Obsidian Agent Memory

You have access to a persistent Obsidian knowledge vault — a graph-structured memory that persists across sessions. Use it to orient yourself, look up architecture and component knowledge, and write back discoveries.

Vault Discovery

Resolve the vault path using this chain (first match wins):

Environment variable:
```
$OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH
```
Agent config reference: Parse the vault path from the agent's project or global config (look for "Obsidian Knowledge Vault" section with a path like
```
~/Documents/SomeName/
```
)
Default:
```
~/Documents/AgentMemory
```

Store the resolved path as

$VAULT

for all subsequent operations. Derive

$VAULT_NAME

basename "$VAULT"

for CLI calls.

Verify the vault exists by checking for

$VAULT/Home.md

. If the vault doesn't exist, inform the user and suggest running the

init

command to bootstrap a new vault from the bundled template.

Session Start — Orientation

At the start of every session, orient yourself with at most 2 operations:

Step 1: Read TODOs

CLI-first:

bash

obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME tasks path="todos" todo verbose

Fallback: Read the file at

$VAULT/todos/Active TODOs.md

Know what's pending, in-progress, and recently completed.

Step 2: Detect current project and read its overview

Auto-detect the project from the current working directory:

bash

basename $(git rev-parse --show-toplevel 2>/dev/null) 2>/dev/null || basename $(pwd)

Then check if a matching project exists by listing files in

$VAULT/projects/*/

. Match the git repo name (or directory name) against project folder names. If a match is found, read the project overview at

$VAULT/projects/{matched-name}/{matched-name}.md

This project overview contains wikilinks to all components, patterns, architecture decisions, and domains. Do not read those linked notes yet — follow them on demand when the current task requires that context.

What NOT to read at session start

```
Home.md
```
(only if you're lost and can't find the project)
```
sessions/
```
(only if the user references prior work)
Domain indexes (only if you need cross-project knowledge)
Component notes (only when working on that component)

Automatic Behaviors

These behaviors apply to any agent using this skill. They do not require explicit commands.

On session start

Auto-orient (TODOs + project overview) without being asked, following the Session Start procedure above. If the vault doesn't exist at the resolved path, inform the user and suggest running

init

On session end signals

When the user says "done", "wrapping up", "that's it", "let's stop", or similar end-of-session language — offer to write a session summary. Don't auto-run; ask first: "Want me to write a session summary to the vault before we wrap up?"

On component discovery

When you deeply analyze a component that has no vault note — and the project has an active vault — offer to create a component note and infer relationships from imports and dependencies. Example: "I noticed there's no vault note for the AuthMiddleware component. Want me to create one and map its dependencies?"

On first run

When the vault doesn't exist at any resolved path, guide the user through

init

, then auto-scaffold the current project if inside a git repo.

During Work — Graph Navigation

Principle: Use CLI queries first, file reads second. The Obsidian CLI provides structured access to properties, links, backlinks, tags, and search — prefer these over reading entire files.

CLI-first lookups (preferred)

Use these CLI commands for targeted queries without consuming file-read tokens:

bash

# Query a component's dependencies
obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME property:read file="Component Name" name="depends-on"

# Find what depends on a component
obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME property:read file="Component Name" name="depended-on-by"
obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME backlinks file="Component Name"

# Find all outgoing links from a note
obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME links file="Component Name"

# Find all notes of a type
obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME tag verbose name="component"

# Search vault content
obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME search format=json query="search term" matches limit=10

# Get note structure without full read
obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME outline file="Component Name"

# Read a specific property
obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME property:read file="Component Name" name="key-files"

Where

$VAULT_NAME

is the vault folder name (basename of

$VAULT

File-read fallback (when CLI unavailable)

Fall back to file reads when the Obsidian CLI is not available:

Need to understand a component? The project overview links to it. Read that one note.
Need an architecture decision? The component note or project overview links to it. Follow the link.
Need cross-project knowledge? Component/pattern notes link to domain notes. Follow the link.
Need session history? Only read if you're stuck or the user references prior work.

Frontmatter-first scanning

When you need to scan multiple notes to find the right one, read just the first ~10 lines of each file. The

tags

project

type

, and

status

fields in the frontmatter tell you if the note is relevant before reading the full body.

Directory listing before reading

List directory contents before reading files — know what exists without consuming tokens:

```
$VAULT/projects/{name}/**/*.md
```
— all notes for a project
```
$VAULT/domains/{tech}/*.md
```
— domain knowledge files

Writing to the Vault

Write concisely. Notes are for your future context, not human documentation. Prefer:

Bullet points over prose
Wikilinks over repeated explanations (link to it, don't re-state it)
Frontmatter tags for discoverability over verbose descriptions

When to write

New component discovered: Create a component note when you deeply understand a part of the codebase
Architecture decision made: Record ADRs when significant design choices are made
Pattern identified: Document recurring patterns that future sessions should follow
Domain knowledge learned: Write to domain notes when you discover cross-project knowledge

Scoping rules

Knowledge type	Location	Example
One project only	`projects/{name}/`	How this API handles auth
Shared across projects	`domains/{tech}/`	How Go interfaces work
Universal, tech-agnostic	`patterns/`	SOLID principles
Session summaries	`sessions/`	What was done and discovered
TODOs	`todos/Active TODOs.md`	Grouped by project

Frontmatter conventions

Always include in new notes:

yaml

---
tags: [category, project/short-name]
type: <component|adr|session|project>
project: "[[projects/{name}/{name}]]"
created: YYYY-MM-DD
---

Wikilink conventions

Link to related notes:

[[projects/{name}/components/Component Name|Component Name]]

Link to domains:

[[domains/{tech}/{Tech Name}|Tech Name]]

Link back to project:
```
[[projects/{name}/{name}|project-name]]
```

Note templates

Component Note:

yaml

---
tags: [components, project/{short-name}]
type: component
project: "[[projects/{name}/{name}]]"
created: {date}
status: active
layer: ""
depends-on: []
depended-on-by: []
key-files: []
---

Sections: Purpose, Gotchas

Architecture Decision:

yaml

---
tags: [architecture, decision, project/{short-name}]
type: adr
project: "[[projects/{name}/{name}]]"
status: proposed | accepted | superseded
created: {date}
---

Sections: Context, Decision, Alternatives Considered, Consequences

Session Note:

yaml

---
tags: [sessions]
type: session
projects:
  - "[[projects/{name}/{name}]]"
created: {date}
branch: {branch-name}
---

Sections: Context, Work Done, Discoveries, Decisions, Next Steps

Commands

init

— Initialize the Vault

Bootstrap a new Obsidian Agent Memory vault from the bundled template.

Usage:

init [path]

Steps:

Determine vault path: Use the first argument if provided, otherwise use the vault resolution chain (default:
```
~/Documents/AgentMemory
```
).
Check if vault already exists: Look for
```
$VAULT/Home.md
```
. If it exists, tell the user the vault already exists at that path and offer to open it.
Locate the bundled template: The template is at
```
vault-template/
```
relative to the skill package root. Search for the skill package installation directory — it may be in the agent's plugin/skill cache or a local checkout. Look for the
```
vault-template/Home.md
```
file to confirm the correct path.

Create the vault:

bash

mkdir -p "$VAULT"
cp -r "$TEMPLATE_DIR/vault-template/"* "$VAULT/"

Create Obsidian config directory:

bash

mkdir -p "$VAULT/.obsidian"

Write the following to

$VAULT/.obsidian/app.json

json

{
  "alwaysUpdateLinks": true,
  "newFileLocation": "folder",
  "newFileFolderPath": "inbox",
  "attachmentFolderPath": "attachments"
}

Create empty directories:

bash

mkdir -p "$VAULT/inbox"
mkdir -p "$VAULT/attachments"

Create

.gitkeep

files in each empty directory.

Report the created vault and provide next steps:
- Open in Obsidian: Vault Switcher → Open folder as vault →
```
$VAULT
```
- Set the vault path via
```
OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH
```
  environment variable or agent config
- Start working — the agent will build the knowledge graph as it goes
Generate agent config snippet: Output a vault path snippet appropriate for the user's agent. For Claude Code, output a
```
CLAUDE.md
```
snippet:
markdown
```
## Obsidian Knowledge Vault
Persistent knowledge vault at `$VAULT`.
```
For other agents, output a generic instruction: "Add
```
OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH=$VAULT
```
to your environment or agent config."
Auto-scaffold current project: If inside a git repo, automatically run the
```
project
```
command to scaffold the current project in the vault.
Concise output: Keep the final output to 5-8 lines max: vault path created, project scaffolded (if applicable), how to open in Obsidian, how to set the vault path.

analyze

— Analyze Project & Hydrate Vault

Analyze the current codebase and populate the vault with interconnected, content-rich notes.

Usage:

analyze

(no arguments — uses current repo)

Phase 1: Discovery — Scan for Knowledge Sources

Scan the repo for files that contain pre-existing knowledge:

Category	Files to scan
Agent configs	`CLAUDE.md` , `.claude/CLAUDE.md` , `.cursorrules` , `.windsurfrules` , `.clinerules` , `AGENTS.md` , `Agents.md`
Documentation	`README.md` , `CONTRIBUTING.md` , `ARCHITECTURE.md` , `docs/architecture.md` , `docs/ARCHITECTURE.md`
Existing ADRs	`docs/adr/ADR-.md` , `architecture/ADR-.md` , `adr/.md` , `docs/decisions/.md`
Project metadata	`package.json` , `go.mod` , `Cargo.toml` , `pyproject.toml` , `setup.py` , `Gemfile` , `pom.xml` , `build.gradle` , `*.csproj`
Build/CI	`Makefile` , `Dockerfile` , `docker-compose.yml` , `.github/workflows/*.yml` , `.gitlab-ci.yml`
Config	`tsconfig.json` , `.eslintrc.` , `jest.config.` , `.goreleaser.yml`

Read each discovered file. For large files (README, agent configs), read fully. For metadata files, extract key fields (name, version, dependencies).

Also gather:

Repo URL from
```
git remote get-url origin
```
Repo root path from
```
git rev-parse --show-toplevel
```
Active branch from
```
git branch --show-current
```
Directory tree (top 2 levels of source directories, excluding hidden/vendor/node_modules)
File extension frequency (for language detection)

Phase 2: Analysis — Extract & Synthesize

Using the discovered content, synthesize:

Project metadata: name, language(s), framework(s), repo URL, local path
Architecture summary: Entry points, layer organization (e.g.,
```
internal/
```
→ Go service layers,
```
src/components/
```
→ React app), build system
Component inventory: Major functional modules — each top-level source directory or logical grouping that represents a distinct unit. For each: purpose (from README/agent config context), key files, and relationships
Pattern inventory: Coding conventions, error handling strategies, testing approaches — extracted from agent config files (CLAUDE.md sections like "Coding Guidelines", "Testing", etc.)
Domain mapping: Detected technologies → vault domain notes (e.g., Go, TypeScript, Terraform, React)
Existing decisions: ADR files found in the repo → import as vault ADR notes
Dependency summary: Key dependencies from package manifests (listed in project overview, not separate notes)

Phase 3: Hydration — Write Vault Notes

Idempotency rules:

If project directory doesn't exist → create everything (scaffold + populate)
If project directory exists but overview is a skeleton → replace overview with populated version
If individual component/pattern/ADR notes already exist → skip and report (don't overwrite manual work)
Domain notes: create if missing, append project link if existing

Notes to write:

Project overview (
```
$VAULT/projects/{name}/{name}.md
```
) — Fully populated:
yaml
```
---
aliases: []
tags: [project/{short-name}]
type: project
repo: {git remote url}
path: {repo root path}
language: {detected language(s)}
framework: {detected framework(s)}
created: {YYYY-MM-DD}
status: active
---
```
Sections:
- Architecture: Real description from analysis
- Components: Table with wikilinks to component notes
- Project Patterns: Table with wikilinks to pattern notes
- Architecture Decisions: List with wikilinks to ADR notes
- Key Dependencies: From package manifests
- Domains: Wikilinks to domain notes

Component notes (

$VAULT/projects/{name}/components/{Component}.md

) — One per major module:

yaml

---
tags: [components, project/{short-name}]
type: component
project: "[[projects/{name}/{name}]]"
created: {YYYY-MM-DD}
status: active
layer: {detected layer}
depends-on: []
depended-on-by: []
key-files: [{key files list}]
---

Sections: Purpose, Gotchas

Pattern notes (

$VAULT/projects/{name}/patterns/{Pattern}.md

) — From agent config conventions:

yaml

---
tags: [patterns, project/{short-name}]
type: pattern
project: "[[projects/{name}/{name}]]"
created: {YYYY-MM-DD}
---

Sections: Pattern, When to Use, Implementation

ADR imports (

$VAULT/projects/{name}/architecture/ADR-{NNNN} {title}.md

) — From existing repo ADRs:

yaml

---
tags: [architecture, decision, project/{short-name}]
type: adr
project: "[[projects/{name}/{name}]]"
status: accepted
created: {YYYY-MM-DD}
---

Preserve original content, add vault frontmatter.

Domain notes (
```
$VAULT/domains/{tech}/{Tech}.md
```
):
- If new: create with project link
- If existing: add this project to "Projects Using This Domain" section
Index updates:
- ```
$VAULT/projects/Projects.md
```
  — add/update row
- ```
$VAULT/domains/Domains.md
```
  — add/update rows for new domains

Phase 4: Report

Print a summary:

Analyzed: {project-name}
  Sources read: {N} knowledge files
  Created: project overview (populated)
  Created: {N} component notes
  Created: {N} pattern notes
  Imported: {N} architecture decisions
  Linked: {N} domain notes
  Skipped: {N} existing notes (preserved)

recap

— Write Session Summary

Write a session summary note and update TODOs.

Usage:

recap

Steps:

Gather session context by running:

bash

git log --oneline -20
git diff --stat HEAD~5..HEAD 2>/dev/null || git diff --stat
git branch --show-current

Read current TODOs — CLI-first:

bash

obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME tasks path="todos" todo verbose

Fallback: Read

$VAULT/todos/Active TODOs.md

Read project overview from
```
$VAULT/projects/$PROJECT/$PROJECT.md
```
(for wikilinks and context).

Write session note — CLI-first:

bash

obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME create path="sessions/{YYYY-MM-DD} - {title}" template="Session Note" silent
obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME property:set path="sessions/{YYYY-MM-DD} - {title}" name="type" value="session" type="text"
obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME property:set path="sessions/{YYYY-MM-DD} - {title}" name="branch" value="{current-branch}" type="text"
obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME property:set path="sessions/{YYYY-MM-DD} - {title}" name="projects" value="[[projects/$PROJECT/$PROJECT]]" type="list"

Then append body content:

bash

obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME append path="sessions/{YYYY-MM-DD} - {title}" content="..."

Fallback: Write the file directly at

$VAULT/sessions/{YYYY-MM-DD} - {title}.md

yaml

---
tags: [sessions]
type: session
projects:
  - "[[projects/$PROJECT/$PROJECT]]"
created: {YYYY-MM-DD}
branch: {current-branch}
---

Sections to fill:

Context: What was being worked on (from git log context)
Work Done: Numbered list of accomplishments (from commits and diffs)
Discoveries: Technical findings worth remembering
Decisions: Design choices made during this session
Next Steps: What should happen next (checkboxes)

Update TODOs: Edit
```
$VAULT/todos/Active TODOs.md
```
:
- Move completed items to Completed section
- Add new items discovered during the session
- Keep items grouped by project
Update Session Log: Add an entry to
```
$VAULT/sessions/Session Log.md
```
with the date, project, branch, and a one-line summary.
Report what was written.

project

— Scaffold New Project

Scaffold a new project in the vault. Uses the first argument as the project name, or defaults to

$PROJECT

Usage:

project [name]

Steps:

Determine project name: Use the argument if provided, otherwise use
```
$PROJECT
```
.
Check if project exists: Look for
```
$VAULT/projects/{name}/{name}.md
```
. If it exists, tell the user and offer to open it instead.

Create directory structure:

```
$VAULT/projects/{name}/
```
```
$VAULT/projects/{name}/architecture/
```
```
$VAULT/projects/{name}/components/
```
```
$VAULT/projects/{name}/patterns/
```

Create project overview at

$VAULT/projects/{name}/{name}.md

yaml

---
aliases: []
tags: [project/{short-name}]
type: project
repo: {git remote url if available}
path: {working directory}
language: {detected from files}
framework:
created: {YYYY-MM-DD}
status: active
---

Sections: Architecture, Components, Project Patterns, Architecture Decisions, Domains

Auto-detect and fill:

Language from file extensions in the repo
Repo URL from
```
git remote get-url origin
```
Link to relevant domains that exist in
```
$VAULT/domains/
```

Update Projects.md: Add a row to the project table in
```
$VAULT/projects/Projects.md
```
.
Report the scaffolded structure.

note

— Create a Note from Template

Create a note using a template. The first argument specifies the type:

component

adr

, or

pattern

Usage:

note <component|adr|pattern> [name]

note component [name]

Create at

$VAULT/projects/$PROJECT/components/{name}.md

yaml

---
tags: [components, project/{short-name}]
type: component
project: "[[projects/$PROJECT/$PROJECT]]"
created: {YYYY-MM-DD}
status: active
layer: ""
depends-on: []
depended-on-by: []
key-files: []
---

Sections: Purpose, Gotchas

If a name argument is provided, use it as the component name. Otherwise, ask the user.

note adr [title]

Determine the next ADR number by listing existing ADRs in

$VAULT/projects/$PROJECT/architecture/ADR-*.md

Create at

$VAULT/projects/$PROJECT/architecture/ADR-{NNNN} {title}.md

yaml

---
tags: [architecture, decision, project/{short-name}]
type: adr
project: "[[projects/$PROJECT/$PROJECT]]"
status: proposed
created: {YYYY-MM-DD}
---

Sections: Context, Decision, Alternatives Considered, Consequences

note pattern [name]

Create at

$VAULT/projects/$PROJECT/patterns/{name}.md

yaml

---
tags: [patterns, project/{short-name}]
project: "[[projects/$PROJECT/$PROJECT]]"
created: {YYYY-MM-DD}
---

Sections: Pattern, When to Use, Implementation, Examples

After creating any note, add a wikilink to it from the project overview.

todo

— Manage TODOs

View and update the Active TODOs for the current project.

Usage:

todo [action]

Steps:

Read current TODOs from
```
$VAULT/todos/Active TODOs.md
```
.
If no additional arguments: Display the current TODOs for
```
$PROJECT
```
and ask what to update.
If arguments provided: Parse as a TODO action:
- Plain text → Add as a new pending item under
```
$PROJECT
```
- ```
done: <text>
```
  → Move matching item to Completed
- ```
remove: <text>
```
  → Remove matching item
Write back the updated file.

lookup

— Search the Vault

Search the vault for knowledge. Supports targeted subcommands and freetext search.

Usage:

lookup <subcommand|freetext>

lookup deps <name>

Query what a component depends on.

bash

obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME property:read file="<name>" name="depends-on"

Fallback: Read the component note and parse the

depends-on

frontmatter list.

lookup consumers <name>

Query what depends on a component (reverse dependencies).

bash

obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME property:read file="<name>" name="depended-on-by"
obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME backlinks file="<name>"

Combine results —

depended-on-by

gives explicit relationships,

backlinks

catches implicit references. Fallback: Read the component note and search for backlinks via Grep.

lookup related <name>

Query all notes connected to a given note (both directions).

bash

obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME links file="<name>"
obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME backlinks file="<name>"

Fallback: Read the note and extract wikilinks, then Grep for

[[<name>

across the vault.

lookup type <type> [project]

Find all notes of a given type (component, adr, session, project).

bash

obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME tag verbose name="<type>"

[project]

is specified, filter results to notes also tagged

project/<short-name>

bash

obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME search query="type: <type>" path="projects/<project>"

Fallback: Grep for

type: <type>

across

$VAULT

lookup layer <layer> [project]

Find all components in a specific layer.

bash

obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME search query="layer: <layer>" path="projects/<project>"

If no project specified, search across all projects:

bash

obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME search query="layer: <layer>" path="projects"

Fallback: Grep for

layer: <layer>

across

$VAULT/projects/

lookup files <component>

Query key files for a component.

bash

obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME property:read file="<component>" name="key-files"

Fallback: Read the component note and parse the

key-files

frontmatter list.

lookup <freetext>

General search across the vault.

bash

obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME search format=json query="<freetext>" matches limit=10

Fallback: Search file contents for the query across all

.md

files in

$VAULT

If the query looks like a tag (starts with

project/

bash

obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME tags name="<query>"

If the query matches a note name:

bash

obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME backlinks file="<query>"

Present results: Show matching notes with their frontmatter (first ~10 lines) so the user can decide which to read in full.

relate

— Manage Relationships

Create and query bidirectional relationships between notes via frontmatter properties.

Usage:

relate <subcommand> [args]

Supported relationship types

Forward property	Inverse property
`depends-on`	`depended-on-by`
`extends`	`extended-by`
`implements`	`implemented-by`
`consumes`	`consumed-by`

relate <source> <target> [type]

Create a bidirectional relationship between two notes. Default type is

depends-on

depended-on-by

Steps:

Resolve note names: Use
```
file=
```
parameter for note display names. If ambiguity is possible (same name, different folders), use
```
path=
```
with full vault-relative path.
Read current property on source (forward direction):
bash
```
obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME property:read file="<source>" name="<forward-property>"
```
Fallback: Read the source note frontmatter.
Check if relationship already exists: If
```
<target>
```
(as a wikilink) is already in the list, skip and report "already related".
Append to source (forward direction): Build the new list locally by appending
```
[[<target>]]
```
to the current values, then set:
bash
```
obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME property:set file="<source>" name="<forward-property>" value="<full-list>" type="list"
```
Fallback: Edit the source note's frontmatter directly.

Read current property on target (inverse direction):

bash

obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME property:read file="<target>" name="<inverse-property>"

Append to target (inverse direction):

bash

obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME property:set file="<target>" name="<inverse-property>" value="<full-list>" type="list"

Report the created relationship.

Safety: Always read-then-set. Never blind-append. The full list is constructed locally and set atomically.

relate show <name>

Display all relationships for a note.

Steps:

Query all 8 relationship properties:

bash

obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME property:read file="<name>" name="depends-on"
obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME property:read file="<name>" name="depended-on-by"
obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME property:read file="<name>" name="extends"
obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME property:read file="<name>" name="extended-by"
obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME property:read file="<name>" name="implements"
obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME property:read file="<name>" name="implemented-by"
obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME property:read file="<name>" name="consumes"
obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME property:read file="<name>" name="consumed-by"

Fallback: Read the note frontmatter and parse all relationship properties.

Query structural links:

bash

obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME links file="<name>"
obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME backlinks file="<name>"

Present results grouped by relationship type. Show explicit (property) relationships first, then structural (wikilink) relationships that aren't already covered.

relate tree <name> [depth]

Walk the dependency tree via BFS. Default depth is 2.

Steps:

Initialize BFS: Start with
```
<name>
```
at depth 0. Maintain a visited set and a queue.

For each node in the queue:

bash

obsidian vault=$VAULT_NAME property:read file="<current>" name="depends-on"

Fallback: Read the note and parse

depends-on

from frontmatter.

Add unvisited dependencies to the queue at
```
current_depth + 1
```
. Stop when
```
depth
```
limit is reached.
Present the tree as an indented list showing the dependency chain.

Token Budget Rules

CLI over reads: Use
```
obsidian
```
CLI for property reads, backlinks, links, tags, and search — these return targeted data without full file reads
Session start: At most 2 operations (TODOs + project overview)
During work: Use
```
lookup
```
subcommands and
```
relate show
```
before reading full notes
Frontmatter first: When scanning, read ~10 lines before committing to full read
List before read: List directory contents before reading files
Write concisely: Bullet points, links, tags — no prose when bullets suffice

Error Handling

If the vault doesn't exist → suggest running
```
/obs init
```
to bootstrap it
If the project doesn't exist in the vault → offer to run
```
/obs project
```
to scaffold it
If a note already exists → show it instead of overwriting, offer to edit
If no git repo is detected → use current directory name as project name
If CLI command fails → fall back to file read for the same data

Vault Structure Reference

$VAULT/
├── Home.md                           # Dashboard (read only if lost)
├── projects/{name}/
│   ├── {name}.md                     # Project overview — START HERE
│   ├── architecture/                 # ADRs and design decisions
│   ├── components/                   # Per-component notes
│   └── patterns/                     # Project-specific patterns
├── domains/{tech}/                   # Cross-project knowledge
├── patterns/                         # Universal patterns
├── sessions/                         # Session logs (read only when needed)
├── todos/Active TODOs.md             # Pending work (read at session start)
├── templates/                        # Note templates
└── inbox/                            # Unsorted

obs-memory

NPX Install

Tags

SKILL.md Content

Obsidian Agent Memory

Vault Discovery

Session Start — Orientation

Step 1: Read TODOs

Step 2: Detect current project and read its overview

What NOT to read at session start

Automatic Behaviors

On session start

On session end signals

On component discovery

On first run

During Work — Graph Navigation

CLI-first lookups (preferred)

File-read fallback (when CLI unavailable)

Frontmatter-first scanning

Directory listing before reading

Writing to the Vault

When to write

Scoping rules

Frontmatter conventions

Wikilink conventions

Note templates

Commands

init — Initialize the Vault

Steps:

analyze — Analyze Project & Hydrate Vault

Phase 1: Discovery — Scan for Knowledge Sources

Phase 2: Analysis — Extract & Synthesize

Phase 3: Hydration — Write Vault Notes

Phase 4: Report

recap — Write Session Summary

Steps:

project — Scaffold New Project

Steps:

note — Create a Note from Template

note component [name]

note adr [title]

note pattern [name]

todo — Manage TODOs

Steps:

lookup — Search the Vault

lookup deps <name>

lookup consumers <name>

lookup related <name>

lookup type <type> [project]

lookup layer <layer> [project]

lookup files <component>

lookup <freetext>

relate — Manage Relationships

Supported relationship types

relate <source> <target> [type]

Steps:

relate show <name>

Steps:

relate tree <name> [depth]

Steps:

Token Budget Rules

Error Handling

Vault Structure Reference

`init`
— Initialize the Vault

`analyze`
— Analyze Project & Hydrate Vault

`recap`
— Write Session Summary

`project`
— Scaffold New Project

`note`
— Create a Note from Template

`note component [name]`

`note adr [title]`

`note pattern [name]`

`todo`
— Manage TODOs

`lookup`
— Search the Vault

`lookup deps <name>`

`lookup consumers <name>`

`lookup related <name>`

`lookup type <type> [project]`

`lookup layer <layer> [project]`

`lookup files <component>`

`lookup <freetext>`

`relate`
— Manage Relationships

`relate <source> <target> [type]`

`relate show <name>`

`relate tree <name> [depth]`