| name | backlinks-a |
| type | action |
| description | This skill should be used when the user asks to "add backlinks", "find related notes", "what should this link to", "update backlinks", "suggest connections", or needs to find appropriate wikilinks for a note. |
| argument-hint | <filepath> |
Action skill — Backlink suggestion workflow: structural search, semantic search, cross-area scan, strength grouping.
Backlink Discovery
Find and suggest appropriate [[wikilinks]] for a note using structural analysis and semantic search.
Process
Given a file path:
1. Read the Target Note
Read the note's content. Identify its area/project, key concepts, tags, and existing links.
2. Structural Search
- Inbound links: Grep the vault for
[[note-name]] to find all notes that already link TO this note.
- Parent MOC: Read the area/project MOC (
00_ file) to see what's linked and how sections are organized.
- Sibling notes: List other notes in the same folder to find potential connections.
3. Semantic Search
Run qmd vsearch with the note's key sentences or title to find semantically similar notes across the vault.
qmd vsearch "the key concept from the note" --files
Use 2-3 queries with different phrasings for better coverage.
4. Cross-Area Scan
Check MOCs in related areas for potential cross-links. Read MOCs from areas that share concepts with the target note.
For example, if the note is in ai-dev-ecosystem and mentions statistical concepts, check 00_math-stats.md.
5. Tag-Based Discovery
Look for notes with the same knowledge-role tags that might be conceptually related:
#thread notes in the same area → likely part of the same developing narrative#question notes → might pose questions this note answers (or vice versa)#tool notes → frameworks that apply to this note's topic#insight notes → crystallized understanding related to this note's seeds/threads
6. Present Suggestions
Group suggestions by strength:
Strong matches — Same area, high semantic similarity, shared concepts:
- [[2025-01-21_agentic-primitives]] — shares agent architecture concepts
→ Add to note's ## Related section
Cross-area connections — Different area, meaningful overlap:
- [[00_modeling]] (modeling area) — note discusses model capabilities
→ Add cross-link in note's ## Related section
MOC links — MOCs that should reference this note:
- [[00_ai-dev-ecosystem]] — note not yet linked in area MOC
→ Add to MOC's appropriate section with annotation
7. Apply on Confirmation
For each accepted suggestion:
- Note → Note links: Add to the target note's
## Related section at the bottom. Create the section if it doesn't exist.
- MOC links: Add the note to the parent MOC in the appropriate section with annotation.
Backlink Rules
- Link when the connection is clear and useful — don't force it
- Prefer linking to MOCs for high-level connections
- Bidirectional by nature — Obsidian shows backlinks automatically, only write the link in one direction
- Cross-area links are encouraged
Related Section Format
## Related
- [[2025-01-21_agentic-primitives]] — agent building blocks
- [[00_modeling]] — model capabilities that enable agentic workflows
Keep annotations brief. One phrase describing why the link matters.
