/obsidian-init

description: Scan your vault and generate a _CLAUDE.md operating manual, index.md catalog, and log.md pointer
category: meta
triggers_en: ["init vault", "bootstrap vault", "setup vault", "scan vault"]
triggers_de: ["Vault einrichten", "Vault initialisieren", "Vault konfigurieren", "Vault scannen"]
triggers_es: ["inicializa el vault", "arranca el vault", "configura el vault", "escanea el vault", "inicia el vault", "deja listo el vault"]
triggers_pt: ["inicialize o vault", "bootstrap do vault", "configure o vault", "escaneie o vault"]
triggers_zh: ["初始化知识库", "为这个知识库生成初始配置", "扫描并配置我的知识库", "生成知识库操作手册"]

Use the obsidian-second-brain skill. Execute `/obsidian-init`:

1. Glob the vault (`<vault>/**/*.md`) to map the full vault structure

• Before reading note bodies, honor any existing sensitive-content rules in `_CLAUDE.md`. Discovery of a path does not authorize reading private content.
• **Optional First-Brain wiki-style variant:** if `First-Brain/` exists, offer this variant; otherwise offer it as an explicit layout choice when setting up wiki-style. An existing `First-Brain/` triggers an offer, never an automatic layout switch. A root folder whose name differs from `First-Brain` only by case, `_`, or a space (for example `First_Brain/` or `first brain/`) triggers the same offer: ask whether it is the human source layer. Preserve the current layout when the variant is declined. See `references/vault-schema.md` under "First-Brain wiki-style variant".
• When selected, ensure `First-Brain/` exists, creating it if absent with filesystem tools. Before creating directories, check that planned paths remain inside the vault and existing paths are directories; stop on a file named `First-Brain` or an unsafe linked path. If the user confirmed an existing folder with another spelling as the source layer, use that folder and do not create `First-Brain/` beside it. Record the exact folder name the user confirmed; every later step writes that name wherever this playbook or the template says `First-Brain/`. Do not move, rename, edit, or ingest existing notes during initialization.
• Resolve output destinations through `references/folder-map.md`, using wiki-style defaults for this variant even if `wiki/` was absent before this run. Create missing destination directories with filesystem tools. Include raw-source subfolders (articles, transcripts, pdfs, videos), research, operation logs, and Bases in their established locations. Keep existing custom output routes unless the user approves replacing them; never route generated outputs under the source folder.

2. Spawn parallel subagents to discover vault context simultaneously:

• **Dashboard agent**: read `Home.md` or equivalent dashboard
• **Templates agent**: read all files in `Templates/`
• **Boards agent**: read all files in `Boards/`
• **Samples agent**: read one existing note per major folder to capture naming conventions and frontmatter patterns

3. Merge all agent results into a complete picture of the vault 4. Generate a complete `_CLAUDE.md` using the template bundled with the skill at `SKILL_ROOT/references/claude-md-template.md` (its absolute path was given at session start as **Skill root**), filled with real values from the vault

• For the selected variant, include the template's **First Brain Protection** section and a `First-Brain/` source-layer row, plus explicit note-type destinations resolved through `references/folder-map.md`. Cover entities, concepts/synthesis, projects, meetings, decisions/conflicts, tasks/recurring obligations, daily notes, work logs, reviews, agenda, and boards; keep raw captures, research, operation logs, and Bases in their established locations. Update auto-save rules, propagation rules, and key-file references to those resolved destinations rather than copying human-first defaults. Human originals are not candidates for AI-first conversion. Carry these ownership rules into any subagent instructions.

5. Generate `index.md` at the vault root - a catalog of all pages organized by category:

• List every note in the vault grouped by folder (Projects, People, Ideas, etc.)
• Include a one-line description for each note (from frontmatter or first paragraph)
• Claude reads this file FIRST when navigating the vault - cheaper and faster than searching
• Format: `- [[Note Name]] - brief description`
• For protected sources, catalog only permitted metadata; do not read private note bodies merely to generate descriptions. First Brain catalog entries are source pointers, not permission to rewrite those files.

6. Initialize the vault operations log:

• Create `Logs/` directory at the vault root
• Write `log.md` at the vault root as a thin pointer file: explains the per-day structure, points at `Logs/`, and ships the entry template (do NOT put log entries in `log.md` itself)
• Write today's `Logs/YYYY-MM-DD.md` with the init entry: `**HH:MM** - init | Vault initialized with _CLAUDE.md, index.md, Logs/`
• Per-day file format: frontmatter (`type: log`, `date`, `ai-first: true`) + `**HH:MM** - action | description` entries, append-only

7. Create `Bases/` at the vault root if it does not exist. Stamp the four premade base files from `SKILL_ROOT/references/bases/` (the skill root given at session start):

| Template | Output file | Obsidian-style folder | Wiki-style folder | |---|---|---|---| | `projects.base.template` | `Bases/Projects.base` | `Projects` | `wiki/projects` | | `people.base.template` | `Bases/People.base` | `People` | `wiki/entities` | | `tasks.base.template` | `Bases/Tasks.base` | `Tasks` | `wiki/tasks` | | `daily.base.template` | `Bases/Daily.base` | `Daily` | `wiki/daily` |

Use the selected First-Brain variant's wiki-style routes when applicable; otherwise detect vault style from the folder structure discovered in step 1: if `wiki/` exists at the root, use wiki-style folder names; otherwise use obsidian-style. Honor approved custom Folder