| name | inbox-process |
| description | Process the Obsidian Inbox interactively — reads all files, generates routing recommendations, then walks through each item one at a time with user confirmation before acting. Use when /inbox-process is invoked or when Shane wants to clear the Inbox. |
Skill: /inbox-process
Interactive inbox triage. Review each item, confirm the action, execute.
Fixtures to Skip
These files are permanent Inbox fixtures — do not include them in processing:
Inbox Processing.mdtodo.mdChores.md
Destination Routing
| Recommendation | When to use |
|---|
| Move to Projects/ | Describes an active project, initiative, or ongoing effort |
| Move to Concepts/ | A mental model, framework, reusable idea, or principle |
| Move to Context/ | Background reference material, standing context, or reference docs |
| Move to Meetings/ | Raw conversation or meeting note — process with /meeting first |
| Move to Clippings/ | Article, link, or external source saved for later |
| Archive | Done, resolved, or superseded — worth keeping but not active |
| Delete | Transient, already captured elsewhere, or no longer relevant |
| Keep in Inbox | Genuinely needs more thought before acting |
Steps
-
List inbox contents
- Run:
ls "~/Library/Mobile Documents/iCloud~md~obsidian/Documents/Personal/Inbox/"
- Filter out fixture files (see above)
- If inbox is empty: report "Inbox is clear." and stop
-
Read each file briefly
- For each file, strip the
.md extension and run: obsidian read file='Note Name'
- Skim the output for content type and intent (first ~40 lines is enough)
- Note the filename and content type
-
Generate recommendations upfront
- For every non-fixture file, produce a one-line summary and a routing recommendation
- Be opinionated — give a clear call, don't hedge
- Present the full list as a table:
| File | Summary | Recommendation |
|------|---------|----------------|
| [filename] | [one-line summary] | [destination] |
-
Walk through items one at a time
-
Execute each confirmed action
- Move:
mv "[full vault path/Inbox/filename]" "[full vault path/Destination/filename]" — bash exception; obsidian CLI has no move command
- Archive:
mv "[full vault path/Inbox/filename]" "[full vault path/Inbox/Archive/filename]" (create Archive/ if needed)
- Delete:
rm "[full vault path/Inbox/filename]" — bash exception; obsidian CLI has no delete command
- Keep in Inbox: no action, note it
- Raw meeting note → Meetings/: remind Shane to run
/meeting [filename] first; skip the move for now
-
Report summary
