| name | process-inbox |
| description | Process and classify files in the Obsidian vault Inbox, moving them to Notes/ with proper frontmatter. Triggers: "process inbox", "check inbox", "classify these", "file my notes", "anything in my inbox?", "triage my captures". |
Process Inbox
Classify unprocessed files from Inbox/ and move them to Notes/<type>/ with proper YAML frontmatter.
Workflow
-
List all files in Inbox/. If empty, tell the user and stop.
-
Load schema from CLAUDE.md — valid types, frontmatter requirements. This is the source of truth.
-
Classify each file — read only the first ~20 lines (title, headings, opening content) to determine the best type and tags. Do NOT read the entire file.
-
Present one batch table for approval:
| File | Proposed Title | Type | Tags |
|---|
| article.md | Some Article | reference | web-dev, react |
| setup.md | Docker Setup | config | docker, homelab |
The user adjusts any rows, then approves the whole batch at once.
-
Execute each approved file using these exact operations:
a. Rename + move with Bash mv:
mv "Inbox/<filename>" "Notes/<type>/<kebab-case-title>.md"
b. Add frontmatter with the Edit tool — prepend the YAML block to the file. If the file already has frontmatter (--- on line 1), use Edit to fill missing fields only.
-
Summarize what was processed: count moved, destination subfolders used.
Critical efficiency rules
- NEVER use Write to rewrite an existing file. Write sends the entire file content through the API — for long articles this is extremely slow.
- Use Bash
mv to relocate files. One command, instant.
- Use Edit to add or update frontmatter. Edit sends only the diff.
- Read only enough of each file to classify it (~20 lines). Do not read full content unless classification is ambiguous.
Frontmatter to add
---
title: "Derived from filename or first heading"
type: <chosen-type>
tags:
- <tag-1>
- <tag-2>
created: YYYY-MM-DD
status: active
---
Preserve any existing non-schema properties. Set created to today's date.
