home / skills / steveclarke / dotfiles / obsidian-vault-context
This skill assists you read, write, and organize Obsidian daily notes and research using direct file operations for reliable vault maintenance.
npx playbooks add skill steveclarke/dotfiles --skill obsidian-vault-contextReview the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.
---
name: obsidian-vault-context
description: Works with the local Obsidian vault using direct file operations. Knows folder structure, daily note format (YYYY-MM-DD.md), and research capture templates. Use when reading/writing Obsidian notes or capturing research. Triggers on "obsidian", "daily note", "vault", "capture research".
disable-model-invocation: true
---
# Obsidian Vault Context
## Vault Location
- **Detection:** Run `obsidian-cli print-default` to get the vault path
- Use direct file operations (Read, Write, Edit) — the vault is just a folder of markdown files
- Only use obsidian-cli for UI operations or link updates
## Folder Structure
```
$VAULT_PATH/
├── Daily/ # Daily notes (YYYY-MM-DD.md)
├── AI/ # AI/LLM research
├── Software Development/
├── Technologies/
├── Work/
├── assets/ # Images and attachments
└── .obsidian/ # Internal config - don't modify
```
## Daily Notes
- **Format:** `YYYY-MM-DD.md` (e.g., `2025-10-18.md`)
- **Location:** `/Daily/` folder
- **No frontmatter** - clean markdown
- **Path:** `$VAULT_PATH/Daily/{YYYY-MM-DD}.md`
## Research Format
Steve captures research in daily notes using this template:
```markdown
### [Tool/Topic Name]
**Link:** [URL]
**What it is:** [Brief description]
**Key Features:**
- Feature 1
- Feature 2
**Why it's interesting:** [Relevance]
**Use case:** [When to use it]
```
## Links & Formatting
- **Internal links:** `[[Note Name]]` (wikilinks)
- **External links:** `[Text](URL)` (markdown)
- **Images:** `![[image.png]]` (stored in /assets/)
## Common Operations
**Read daily note:**
Use the Read tool with path `$VAULT_PATH/Daily/2025-10-18.md`
**Append to daily note:**
Read the existing file first, then use the Edit tool to append new content at the end. Add `\n\n` spacing before the new section.
**Create new note:**
Use the Write tool to create `$VAULT_PATH/Topic/Note.md` with the desired content.
## obsidian-cli (Use Sparingly)
- `obsidian-cli print-default` - Get vault path
- `obsidian-cli open "Note"` - Open in Obsidian UI
- `obsidian-cli move "Old" "New"` - Rename with link updates
Prefer direct file operations over obsidian-cli for reading/writing.
## Best Practices
- Check if file exists before appending
- Add `\n\n` spacing between sections
- Use YYYY-MM-DD format for daily notes
- Don't modify `.obsidian/` folder
- Preserve existing frontmatter if present
This skill lets you work directly with Steve's Obsidian vault at /Users/steve/Documents/Main using reliable file operations. It knows the vault layout, daily note format (YYYY-MM-DD.md), and the research capture template so you can read, append, or create notes safely. Use it when you need deterministic, scriptable edits rather than UI-only commands.
The skill prefers direct file operations (read_file, write, search_replace) to inspect and modify markdown files inside the vault. It detects the vault by running obsidian-cli print-default first, then falling back to /Users/steve/Documents/Main. It understands the Daily folder location, naming conventions, research templates, wikilinks, external links, and asset references.
Should I use obsidian-cli for all operations?
No. Prefer direct file operations for reading and writing. Use obsidian-cli sparingly for UI-only actions like print-default, opening notes, or renames that require link updates.
Where are daily notes stored and how are they named?
Daily notes are in /Users/steve/Documents/Main/Daily/ and use the YYYY-MM-DD.md filename format with no frontmatter.