SystemSculpt FAQ
Updated for SystemSculpt 6.18 ·
Short answers about installing SystemSculpt, choosing your AI, approvals, saved files, search, audio and settings. Each one links to the page with the details.
Start and choose your AI
Is SystemSculpt free to install?
Yes. Install it from Obsidian's community plugins. Chat with your own installed, signed-in Claude Code or Codex on desktop needs no SystemSculpt account or plan. Eligible new accounts can claim 500 one-time starter credits for hosted AI with no card required; the sign-in flow explains eligibility and verification. Getting started shows both paths.
How do I get started?
Open Obsidian Settings → Community plugins, find SystemSculpt AI, select Install, then Enable. Run Open chat and choose Claude Code or Codex in the run line below the message box to use your own installed, signed-in agent on desktop, with no SystemSculpt account. For hosted AI, including on mobile, open Settings → SystemSculpt AI → Account and choose Sign in or Sign up. Getting started covers both paths.
Which AI can I use?
Choose SystemSculpt, Claude Code or Codex in the chat run line. Claude Code/Codex need their own desktop installation and login; SystemSculpt's hosted option needs its account access and credits. Hosted provider keys/routing are service-managed, not an arbitrary provider-key setup screen. Codex uses your own default model and thinking level, shown as Codex default. Choose your AI.
Does it work on mobile?
SystemSculpt runs in Obsidian on iOS and Android as well as desktop. Mobile chat uses hosted SystemSculpt AI. Saved native chats can be read, but desktop Claude Code/Codex cannot execute there. Local CLI/media capabilities in Studio remain desktop-only.
Chat, approvals and files
Does every file change ask for approval?
No. New chats start in Auto, subject to native preferences. Hosted Auto permits ordinary creates/edits and asks before move/rename/trash. Hosted Ask reviews every vault mutation; Full access permits mutations without asking. Claude Code and Codex have their own modes and approval behavior. Read Chat workspace before choosing a mode.
Can I use images, documents and pasted content in chat?
Yes. Paste or drop PNG, JPEG or WebP images, PDFs and text or code files into the message box, or use + → Add notes from vault… or Upload from computer…. Pasted text stays in your message. Claude Code, Codex and hosted SystemSculpt receive images as images and notes or text files as text. A PDF is first converted to text by SystemSculpt's hosted document processing, so it needs account access and credits even with Claude Code or Codex; Word, PowerPoint and Excel files are not accepted. Files and vault workflows.
Where are chats and results saved?
Chats and written results are saved as Markdown in your vault. New chats go to SystemSculpt/Chats by default; change it under Workspace → Chats directory. Images and other media remain their actual file formats. Native agents also retain authoritative native sessions, so a copied Markdown transcript is not a complete native-session backup. Files and vault workflows.
Does an on-computer backend mean offline AI?
No. The CLI process runs on your computer but can send relevant content to its AI service. Hosted SystemSculpt workflows also send necessary content for processing. Saved files in your vault do not imply all inference is local. See Privacy.
Are native chat tools the same as hosted tools?
No. Hosted chat uses SystemSculpt's service-managed vault tools; native agents use their own execution and permission systems. Selecting a native chat backend does not make hosted indexing, transcription, document processing or Studio video generation free/native operations.
Semantic search
How does semantic search work in SystemSculpt?
Turn on Settings → SystemSculpt AI → Knowledge → Similar notes and SystemSculpt builds an index that finds notes about the same idea, even when they use different words. Building it sends note text to hosted SystemSculpt AI and uses credits, even if you chat with Claude Code or Codex; Knowledge exclusions decide what is indexed. Run Open search for text matches as you type and meaning matches after a pause, or Open similar notes panel for notes related to the current one. Semantic search.
Do I need to rebuild the index after every edit?
No. Indexing handles ordinary changes in the background or on demand. Check Knowledge's status/exclusions/remaining files before considering a rebuild. Semantic search.
Audio
Can SystemSculpt transcribe audio and YouTube videos?
Yes. Open audio processor turns an audio file or a YouTube video link into a Detailed note, Meeting brief or Clean transcript, each with a linked timestamped transcript. It accepts MP3, WAV, M4A, MP4, OGG, WEBM and FLAC files up to 1 GB and eight hours, and single-video youtube.com or youtu.be links. Transcription and Audio Processor use hosted SystemSculpt AI and credits, even when you chat with Claude Code or Codex. Audio transcription covers recording, SRT files and limits.
Can I export subtitles?
Yes. Audio-file transcription supports SRT. Choose Workflow → Transcript output → Default file format → Subtitle file (.srt) for that default. Audio Processor produces its note and timestamped companion transcript; SRT is not promised for that separate flow.
How much audio can I use?
Recorder, device import, standard transcription and Audio Processor have different limits, and older Obsidian hosts differ. The audio limit table gives the current distinctions. A recording can fit the recorder but exceed transcription capacity. Background recording is not guaranteed.
Can I keep the original audio?
Review Keep source audio under Workflow before recording/transcribing. Stop and wait for Recording saved before closing Obsidian. Audio Processor result retention is separate from files saved in your vault.
Settings
How do I reset settings?
Use Advanced → Reset to factory settings → Reset… → Reset & Reload only when you intend to clear plugin customization. It is not the first troubleshooting step. Check Troubleshooting or restore a suitable settings backup through Workspace instead.
Still looking? Troubleshooting works through a failing feature, and Support explains what to send.
Still need help? Contact SystemSculpt.