Read when the user asks what OpenKnowledge is, wants to install it on a repository, wants to share an OpenKnowledge project with collaborators, or asks how `ok init` / `ok cowork` / OK Desktop set up a project. Do NOT load to perform OpenKnowledge reads/writes — the runtime guidance for editing markdown inside an initialized OK project ships as a separate project-local skill at `.claude/skills/open-knowledge/` whenever `ok init` runs. If the user appears to be editing markdown inside a `.ok/` project and this is the only OK skill loaded, advise them to re-run `ok init` to install the project-local skill.
Authoritative agent-runtime contract for working inside an OpenKnowledge project — a markdown-CRDT knowledge base exposed over MCP. Use whenever reading, listing, searching, editing, or linting any `.md` or `.mdx` file in the project, and before any `mcp__open-knowledge__*` tool call (`exec`, `search`, `write`, `edit`, `lint`, and the rest). Installed by `ok init`, so its presence means this is an OpenKnowledge project and it governs every markdown file here. Covers the read/write tool surface, grounding and linking rules, folder/template conventions, the live browser preview, and the rule that OK's MCP tools — never native file tools — handle in-scope markdown.
Use when the user wants to create, author, write, or design a new Agent Skill (a SKILL.md) — for OpenKnowledge or for their editors — including requests like 'help me write a skill', 'make a skill that…', 'turn this workflow into a skill', or improving an existing skill's triggering and discipline. Also use when capturing reusable agent guidance that should live as an installable skill rather than a one-off prompt. Covers choosing scope (project vs global), the SKILL.md frontmatter contract, progressive-disclosure structure, evaluating the skill, and installing it into the user's editors.
How to work in a Knowledge Base project (the `knowledge-base` starter pack). Read when the project has the three-layer source-grounded layout — `external-sources/` → `research/` → `articles/` — wired to the `workflow` MCP tool's ingest / research / consolidate kinds. Carries the pack's workflow, per-folder rules, status flows, and log discipline so this guidance does NOT live inside template bodies or log.md. Complements the platform `open-knowledge` skill; does not replace it.
How to work in a Personal CRM project (the `entity-vault` starter pack, GBrain-compatible): a typed-entity vault of people, companies, meetings, and concepts, each a dossier with a rewritable summary plus an append-only timeline. Read when the project has these folders. Carries the dossier convention and entity-extraction behaviors so that guidance does not live inside template bodies or folder descriptions. Complements the platform `open-knowledge` skill; does not replace it.
How to work in an OKF starter project (the `okf` starter pack): a knowledge base that is conformant with Google's Open Knowledge Format (OKF) from commit one — `concepts/`, `references/`, `notes/`, a reserved `index.md` navigation hub, and a reserved `log.md` change history. Read when the project has these folders + reserved files. Carries the OKF conventions (non-empty `type` on every non-reserved doc; reserved files carry no frontmatter) as guidance, not enforcement. Complements the platform `open-knowledge` skill; does not replace it.
How to work in a Codebase Wiki project (the `codebase-wiki` starter pack): an agent-authored, source-grounded wiki of the surrounding codebase. Read when the project has a `wiki/` knowledge base with `architecture/`, `modules/`, `flows/`, `concepts/`, and `guides/` sections plus `wiki/OVERVIEW.md`. Carries the per-folder rules and freshness + log discipline, summarizes the audience/depth knobs and source-reference convention, and points to the `workflow({ kind: 'wiki' })` guide for the full generate/refresh procedure. Complements the platform `open-knowledge` skill; does not replace it.
How to work in a Plain Notes project (the `plain-notes` starter pack): a flat notes/ folder plus a daily/ journal. The 'I just want to write' layout. Read when the project has these folders. Carries the linking habit and daily-entry behavior so templates and folder descriptions stay minimal. Complements the platform `open-knowledge` skill; does not replace it.