—otherwise, if you switch computers or your device breaks, you’ll lose your long-term knowledge base. That would be a major loss.

📌 Here’s a free cloud storage method: use GitHub.

1. Open GitHub and create a new repository.
   Make sure to select “Private” unless you want everyone else on the internet to see your knowledge base.

2. Once created, use GitHub Desktop to clone the repository to your local machine. If you don’t know how to use GitHub Desktop, ask Codex.

   Clone https://github.com/xxx/xxx (replace with the link to your newly created repository) to your local machine.

3. Open Obsidian and select the folder you just cloned.

4. Connect GitHub and Obsidian:
   Go to Settings → Community plugins → Turn off Safe Mode.

5. In the community plugin marketplace, find the Git plugin.

6. Enable the Git plugin and open its settings.
   I set it to auto-commit and push files to the repository if there’s been no activity for 1 minute.

7. The .obsidian folder contains configuration files that don’t need to be uploaded to the GitHub cloud. Ask Codex to write a .gitignore file for you.

   Note: The contents inside .obsidian should not be uploaded. Have Codex help you create a .gitignore file.

That’s it—you now have a locally and cloud-synced knowledge base.

3️⃣ Connect Obsidian with AI

1. Using Codex as an example, start a new project conversation and select the knowledge base folder you just created.
   This connects Codex to Obsidian.

   From now on, you can ask Codex to write creative plans, organize industry news, and more within this directory.

4️⃣ Plugin Recommendations

1. Xiaohongshu Importer – Copy a link from Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) and import the content directly into your knowledge base, including images, text, and emojis.

2. Obsidian Web Clipper – This is a Chrome extension that lets you import web page content directly into Obsidian.

Summary

In just 5 minutes, you’ve built an AI-powered knowledge base. Using GitHub, you can store your knowledge base in the cloud—even if your device breaks or you switch computers, you can sync everything in seconds.

With a few plugins, you can also quickly save useful content from web browsing or other sources into your Obsidian AI knowledge base.

From now on, when you use Codex, you can have it reference this content for its work.