Obsidian Vault Manager

Prerequisites

Before performing vault operations:

Verify obsidian-cli is installed:

obsidian-cli --version

If obsidian-cli is unavailable:

• Install via: npm install -g @johnlindquist/obsidian-cli

• Fallback: Standard file operations can be used but will NOT preserve wiki-links

• Warning: Without obsidian-cli, moving notes will break all internal [[wiki-links]]

Verify vault is accessible:

obsidian-cli print-default

Overview

Use obsidian-cli for all Obsidian vault operations. Standard file tools (mv, Write, Edit) break internal links and ignore vault structure. The obsidian-cli tool automatically preserves [[wiki-links]] and maintains vault integrity.

When to Use

This skill activates when:

• Working with Obsidian vaults (.md files with [[wiki-links]] )

• Moving/renaming notes (links must stay valid)

• Creating notes with Obsidian-specific syntax (wiki-links, checkboxes, tags)

• Searching vault content or note names

• Organizing multiple notes across folders

Don't use for:

• General markdown editing outside Obsidian vaults

• Static documentation (no internal links)

• Single-file markdown operations

Quick Reference

Task Command Notes

Check vault obsidian-cli print-default

Always run first

Read note obsidian-cli print "Note Name"

Reads by name or path

Create note obsidian-cli create "Name" --content "text"

Add --open to launch Obsidian

Update note obsidian-cli create "Name" --content "text" --append

Use --overwrite to replace

Move note obsidian-cli move "old/path" "new/path"

Auto-updates all links

Search content obsidian-cli search-content "term"

Searches note contents

Search names obsidian-cli search

Fuzzy search (interactive)

Daily note obsidian-cli daily

Create/open today's note

See also:

• Complete obsidian-cli Command Reference - All commands with flags and advanced usage

• Obsidian Syntax Reference - Wiki-links, tags, frontmatter, and markdown syntax

• Note Templates - Daily note, project, and meeting templates

Core Workflows

Always Check Vault First

REQUIRED before any operation

obsidian-cli print-default

Get path for direct file operations if needed

VAULT_PATH=$(obsidian-cli print-default --path-only)

Why: Paths are vault-relative, not repository-relative. Creating files in wrong location breaks vault structure.

If obsidian-cli is not installed: Warn the user that move/rename operations will break wiki-links. Offer to install (npm install -g @johnlindquist/obsidian-cli ). Read and search operations are safe with standard tools.

Moving/Reorganizing Notes

✅ CORRECT: Auto-updates all links

obsidian-cli move "Random Notes/Design" "Projects/Design"

❌ WRONG: Breaks all links to this note

mv "vault/Random Notes/Design.md" "vault/Projects/Design.md"

Critical: obsidian-cli move updates every link in the vault automatically. Using mv or file operations breaks internal references.

Creating/Updating Notes

Create new note

obsidian-cli create "Projects/Mobile App" --content "# Mobile App\n\n## Tasks\n- [ ] Task 1"

Append to existing (safe if file exists)

obsidian-cli create "Daily Log" --content "\n## Update\n- New entry" --append

Replace existing (use cautiously)

obsidian-cli create "Draft" --content "# Fresh content" --overwrite

Obsidian syntax in --content :

• Wiki-links: [[Note Name]]

• Tags: #project

• Checkboxes: - [ ] Task

• Newlines: \n

Templates: Use provided note templates as starting points for common note types (daily notes, projects, meetings).

Searching and Organizing

Find notes mentioning topic

obsidian-cli search-content "API design"

Read found note

obsidian-cli print "Backend/API Design"

Reorganize (preserves all links)

obsidian-cli move "Backend/API Design" "Projects/Backend/API Design"

Common Mistakes

Mistake Why Wrong Fix

Using mv to move notes Breaks all [[wiki-links]] to that note Use obsidian-cli move

Using Write tool for notes Creates files outside vault or wrong location Use obsidian-cli create --content

Using Read for vault notes Misses vault context, no search integration Use obsidian-cli print

Not checking vault first Operations fail or create files in wrong place Always run print-default first

Manual link updating with sed Error-prone, misses bidirectional links obsidian-cli move handles automatically

Using absolute paths Breaks when vault moves Use vault-relative paths

When to Use Standard Tools

Use obsidian-cli first. Only use standard tools when:

• Bulk editing note contents (use Edit after obsidian-cli print )

• Complex search patterns (use Grep with vault path)

• File pattern matching (use Glob on $VAULT_PATH/**/*.md )

Always preserve:

• Frontmatter (YAML between --- )

• Obsidian link syntax [[Note]]

• Tag syntax #tag-name

• Markdown structure

Integration Pattern

1. Check vault

obsidian-cli print-default

2. Use obsidian-cli for vault operations

obsidian-cli search-content "search term" obsidian-cli print "Found Note"

3. Use standard tools ONLY when needed

(e.g., complex editing after reading with obsidian-cli)

Success Criteria

Vault operations succeed when:

• All [[wiki-links]] remain valid after moves

• Notes created in correct vault location

• Markdown and YAML frontmatter preserved intact during all operations

• Search returns accurate results

• No broken links or orphaned notes