vault-management

# Obsidian Vault Management ## When to Use This Skill | Use this skill when... | Use the alternative instead when... | |---|---| | Listing every vault Obsidian knows about | Listing files inside the active vault — use `vault-files` | | Targeting a non-active vault for one command | Switching the active vault permanently — `vault:open` (TUI only) | | Reporting vault info (path, file count, size) for diagnostics | Reading a specific note — use `vault-files` | The CLI defaults to the **active vault** (the one currently focused in the Obsidian app), unless your terminal's working directory is itself inside a vault folder — in which case that vault wins. The `vault=` prefix overrides both, scoped to a single command invocation. ## Prerequisites - Obsidian desktop 1.12.7+ installer with CLI enabled - Obsidian must be running ## Vault Info ```bash # Active vault overview obsidian vault # Specific fields only obsidian vault info=name obsidian vault info=path obsidian vault info=files obsidian vault info=folders obsidian vault info=size ``` ## Enumerate Known Vaults ```bash # All known vaults (name only) obsidian vaults # Include vault paths (verbose) obsidian vaults verbose # Just the count obsidian vaults total ``` ## Target a Specific Vault `vault=` is a **global prefix** — it must come before the command, not as a normal parameter: ```bash # Run against a specific vault by name obsidian vault=Notes daily obsidian vault="My Vault" search query="meeting" # By vault ID (from `obsidian vaults verbose` or settings) obsidian vault=abc123def files ``` In the TUI, `vault:open name=Notes` switches the active vault for the rest of the session. Outside the TUI, prefer the `vault=` prefix per command. ## Working-Directory Default If the terminal is `cd`-ed into a vault folder, that vault is the default — no `vault=` needed: ```bash cd ~/vaults/Work obsidian search query="status::active" # runs against ~/vaults/Work ``` This is convenient for shell scripts that live alongside a specific vault. ## Common Patterns ### "Diagnostic snapshot of every vault" ```bash obsidian vaults verbose | while read -r line; do name=$(echo "$line" | awk '{print $1}') echo "=== $name ===" obsidian vault="$name" vault info=files obsidian vault="$name" vault info=size done ``` ### "Search across one vault while a different one is active" ```bash obsidian vault=Personal search query="trip ideas" format=json ``` ### "Confirm which vault a script will hit" ```bash obsidian vault info=name obsidian vault info=path ``` ## Agentic Optimizations | Context | Command | |---------|---------| | Active vault summary | `obsidian vault` | | Active vault path only | `obsidian vault info=path` | | Active vault file count | `obsidian vault info=files` | | List vaults (verbose) | `obsidian vaults verbose` | | Vault count | `obsidian vaults total` | | Run command against a vault | `obsidian vault=NAME <command>` | ## Related Skills - **vault-files** — File operations within the active or targeted vault - **publish-sync** — Per-vault Obsidian Sync configuration and status - **search-discovery** — Search inside a (possibly `vault=`-prefixed) vault