Obsidian Claude Integration

Obsidian Second Brain + Claude Code Integration

Overview

Transform your Obsidian vault into an AI-powered second brain by integrating it with Claude Code. This skill covers multiple integration patterns from minimal setup to advanced self-evolving systems.

Key Insight: An Obsidian vault is essentially a codebase of markdown files. Claude Code is already excellent at navigating file structures and making surgical edits - no special plugin required.

Integration Patterns

Decision Tree

What integration level do you need?
├── Minimal (just works)?
│   └── Pattern A: Direct Access
│       └── Claude Code reads vault directly (no setup needed)
├── Enhanced discovery?
│   └── Pattern B: Manifest-Based
│       └── Add CLAUDE.md to vault root
├── Real-time bidirectional?
│   └── Pattern C: MCP Plugin
│       └── Install obsidian-claude-code-mcp
├── Self-evolving PKM?
│   └── Pattern D: COG Pattern
│       └── Git + automation + self-healing refs
└── Pre-configured structure?
    └── Pattern E: Claudesidian
        └── Adopt opinionated vault structure

Pattern A: Direct Access (Zero Setup)

Claude Code can already read and edit your vault. No configuration needed.

How It Works

# Claude Code navigates your vault like any codebase
cd /path/to/your/vault
claude

# Example interactions:
# "Read my daily note from today"
# "Find all notes mentioning project X"
# "Add backlinks to people mentioned in this note"

Best Practices

• Open Claude Code from vault root directory
• Use natural language to describe what you want
• Reference files by name or topic, not exact paths

Use Cases

Pattern B: Manifest-Based (CLAUDE.md)

Add a project manifest to help Claude Code understand your vault's structure and conventions.

CLAUDE.md Template

Create CLAUDE.md at your vault root:

# Obsidian Vault Manifest

## Vault Overview
This is a personal knowledge management vault using [describe your system].

## Folder Structure
- `00 - Inbox/` - Quick capture, unsorted notes
- `01 - Projects/` - Active project notes
- `02 - Areas/` - Ongoing responsibilities
- `03 - Resources/` - Reference materials
- `04 - Archive/` - Completed/inactive content
- `Daily/` - Daily notes (YYYY/MM/DD.md format)
- `Templates/` - Note templates

## Conventions
- Frontmatter: Always include `created`, `updated`, `tags`
- Links: Use `[[wikilinks]]` not markdown links
- Tags: Hierarchical (e.g., `#project/client-name`)
- Dates: ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD)

## Important Files
- `_index.md` - Main dashboard/MOC
- `project-context.md` - Current project context

## When Creating Notes
1. Always add proper frontmatter
2. Include backlinks to related notes
3. Tag appropriately for discoverability
4. Place in correct folder based on type

## When Editing Notes
1. Update the `updated` timestamp
2. Maintain existing link structure
3. Preserve block references (^block-id)

See: templates/CLAUDE.md for full template.

Pattern C: MCP Plugin Integration

Real-time bidirectional communication via Model Context Protocol.

Installation

# Install the MCP plugin from Obsidian Community Plugins
# Plugin: obsidian-claude-code-mcp
# Repository: github.com/iansinnott/obsidian-claude-code-mcp

Configuration

1. Enable plugin in Obsidian 2. Default WebSocket port: 22360 3. Claude Code auto-discovers running Obsidian instances

MCP Capabilities

Claude Code MCP Configuration

Add to your Claude Code settings if not auto-discovered:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "obsidian": {
      "transport": "websocket",
      "url": "ws://localhost:22360"
    }
  }
}

Pattern D: COG Self-Evolving Pattern

Git-based self-evolving second brain with auto-organization.

Architecture

vault/
├── .git/                    # Version control
├── CLAUDE.md                # AI manifest
├── _meta/
│   ├── patterns.md          # Learned patterns
│   ├── conventions.md       # Auto-discovered rules
│   └── maintenance-log.md   # Self-healing log
├── notes/                   # Content
└── daily/                   # Journal

Self-Healing Features

1. Auto cross-references: Updates links when notes are moved 2. Pattern learning: Discovers and applies your conventions 3. Orphan detection: Identifies unlinked notes 4. Consistency checks: Validates frontmatter, tags

Git Hooks Setup

# .git/hooks/post-commit
#!/bin/bash
# Trigger Claude Code maintenance after commits

claude --print "Check for broken links and orphan notes in the vault.
Fix any issues and update _meta/maintenance-log.md with actions taken."

Maintenance Commands

# Ask Claude Code to perform maintenance
claude "Analyze my vault for orphan notes and suggest connections"
claude "Find notes without proper frontmatter and fix them"
claude "Update all daily notes with missing navigation links"

Pattern E: Claudesidian Structure

Adopt a pre-configured vault structure optimized for AI interaction.

Folder Structure

vault/
├── CLAUDE.md                # Manifest (required)
├── Inbox/                   # Quick capture
├── Projects/                # Active work
├── Knowledge/               # Permanent notes
├── Journal/                 # Daily reflection
├── Templates/               # Note templates
└── _meta/                   # System files
    ├── prompts/             # Saved prompts
    ├── contexts/            # Context files
    └── exports/             # Generated outputs

Key Conventions

• Every note has frontmatter with id, created, updated
• Tags follow hierarchy: #type/subtype
• Daily notes link to previous/next
• Templates include Claude Code prompts

Common Workflows

Auto-Linking People, Places, Books

User: "Read my journal entry from today and add backlinks to all
people, places, and books mentioned"

Claude Code:
1. Reads today's daily note
2. Extracts entity mentions
3. Searches vault for existing notes
4. Creates new notes if needed
5. Inserts [[wikilinks]] throughout

Knowledge Graph Maintenance

User: "Find orphan notes and suggest connections"

Claude Code:
1. Identifies notes with no incoming/outgoing links
2. Analyzes content for potential connections
3. Suggests or creates links
4. Updates MOCs (Maps of Content)

Research Synthesis

User: "Synthesize all my notes on [topic] into a summary note"

Claude Code:
1. Searches for relevant notes
2. Extracts key insights
3. Creates structured summary
4. Links back to source notes

Daily Note Enhancement

User: "Review today's note and add structure"

Claude Code:
1. Reads raw capture
2. Adds proper frontmatter
3. Identifies tasks → adds checkboxes
4. Identifies mentions → adds links
5. Suggests tags based on content

Best Practices

For All Patterns

1. Keep vault in version control - Git enables rollback and change tracking 2. Use consistent frontmatter - Helps Claude Code understand note types 3. Maintain a manifest - CLAUDE.md provides context and conventions 4. Regular maintenance - Ask Claude Code to check for issues periodically

For MCP Integration

1. Keep Obsidian running - MCP requires active connection 2. Use semantic search - Leverage MCP's search capabilities 3. Handle conflicts - Be aware of simultaneous edits

For Self-Evolving Systems

1. Review AI changes - Check git diff before committing 2. Train on preferences - Correct mistakes to improve patterns 3. Document exceptions - Update manifest with edge cases

Troubleshooting

Claude Code Not Finding Notes

# Ensure you're in the vault directory
pwd  # Should show vault path

# Check file permissions
ls -la *.md

# Verify markdown extension
find . -name "*.md" | head -20

MCP Connection Failed

# Check Obsidian is running
pgrep -l Obsidian

# Verify plugin is enabled
# Settings → Community Plugins → obsidian-claude-code-mcp

# Check port availability
lsof -i :22360

# Test WebSocket connection
websocat ws://localhost:22360

Broken Wikilinks After Edits

# Ask Claude Code to fix
claude "Find all broken wikilinks in the vault and fix them"

# Or use grep to find issues
grep -r "\[\[" --include="*.md" | grep -v "\.obsidian"

Integration Comparison

Resources

References

• references/mcp-integration.md - MCP protocol details
• references/cog-pattern.md - Self-evolving architecture
• references/workflows.md - Common automation workflows

Templates

• templates/CLAUDE.md - Vault manifest template
• templates/daily-note.md - AI-friendly daily note
• templates/project-note.md - Project note template

External Resources

• obsidian-claude-code-mcp - MCP Plugin
• COG-second-brain - Self-evolving pattern
• Claudesidian - Pre-configured vault
• minimal-second-brain - Minimal template

Quick Start

Fastest Path (Pattern A + B)

# 1. Navigate to your vault
cd /path/to/your/obsidian/vault

# 2. Create a minimal manifest
cat > CLAUDE.md << 'EOF'
# Vault Manifest

This is my Obsidian vault. Key conventions:
- Daily notes in `Daily/YYYY/MM/DD.md`
- Use `[[wikilinks]]` for internal links
- Frontmatter with `created`, `updated`, `tags`
EOF

# 3. Start using Claude Code
claude "What notes do I have about [topic]?"

Full Integration (Pattern C)

1. Install obsidian-claude-code-mcp plugin 2. Create CLAUDE.md manifest 3. Enable plugin in Obsidian settings 4. Claude Code auto-connects via WebSocket

Self-Evolving Setup (Pattern D)

1. Initialize git in vault 2. Create CLAUDE.md manifest 3. Add git hooks for maintenance 4. Schedule periodic Claude Code reviews

---

Gotchas

• Vault paths with spaces break raw bash heredoc without quoting — always "$VAULT" (with quotes) when constructing paths. A space silently splits the path arg into two.
• MCP server lifecycle: a crashed server stays in transition state for ~30s before retry — claude won't show an error during the gap; it just waits.
• Frontmatter append from Claude can duplicate keys silently — YAML allows duplicate keys; Obsidian shows the last; some plugins read the first. Always edit-in-place via a parser, not blind append.
• CLAUDE.md manifests under the vault root vs under `.obsidian/` — the vault-root one is visible to humans; the .obsidian/ one survives folder reorganization but is hidden.
• MCP file-system tools obey vault sandbox, but raw `Bash` does not — easy accidental escape via shell commands; document the boundary explicitly per skill.

COG Self-Evolving Pattern Reference

Overview

COG (Claude-Obsidian-Git) is a self-evolving second brain pattern that combines:

• Claude Code for AI-powered organization
• Obsidian for knowledge storage and linking
• Git for version control and automation triggers

No database, no vendor lock-in - just markdown files that self-organize.

Architecture

vault/
├── .git/                        # Version control
│   └── hooks/
│       ├── post-commit          # Trigger maintenance
│       └── pre-push             # Validate integrity
├── CLAUDE.md                    # AI manifest
├── _meta/
│   ├── patterns.md              # Learned conventions
│   ├── conventions.md           # Auto-discovered rules
│   ├── maintenance-log.md       # Self-healing audit
│   └── orphan-candidates.md     # Notes needing links
├── inbox/                       # Quick capture
├── notes/                       # Organized content
├── daily/                       # Journal entries
├── projects/                    # Active work
└── archive/                     # Completed items

Self-Evolving Features

1. Pattern Learning

Claude Code observes your vault and learns:

• Naming conventions (kebab-case, PascalCase, etc.)
• Frontmatter schemas (which fields you use)
• Tag hierarchies (how you organize topics)
• Folder structures (where notes belong)

Pattern Discovery:

<!-- _meta/patterns.md -->
# Discovered Patterns

## Naming
- Notes: kebab-case-titles.md
- Daily: YYYY-MM-DD.md format
- Projects: PROJECT-name.md prefix

## Frontmatter
- Always includes: created, updated, tags
- Projects add: status, priority, due
- Daily adds: mood, energy, highlights

## Tags
- Hierarchy: #category/subcategory
- Status: #status/active, #status/review
- Type: #type/note, #type/project

2. Auto Cross-References

When notes are moved or renamed, Claude Code: 1. Detects file changes via git 2. Finds all broken wikilinks 3. Updates references to new paths 4. Logs changes in maintenance-log.md

Self-Healing Script:

#!/bin/bash
# .git/hooks/post-commit

# Get changed files
changed=$(git diff-tree --no-commit-id --name-only -r HEAD)

# Check for renames/moves
if echo "$changed" | grep -q ".md"; then
  claude --print "
  Recent commit changed files:
  $changed

  Check for broken wikilinks caused by these changes.
  Update any broken references and log to _meta/maintenance-log.md
  "
fi

3. Orphan Detection

Identifies notes with no connections:

<!-- _meta/orphan-candidates.md -->
# Orphan Notes (Auto-Generated)

Notes with no incoming or outgoing links:

## High Priority (30+ days old)
- [[Random Thought 2024-10-15]] - Consider linking to #topic/philosophy
- [[Meeting Notes ABC]] - May belong in projects/

## Recent (< 7 days)
- [[Quick Capture]] - Needs processing

4. Consistency Validation

Pre-push hook validates vault integrity:

#!/bin/bash
# .git/hooks/pre-push

# Check for missing frontmatter
missing=$(find . -name "*.md" -exec grep -L "^---" {} \;)
if [ -n "$missing" ]; then
  echo "Notes missing frontmatter:"
  echo "$missing"
  exit 1
fi

# Validate no broken internal links
broken=$(claude --print "List all broken wikilinks in vault" 2>/dev/null)
if [ -n "$broken" ]; then
  echo "Broken links detected:"
  echo "$broken"
  exit 1
fi

exit 0

Implementation Guide

Step 1: Initialize Git

cd /path/to/vault
git init
echo ".obsidian/workspace.json" >> .gitignore
echo ".obsidian/cache" >> .gitignore
git add .
git commit -m "Initial vault commit"

Step 2: Create Meta Structure

mkdir -p _meta
touch _meta/patterns.md
touch _meta/conventions.md
touch _meta/maintenance-log.md
touch _meta/orphan-candidates.md

Step 3: Create CLAUDE.md Manifest

# COG Vault Manifest

## System Behavior
This vault uses the COG self-evolving pattern. Claude Code should:
1. Learn and enforce discovered patterns
2. Fix broken links automatically
3. Log all maintenance actions
4. Suggest connections for orphan notes

## Meta Files
- `_meta/patterns.md` - Update when new patterns discovered
- `_meta/conventions.md` - Document naming rules
- `_meta/maintenance-log.md` - Append maintenance actions
- `_meta/orphan-candidates.md` - Regenerate on request

## Maintenance Commands
- "Run vault maintenance" - Full health check
- "Find orphan notes" - Update orphan-candidates.md
- "Validate consistency" - Check frontmatter/links
- "Learn patterns" - Analyze and update patterns.md

Step 4: Add Git Hooks

# Make hooks executable
chmod +x .git/hooks/post-commit
chmod +x .git/hooks/pre-push

Step 5: Initial Pattern Learning

claude "Analyze this vault and document all patterns you find.
Update _meta/patterns.md with naming, frontmatter, and tag conventions."

Maintenance Workflows

Daily Maintenance

# Run during daily review
claude "Process inbox notes:
1. Add proper frontmatter
2. Suggest appropriate folders
3. Add relevant tags
4. Link to related notes"

Weekly Maintenance

# Run weekly
claude "Run full vault maintenance:
1. Find orphan notes
2. Check for broken links
3. Update pattern documentation
4. Identify stale notes (no updates in 90 days)"

Monthly Maintenance

# Run monthly
claude "Deep vault analysis:
1. Review and consolidate similar notes
2. Update MOCs (Maps of Content)
3. Archive completed projects
4. Generate vault statistics"

Maintenance Log Format

<!-- _meta/maintenance-log.md -->
# Vault Maintenance Log

## 2025-01-05 14:30

### Actions Taken
- Fixed 3 broken wikilinks from file renames
- Added frontmatter to 2 notes in inbox/
- Linked orphan note [[random-idea]] to [[project-brainstorm]]

### Files Modified
- notes/project-brainstorm.md (added link)
- inbox/random-idea.md (moved to notes/, added frontmatter)
- projects/old-project.md (fixed broken link)

---

## 2025-01-04 09:15
...

Advanced Features

Smart Archive

claude "Find notes marked #status/complete or with due dates passed.
Move to archive/ folder, update all references, log the action."

Knowledge Synthesis

claude "Find all notes tagged #topic/machine-learning.
Create a synthesis note summarizing key insights.
Link back to all source notes."

Conflict Resolution

When simultaneous edits occur:

claude "Compare my local changes with the version in git.
Show me conflicts and suggest resolution strategy."

Best Practices

1. Commit frequently - More granular history = better self-healing 2. Review changes - Check git diff before committing AI edits 3. Document exceptions - Update patterns.md when breaking conventions 4. Regular maintenance - Schedule weekly/monthly cleanup 5. Backup strategy - Push to remote regularly

Troubleshooting

Hooks Not Running

# Check permissions
ls -la .git/hooks/

# Make executable
chmod +x .git/hooks/*

Too Many Changes

# Limit maintenance scope
claude "Only process inbox/ folder today"

Pattern Drift

# Reset to documented patterns
claude "Enforce patterns in _meta/patterns.md strictly.
Correct any deviations found in the vault."

MCP Integration Reference

Model Context Protocol Overview

MCP (Model Context Protocol) enables real-time bidirectional communication between Claude Code and Obsidian. The obsidian-claude-code-mcp plugin implements an MCP server inside Obsidian that Claude Code can connect to.

Architecture

┌─────────────────┐     WebSocket      ┌─────────────────┐
│   Claude Code   │◄──────────────────►│    Obsidian     │
│   (MCP Client)  │     Port 22360     │   (MCP Server)  │
└─────────────────┘                    └─────────────────┘
        │                                      │
        │                                      │
        ▼                                      ▼
   AI Processing                         Vault Access
   - Read notes                          - File I/O
   - Edit content                        - Metadata cache
   - Search vault                        - Link resolution

Installation

From Community Plugins

1. Open Obsidian Settings 2. Navigate to Community Plugins 3. Disable Safe Mode if prompted 4. Click Browse and search for "claude-code-mcp" 5. Install and Enable

Manual Installation

# Clone the plugin repository
git clone https://github.com/iansinnott/obsidian-claude-code-mcp.git

# Copy to Obsidian plugins folder
cp -r obsidian-claude-code-mcp /path/to/vault/.obsidian/plugins/

# Restart Obsidian and enable the plugin

Configuration

Plugin Settings

Claude Code Configuration

If auto-discovery fails, add to Claude Code settings:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "obsidian": {
      "transport": "websocket",
      "url": "ws://localhost:22360"
    }
  }
}

MCP Protocol Messages

read_note

Read a note's content and metadata.

{
  "method": "read_note",
  "params": {
    "path": "Notes/MyNote.md"
  }
}

Response:

{
  "content": "# My Note\n\nContent here...",
  "frontmatter": {
    "created": "2025-01-05",
    "tags": ["tag1", "tag2"]
  },
  "links": ["[[Other Note]]", "[[Reference]]"],
  "backlinks": ["[[Linking Note]]"]
}

write_note

Create or update a note.

{
  "method": "write_note",
  "params": {
    "path": "Notes/NewNote.md",
    "content": "# New Note\n\nContent...",
    "createFolders": true
  }
}

search

Search vault content.

{
  "method": "search",
  "params": {
    "query": "search term",
    "limit": 20
  }
}

Response:

{
  "results": [
    {
      "path": "Notes/Match1.md",
      "score": 0.95,
      "matches": ["...context with **search term**..."]
    }
  ]
}

list_notes

Browse vault structure.

{
  "method": "list_notes",
  "params": {
    "folder": "Projects",
    "recursive": true
  }
}

get_backlinks

Find notes linking to a file.

{
  "method": "get_backlinks",
  "params": {
    "path": "Notes/Topic.md"
  }
}

get_tags

List all tags in vault.

{
  "method": "get_tags",
  "params": {}
}

Response:

{
  "tags": [
    {"name": "#project", "count": 15},
    {"name": "#project/active", "count": 8},
    {"name": "#reference", "count": 42}
  ]
}

Error Handling

Connection Errors

Error: WebSocket connection failed
├── Cause: Obsidian not running
│   └── Fix: Launch Obsidian
├── Cause: Plugin not enabled
│   └── Fix: Enable obsidian-claude-code-mcp plugin
├── Cause: Port conflict
│   └── Fix: Change port in plugin settings
└── Cause: Firewall blocking
    └── Fix: Allow localhost:22360

File Errors

Error: Note not found
├── Cause: Path incorrect
│   └── Fix: Use relative path from vault root
├── Cause: File moved/renamed
│   └── Fix: Use search to find new location
└── Cause: Case sensitivity
    └── Fix: Match exact case on Linux/macOS

Advanced Usage

Combining with Direct Access

MCP and direct file access can work together:

MCP for:
- Real-time semantic search
- Backlink resolution
- Metadata access

Direct access for:
- Bulk file operations
- Complex refactoring
- Performance-critical reads

Custom MCP Commands

The plugin supports custom commands via Obsidian's command palette:

{
  "method": "execute_command",
  "params": {
    "id": "daily-notes:open-daily-note"
  }
}

Performance Considerations

1. Large vaults: MCP indexes incrementally; initial sync may take time 2. Many connections: Single WebSocket per vault recommended 3. Concurrent edits: Obsidian handles conflicts; review before saving 4. Memory usage: MCP server runs in Obsidian's renderer process

Debugging

Enable Debug Mode

1. Open plugin settings 2. Enable "Debug mode" 3. Open developer console (Ctrl+Shift+I) 4. Watch for MCP protocol messages

Connection Test

# Using websocat
websocat ws://localhost:22360

# Send test message
{"method": "list_notes", "params": {}}

Common Issues

Common Workflows Reference

Daily Workflows

Morning Review

User: "Review my daily note template and create today's note"

Claude Code Actions:
1. Read daily note template from Templates/
2. Generate today's date (YYYY-MM-DD)
3. Create note in Daily/YYYY/MM/YYYY-MM-DD.md
4. Fill template variables
5. Add navigation links (yesterday/tomorrow)

Example Prompt:

Create my daily note for today. Include:
- Link to yesterday's note
- Any unfinished tasks from yesterday
- Today's date properly formatted

Evening Processing

User: "Process today's daily note"

Claude Code Actions:
1. Read today's daily note
2. Extract mentions of people → create/link @person notes
3. Extract action items → format as tasks
4. Identify topics → add relevant tags
5. Suggest connections to existing notes

Example Prompt:

Review today's daily note and:
- Add wikilinks to all people mentioned
- Convert action items to - [ ] format
- Tag with relevant topics
- Suggest related notes to link

Weekly Workflows

Weekly Review

User: "Generate my weekly review"

Claude Code Actions:
1. Find all daily notes from this week
2. Extract highlights, wins, challenges
3. Compile open tasks
4. Identify patterns in mood/energy
5. Create weekly review note

Example Prompt:

Create a weekly review note that summarizes:
- What I worked on (from daily notes)
- Key wins and challenges
- Open tasks carried forward
- Patterns in energy/mood if tracked

Orphan Note Processing

User: "Find and process orphan notes"

Claude Code Actions:
1. Identify notes with no incoming links
2. Analyze content for potential connections
3. Suggest or create links
4. Update MOCs if appropriate

Example Prompt:

Find notes with no backlinks. For each:
- Analyze the content
- Suggest 2-3 related notes to link from
- Ask before making changes

Content Workflows

Auto-Linking Entities

User: "Add backlinks to all people, places, and books in this note"

Claude Code Actions:
1. Parse note content for entity mentions
2. For each entity:
   - Search for existing note
   - If found: add [[wikilink]]
   - If not found: create stub note
3. Update frontmatter with related entities

Example Prompt:

Read [[Meeting Notes 2025-01-05]] and:
- Find all people mentioned
- Create @person notes if they don't exist
- Add [[wikilinks]] in the text
- Update the 'people' frontmatter field

Research Synthesis

User: "Synthesize all notes on [topic]"

Claude Code Actions:
1. Search for notes tagged/about topic
2. Extract key insights from each
3. Identify connections and contradictions
4. Create synthesis note with outline
5. Link back to all sources

Example Prompt:

Create a synthesis note on "machine learning":
- Find all notes tagged #topic/ml or mentioning ML
- Extract the main insight from each
- Organize into coherent structure
- Include links to all source notes

Book Note Creation

User: "Create a book note for [title]"

Claude Code Actions:
1. Create note with BOOK- prefix
2. Add proper frontmatter (author, genre, etc.)
3. Create standard book note structure
4. Link to @author note
5. Tag appropriately

Example Prompt:

Create a book note for "Atomic Habits" by James Clear:
- Use BOOK-atomic-habits-james-clear.md
- Add frontmatter with author, year, genre
- Create sections for summary, key ideas, quotes
- Link to @james-clear (create if missing)

Maintenance Workflows

Broken Link Repair

User: "Fix all broken wikilinks"

Claude Code Actions:
1. Find all [[wikilinks]] in vault
2. Check each link resolves
3. For broken links:
   - Search for similar file names
   - Suggest corrections
   - Fix with confirmation

Example Prompt:

Find all broken wikilinks in the vault.
For each one:
- Show me the context
- Suggest the correct target
- Wait for my approval before fixing

Frontmatter Standardization

User: "Standardize frontmatter across all notes"

Claude Code Actions:
1. Read CLAUDE.md for schema
2. Find notes missing required fields
3. Add missing fields with defaults
4. Normalize date formats

Example Prompt:

Check all notes in Projects/ folder:
- Ensure all have 'created' and 'updated' fields
- Add 'status: active' if missing status
- Add 'type: project' if missing type
- Show me a summary of changes made

Tag Cleanup

User: "Clean up and consolidate tags"

Claude Code Actions:
1. List all unique tags
2. Find similar/duplicate tags
3. Suggest consolidation
4. Rename with confirmation

Example Prompt:

Analyze all tags in the vault:
- Find duplicates (ml vs machine-learning)
- Find orphan tags (used only once)
- Suggest hierarchy improvements
- Don't change anything without asking

Project Workflows

Project Setup

User: "Create a new project structure"

Claude Code Actions:
1. Create PROJECT-name folder
2. Create index note with template
3. Add standard sections
4. Link to project MOC

Example Prompt:

Create a new project "Website Redesign":
- Create Projects/website-redesign/ folder
- Create PROJECT-website-redesign.md index
- Add sections: Overview, Goals, Tasks, Notes, Resources
- Link from [[Projects MOC]]

Project Archive

User: "Archive completed project [name]"

Claude Code Actions:
1. Update project status to complete
2. Move folder to Archive/
3. Update all incoming links
4. Add completion date
5. Generate project summary

Example Prompt:

Archive the "Website Redesign" project:
- Set status to complete
- Move to Archive/2025/
- Update links from other notes
- Add 'completed' date to frontmatter
- Create a brief summary of outcomes

Integration Workflows

External Content Import

User: "Import article from [URL]"

Claude Code Actions:
1. Fetch URL content
2. Extract main content
3. Create note with proper frontmatter
4. Add source attribution
5. Suggest related notes

Example Prompt:

Import this article: [URL]
- Create note in Resources/articles/
- Add frontmatter: source, author, date
- Extract key quotes
- Suggest existing notes to link

Export for Sharing

User: "Export [note] for sharing"

Claude Code Actions:
1. Read note content
2. Resolve embeds and transclusions
3. Convert wikilinks to readable format
4. Export as clean markdown

Example Prompt:

Prepare [[Project Summary]] for sharing:
- Expand all embedded notes
- Convert [[wikilinks]] to plain text
- Remove internal frontmatter
- Output clean markdown I can copy

Workflow Templates

Custom Workflow Definition

## Workflow: [Name]

### Trigger
[When to run this workflow]

### Inputs
- [What information is needed]

### Steps
1. [First action]
2. [Second action]
3. [Third action]

### Outputs
- [What is created/modified]

### Example Prompt

[Example user prompt to trigger this workflow]

Automated Workflow (Git Hook)

#!/bin/bash
# .git/hooks/post-commit

# Trigger workflow on specific file patterns
changed=$(git diff-tree --no-commit-id --name-only -r HEAD)

# Run inbox processing
if echo "$changed" | grep -q "inbox/"; then
  claude --print "Process new notes in inbox/"
fi

# Run link repair after renames
if git log -1 --diff-filter=R --summary | grep -q "rename"; then
  claude --print "Check for broken links after recent file renames"
fi

Obsidian Vault Manifest

This file helps Claude Code understand your vault's structure and conventions.

Customize the sections below to match your personal knowledge management system.

Vault Overview

<!-- Describe your vault's purpose and organization philosophy -->

This is a personal knowledge management vault following [PARA/Zettelkasten/Johnny Decimal/Custom] methodology.

Primary purposes:

• Personal note-taking and journaling
• Project documentation
• Learning and research
• [Add your specific use cases]

Folder Structure

<!-- Document your folder hierarchy -->

Frontmatter Schema

<!-- Define your standard frontmatter fields -->

Required Fields (All Notes)

---
created: YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm
updated: YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm
tags:
  - category/subcategory
---

Project Notes

---
created: YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm
updated: YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm
type: project
status: active | paused | complete
priority: high | medium | low
due: YYYY-MM-DD
tags:
  - project/name
---

Daily Notes

---
created: YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm
type: daily
date: YYYY-MM-DD
mood:
energy:
tags:
  - daily
  - YYYY
  - YYYY-MM
---

Naming Conventions

<!-- Document how files should be named -->

• Regular notes: kebab-case-descriptive-title.md
• Daily notes: YYYY-MM-DD.md in Daily/YYYY/MM/ folder
• Project notes: PROJECT-name.md prefix
• People notes: @firstname-lastname.md
• Book notes: BOOK-title-author.md

Link Conventions

<!-- How internal linking should work -->

• Use [[wikilinks]] for all internal links (not markdown links)
• Link to specific headings: [[Note#Heading]]
• Use block references: [[Note#^block-id]]
• Alias display text: [[Long Note Name|Short Name]]

Tag Hierarchy

<!-- Your tag structure -->

#type/
  ├── note
  ├── project
  ├── daily
  ├── meeting
  └── reference

#status/
  ├── active
  ├── review
  ├── paused
  └── complete

#topic/
  └── [your topics]

#source/
  ├── book
  ├── article
  ├── video
  └── conversation

Important Files

<!-- Key notes Claude Code should be aware of -->

• _index.md - Main dashboard / Map of Content
• project-context.md - Current project context (if applicable)
• _templates/ - Template files location

Claude Code Instructions

When Creating Notes

1. Always add required frontmatter fields 2. Place in appropriate folder based on type 3. Use proper naming convention 4. Add relevant tags 5. Include backlinks to related notes

When Editing Notes

1. Update the updated timestamp 2. Preserve existing wikilinks 3. Maintain block references (^block-id) 4. Don't modify frontmatter created date

When Organizing

1. Respect existing folder structure 2. Update all wikilinks when moving files 3. Don't delete notes without confirmation 4. Archive instead of delete when possible

When Searching

1. Consider wikilinks and backlinks 2. Check frontmatter metadata 3. Look in appropriate folders first 4. Use tags to narrow scope

Automation Preferences

<!-- What Claude Code should do automatically -->

Always Do

• [ ] Fix broken wikilinks
• [ ] Add missing frontmatter to inbox notes
• [ ] Update updated timestamp on edits

Ask First

• [ ] Move notes between folders
• [ ] Create new notes
• [ ] Modify tag structure
• [ ] Archive old notes

Never Do

• [ ] Delete any notes
• [ ] Modify .obsidian/ folder
• [ ] Change plugin settings

Custom Commands

<!-- Common requests and expected behavior -->

Notes

<!-- Any additional context -->

• This vault is [private/shared/synced with X]
• Primary device: [macOS/Windows/Linux]
• Obsidian plugins in use: [Dataview, Templater, etc.]

Daily Note - {{date:YYYY-MM-DD}}

<< [[{{date-1d:YYYY-MM-DD}}]] | Today | [[{{date+1d:YYYY-MM-DD}}]] >>

Morning

Intentions

• [ ]

Focus Areas

1.

Tasks

Today

• [ ]

Carried Forward

• [ ]

Notes

Evening

Wins

Challenges

Gratitude

Navigation

• [[{{date:YYYY-MM}}-W{{date:WW}} Weekly]]
• [[{{date:YYYY-MM}} Monthly]]

PROJECT: {{title}}

Overview

Brief description of this project

Goals

1.

Success Criteria

• [ ]

Key Dates

Resources

-

Related

• [[Projects MOC]]

Tasks

Active

• [ ]

Backlog

• [ ]

Completed

• [x]

Notes

{{date:YYYY-MM-DD}}

Log