note-manager

name	note-manager
description	Create properly formatted markdown notes with YAML frontmatter in an Obsidian vault. Use this skill whenever the user asks to create a note, write a markdown file with metadata, add frontmatter to a document, or save content to their vault. Also trigger when any cogni-x plugin needs to produce output files that should be discoverable in Obsidian — the frontmatter standard ensures consistent metadata across all plugin outputs.
version	1.1.0

Purpose

Provide a consistent way to create markdown notes that work well in Obsidian. Every note gets YAML frontmatter with at least a title and date, which makes it searchable, taggable, and visible in Obsidian's graph view. The approach is deliberately minimal — Obsidian handles linking, rendering, and indexing, so the notes just need to be well-structured standard markdown.

Frontmatter Standard

---
title: "Note Title"
date: 2026-03-01
tags:
  - tag1
source: plugin-name
---

Required: title (string) and date (YYYY-MM-DD).

Optional:

• tags (list) — for Obsidian search and graph view
• source (string) — which plugin created the note (e.g., "cogni-research", "cogni-narrative")
• status (string) — workflow state: draft, review, or final
• related (list) — paths to related notes

Creating Notes

Use the Write tool. Always include frontmatter, even for simple notes.

Example — user note:

---
title: "Meeting Notes - Q1 Review"
date: 2026-03-01
tags:
  - meetings
  - quarterly
---

# Meeting Notes - Q1 Review

Content goes here...

Example — plugin output:

---
title: "Market Analysis - DACH Region"
date: 2026-03-01
tags:
  - research
  - market-analysis
source: cogni-research
status: final
---

# Market Analysis - DACH Region

Research findings...

File Naming and Placement

Use kebab-case filenames: meeting-notes-q1-review.md, market-analysis-dach.md. For daily notes, prefix with the date: 2026-03-01-daily-standup.md.

Place files according to vault structure:

• Plugin output goes in the plugin's directory (e.g., cogni-research/findings/)
• General notes go in the vault root or a user-specified folder
• Check for existing files before writing to avoid accidental overwrites

Key Rules

1. Standard markdown only — no wikilinks or Obsidian-specific embed syntax; use regular markdown links
2. Always include frontmatter — title and date at minimum, tags for discoverability
3. Respect existing structure — read the vault layout before placing files