---

name: obsidian-notes description: Use when saving notes to Obsidian vault, creating documentation, capturing knowledge, or logging any information. This skill determines the correct PARA location and applies the appropriate template from the vault.

Obsidian Notes

Overview

Save notes to a PARA-structured Obsidian vault by selecting the appropriate location and template. Templates are read dynamically from the vault itself.

Vault Discovery

Obsidian vaults are located in ~/Obsidian/. A vault is identified by having a .obsidian/ subdirectory.

Discovery process:

1. List directories in ~/Obsidian/
2. Check each for a .obsidian/ folder
3. If one vault exists, use it automatically
4. If multiple vaults exist, ask user to choose

PARA Structure

Vaults follow PARA methodology with numbered prefixes:

Copy[vault]/
├── 0.Inbox/      # Quick captures, unsorted notes
├── 1.Projects/   # Active projects with defined outcomes
├── 2.Areas/      # Ongoing responsibilities
│   └── Templates/  # Note templates (fixed location)
├── 3.Resources/  # Reference material, knowledge base
└── 4.Archives/   # Completed/inactive items

Location Decision Tree

To determine where to save a note:

1. Quick capture with no clear category? → 0.Inbox/
2. Active project with a defined end goal? → 1.Projects/[project-name]/
3. Ongoing area of responsibility? → 2.Areas/[area-name]/
4. Reference material or knowledge? → 3.Resources/[topic]/
5. Completed or inactive item? → 4.Archives/

Template Discovery

Templates are stored in 2.Areas/Templates/ within the vault.

To find the right template:

1. List all .md files in 2.Areas/Templates/
2. Read the template frontmatter to identify the type: field
3. Match note type to template type
4. If no match, use minimal frontmatter

Common template types:

• issue - Bug investigations, issue tracking
• incident - Incident response notes
• command - Useful commands and scripts
• project - Project documentation
• daily - Daily journal entries
• reflection - Self-reflections
• moc - Map of Content

Creating Notes

1. Discover vault - Find vault with .obsidian/ folder in ~/Obsidian/
2. Determine location - Use decision tree to pick PARA folder
3. Find template - Read from 2.Areas/Templates/ and match type
4. Apply template - Replace placeholders:
   • {{date}} → Current date (YYYY-MM-DD)
   • {{title}} → Note title
   • {{time}} → Current time (HH:MM)
5. Write file - Save to determined location

File Naming

• Use descriptive names: My Note Title.md
• Projects may use emoji prefixes: 1.Projects/💻 Project Name/
• Incidents use slug format: inc-12345-brief-description.md
• Daily notes use date: YYYY-MM-DD.md

Minimal Frontmatter

When no template matches, use minimal frontmatter:

Copy---
type: note
created: {{date}}
---

Examples

Quick capture

User: "Save this quick thought about refactoring"

Location: 0.Inbox/Refactoring thought.md Template: None (minimal frontmatter)

Issue tracking

User: "Create a note for the cart bug investigation"

1. Read templates from 2.Areas/Templates/
2. Find template with type: issue
3. Location: 2.Areas/Issues/Cart bug investigation.md

Knowledge reference

User: "Save this info about GraphQL pagination"

Location: 3.Resources/GraphQL pagination.md Template: None (minimal frontmatter)

Notes

• Always include YAML frontmatter with at least type and created
• Use wikilinks [[]] for internal links
• Create subfolders as needed within PARA directories