hermes-agent/skills/note-taking/obsidian/SKILL.md
2026-05-05 13:51:56 -07:00

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---
name: obsidian
description: Read, search, create, and edit notes in the Obsidian vault.
---
# Obsidian Vault
Use this skill for filesystem-first Obsidian vault work: reading notes, listing notes, searching note files, creating notes, appending content, and adding wikilinks.
## Vault path
Use a known or resolved vault path before calling file tools.
The documented vault-path convention is the `OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH` environment variable, for example from `~/.hermes/.env`. If it is unset, use `~/Documents/Obsidian Vault`.
File tools do not expand shell variables. Do not pass paths containing `$OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH` to `read_file`, `write_file`, `patch`, or `search_files`; resolve the vault path first and pass a concrete absolute path. Vault paths may contain spaces, which is another reason to prefer file tools over shell commands.
If the vault path is unknown, `terminal` is acceptable for resolving `OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH` or checking whether the fallback path exists. Once the path is known, switch back to file tools.
## Read a note
Use `read_file` with the resolved absolute path to the note. Prefer this over `cat` because it provides line numbers and pagination.
## List notes
Use `search_files` with `target: "files"` and the resolved vault path. Prefer this over `find` or `ls`.
- To list all markdown notes, use `pattern: "*.md"` under the vault path.
- To list a subfolder, search under that subfolder's absolute path.
## Search
Use `search_files` for both filename and content searches. Prefer this over `grep`, `find`, or `ls`.
- For filenames, use `search_files` with `target: "files"` and a filename `pattern`.
- For note contents, use `search_files` with `target: "content"`, the content regex as `pattern`, and `file_glob: "*.md"` when you want to restrict matches to markdown notes.
## Create a note
Use `write_file` with the resolved absolute path and the full markdown content. Prefer this over shell heredocs or `echo` because it avoids shell quoting issues and returns structured results.
## Append to a note
Prefer a native file-tool workflow when it is not awkward:
- Read the target note with `read_file`.
- Use `patch` for an anchored append when there is stable context, such as adding a section after an existing heading or appending before a known trailing block.
- Use `write_file` when rewriting the whole note is clearer than constructing a fragile patch.
For an anchored append with `patch`, replace the anchor with the anchor plus the new content.
For a simple append with no stable context, `terminal` is acceptable if it is the clearest safe option.
## Targeted edits
Use `patch` for focused note changes when the current content gives you stable context. Prefer this over shell text rewriting.
## Wikilinks
Obsidian links notes with `[[Note Name]]` syntax. When creating notes, use these to link related content.