obsidian-brain

name	obsidian-brain
description	Advanced knowledge management for Obsidian vaults.Use when: creating/editing .md notes, .canvas visual maps, .base database views, researching existing docs, or validating content consistency.
metadata	{"version":"2.2.3"}
user-invocable	false

Obsidian Brain Skill

Transform the Agent into a "Project Researcher" capable of working with Obsidian files - Markdown notes, Canvas visuals, and Bases databases.

Core Capabilities

1. Writer Mode (Markdown Content)

Goal: Create context-aware Obsidian notes with proper syntax.

Reference: #file:references/obsidian-markdown.md

Key features:

• Wikilinks: [[Note Name]], [[Note#Heading]], [[Note|Display Text]]
• Embeds: ![[image.png]], ![[note.md]], ![[doc.pdf#page=3]]
• Callouts: > [!note], > [!warning], > [!tip]
• Frontmatter: YAML properties for metadata
• Tags: #tag, #nested/tag

Procedure:

1. Check existing notes for context
2. Draft using project terminology
3. Add [[Internal Links]] to related documents
4. Include proper frontmatter metadata

2. Canvas Mode (Visual Organization)

Goal: Create/edit .canvas files for visual maps, flowcharts, project boards.

Reference: references/json-canvas.md

Key features:

• Node types: text, file, link, group
• Edges: connect nodes with arrows and labels
• Colors: preset 1-6 or hex colors
• Layout: position nodes with x, y, width, height

Procedure:

1. Plan the visual structure
2. Create nodes array with proper IDs (16-char hex)
3. Add edges to connect related nodes
4. Use groups to organize sections

3. Database Mode (Structured Views)

Goal: Create/edit .base files for database-like views of notes.

Reference: references/obsidian-base.md

Key features:

• Views: table, cards, list, map
• Filters: file.hasTag(), file.inFolder(), property comparisons
• Formulas: computed fields, date calculations
• Summaries: Sum, Average, Min, Max, etc.

Procedure:

1. Define global filters for note selection
2. Create formulas for computed properties
3. Configure views with property order
4. Add summaries for aggregations

4. Detective Mode (Research)

Goal: Discover connections and implicit dependencies.

Note: Obsidian MCP integration coming soon for semantic search.

Current procedure:

1. Use grep for exact entity matches across .specify/
2. Use Glob tool to find related files by pattern
3. Infer relations: Doc A defines → Doc B validates = dependency
4. Check backlinks via file.backlinks in Bases

Instructions for Agent

CRITICAL — Vault Path Rule: Smart-obsidian vault root = .specify/. All paths passed to MCP tools MUST be relative to vault root — NEVER prefix with .specify/.

• CORRECT: get_vault_file("docs/en/guides/skills-guide.md")

• CORRECT: list_vault_files("plugins")

• WRONG: get_vault_file(".specify/docs/en/guides/skills-guide.md") ← double-prefix, 404

• WRONG: list_vault_files("") or list_vault_files("/") ← empty path, 404

• For built-in tools (Read, Glob, Grep): use full filesystem path including .specify/

• Cite sources: "According to specs/Emissions.md..."

• Link aggressively: Insert [[Wikilinks]] to connect concepts

• Validate syntax: Check reference files before creating Obsidian files

• Frontmatter first: Always include YAML metadata in notes

References

For detailed syntax and examples, see:

• #file:references/obsidian-markdown.md - Obsidian Flavored Markdown
• #file:references/json-canvas.md - JSON Canvas Spec
• #file:references/obsidian-base.md - Obsidian Bases Syntax