LLM Wiki — Obsidian Template Vault

A template Obsidian vault implementing Karpathy's LLM Wiki pattern on top of a Zettelkasten + PARA foundation. The LLM is treated as the wiki maintainer (bookkeeping, cross-references, distillation, contradiction flagging); the human owns sourcing, judgment, and authored synthesis.

Use this template to bootstrap a new vault. Fork it, replace example content, edit CLAUDE.md to fit your domain.

What's in this template

• CLAUDE.md — schema doc that defines how an LLM agent operates inside this vault. Roles, three layers (raw / wiki / schema), operations (Ingest, Collate, Draft, Query, Lint, Reindex, Digest), conventions (provenance, confidence, frontmatter).
• .claude/commands/ — 7 slash commands (/ingest, /collate, /draft, /query, /lint, /reindex, /digest) wired to the operations defined in CLAUDE.md. Use with Claude Code or any compatible agent harness.
• 99 Templates/ — Obsidian Templater files for Base, Paper, Books, Movies, Daily, Project, Digest, and Zotero.
• 04 Indexes/ — seeded with Wiki Index.md, Wiki Map.md, Wiki Log.md, and Open Questions.md — the navigation surface the agent maintains.
• 08 Trackers/ — empty skeletons for Inbox, This Week, Deadlines, Recurring, Someday, Goals, and consumption lists (To Be Read/Watched/Listened/Eaten).
• 00 Vault Guide.md — long-form workflow guide (Zettelkasten pipeline, task management, capture flows, paper reading, daily notes).

Quick start

1. Click Use this template on GitHub to create your own copy.
2. Clone locally and open the folder as an Obsidian vault.
3. Install Templater (point template folder at 99 Templates/).
4. Open the vault in Claude Code (or your preferred agent harness): cd <vault> && claude.
5. Try /lint to confirm the agent picks up CLAUDE.md.
6. Edit CLAUDE.md to taste. The schema is meant to co-evolve.

How the LLM-Wiki layer maps onto the Zettelkasten foundation

Layer (Karpathy gist)	Folder(s)	Who writes
Raw (immutable to agent)	01 Fleeting Notes/, 02 Sources/, 06 Daily Notes/	User / capture pipeline
Wiki (agent-maintained)	05 Base Notes/, 04 Indexes/	Agent drafts; user reviews
Schema	CLAUDE.md	Co-evolved

07 Projects/ is operationally separate but bridged into the wiki via the Reindex op (concepts repeated across projects get promoted to Base Notes). 08 Trackers/ is user-owned operationally.

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Underlying Zettelkasten + PARA system

The rest of this README documents the underlying capture and processing system this template is built on. Originally developed as a personal vault ("Nordorn"); the LLM-wiki layer above sits on top.

A comprehensive personal knowledge management system built in Obsidian, combining Zettelkasten methodology with project management. Uses Templater, Web Clipper, and Zotero integration for automated note creation and academic research management.

Table of Contents

• System Overview
• Folder Structure
• Core Plugins
  • Templator
  • Web Clipper
  • Zotero Integration
• Workflow Guides
  • Project Management
  • Research & Learning
  • Content Curation
• Templates
• MOCs (Maps of Content)
• Maintenance & Best Practices
• Setup Instructions

System Overview

Nordorn is a second brain system designed for:

• Knowledge Management: Capture, organize, and connect information using Zettelkasten principles
• Project Tracking: Manage active projects separately from knowledge areas
• Academic Research: Process and synthesize research papers via Zotero integration
• Learning: Build interconnected knowledge networks through atomic notes

Core Philosophy: Combines the linking power of Zettelkasten with practical project management. Knowledge areas and resources are unified in the Bases system, while projects maintain separate tracking for actionable outcomes.

Folder Structure

~/personal/Nordorn/
├── 00 Bases/           # Core MOCs and system documentation
├── 01 Fleeting Notes/  # Quick captures, temporary thoughts
├── 02 Sources/         # Reference materials, books, articles
├── 03 Tags/            # Tag-based organization and indices
├── 04 Indexes/         # Curated lists and reference guides
├── 05 Base Notes/      # Permanent notes, core concepts
├── 06 Daily Notes/     # Daily journals and planning
├── 07 Projects/        # Active projects and areas
├── 99 Archive/         # Completed or inactive content
├── 99 Templates/       # Note templates for consistency
├── Clippings/          # Web clipper captures
├── Excalidraw/         # Visual diagrams and sketches
└── Images/             # Media assets and attachments

Folder Descriptions

Folder	Purpose	Content Types
00 Bases	Knowledge areas and resources	MOCs, topic hubs, areas of responsibility, reference materials
01 Fleeting Notes	Initial capture	Quick thoughts, meeting notes, temporary ideas
02 Sources	External references	Book notes, article summaries, Zotero imports
03 Tags	Topic organization	Tag indices, topic clusters
04 Indexes	Curated collections	Lists, catalogs, reference materials
05 Base Notes	Permanent knowledge	Atomic notes, evergreen concepts, linked ideas
06 Daily Notes	Time-based tracking	Daily journals, planning, reviews
07 Projects	Active work	Project notes, meeting logs, deliverables
99 Archive	Inactive content	Completed projects, outdated information
99 Templates	Note scaffolding	Templator templates for consistency

Core Plugins

Templator

Purpose: Automate note creation with dynamic templates

Key Features:

• Dynamic date/time insertion
• Automatic folder placement
• Metadata generation
• Custom variable prompts

Common Templates:

• Daily Note template with weather, tasks, reflections
• Project kickoff template with objectives and milestones
• Meeting note template with attendees and action items
• Book/Article summary template with key insights
• Fleeting note template with processing workflow

Web Clipper

Purpose: Capture web content directly into Obsidian

Template Configuration: Web clipping template JSON files are stored in Templates/WebClippings/ folder for consistent formatting and metadata capture.

Available Clipping Types:

• YouTube Videos: Specialized template for video content with timestamps and key points
• Default Webpage: General template for articles, blog posts, and web content

Workflow:

1. Clip interesting articles/content to Clippings/
2. Process clippings during weekly reviews
3. Extract key insights into 05 Base Notes/
4. Tag and link to relevant MOCs
5. Archive processed clippings

Workflow Guides

Daily Note Workflow

Morning Routine (10 minutes):

1. Open today's daily note (auto-created via Templator)
2. Review yesterday's action items
3. Set 3 key priorities for today
4. Check project deadlines and commitments

Evening Review (15 minutes):

1. Capture fleeting thoughts from the day
2. Process any new clippings or quick notes
3. Update project progress
4. Plan tomorrow's priorities
5. Reflect on learnings and insights

Project Management

Project Initiation:

1. Create project folder in 07 Projects/
2. Use project template (objectives, timeline, resources)
3. Create or link to relevant MOC in 00 Bases/
4. Set up recurring reviews and milestones

Project Maintenance:

• Weekly project reviews and updates
• Link related fleeting notes and sources
• Track decisions and lessons learned
• Archive completed projects to 99 Archive/

Research & Learning

Information Processing Pipeline:

1. Capture: Web clipper → Clippings/
2. Initial Processing: Fleeting note → 01 Fleeting Notes/
3. Source Analysis: Detailed notes → 02 Sources/
4. Synthesis: Permanent note → 05 Base Notes/
5. Connection: Link to relevant MOCs and projects

Reading Workflow:

• Use book/article templates for consistent structure
• Extract key quotes and insights
• Create connection notes linking related concepts
• Regular review of source notes for synthesis opportunities

Content Curation

Weekly Review Process:

1. Process all items in 01 Fleeting Notes/
2. Review and categorize new clippings
3. Update relevant indexes and MOCs
4. Archive completed items
5. Plan next week's learning priorities

Templates

Template Categories

Core Templates:

• Daily Note Template: Daily planning, reflection, and capture
• Base Note Template: Atomic knowledge notes following Zettelkasten principles
• Book Note Template: Structured book summaries and key insights
• Zotero Note Template: Academic paper analysis and citation integration

Web Clipping Templates

Web clipping template JSON files are stored in Templates/WebClippings/ folder:

• YouTube Template: Video content with timestamps and key points
• Default Webpage Template: Articles, blog posts, and general web content

Template Features

• Dynamic Variables: Auto-populated dates, titles, and metadata
• Conditional Logic: Templates adapt based on context
• Prompt Integration: Interactive fields for custom input
• Linking Automation: Auto-generated links to related notes

MOCs (Maps of Content)

Maps of Content serve as navigation hubs and knowledge dashboards, combining areas of responsibility with resource management.

Core MOCs in 00 Bases/

Knowledge Area MOCs:

• Technology MOC: Programming, tools, and technical concepts
• Business MOC: Strategy, management, and professional development
• Personal MOC: Health, habits, and personal growth
• Academic MOC: Research areas, theories, and scholarly work

System MOCs:

• Home Dashboard: System overview and quick navigation
• Project Dashboard: Active projects and deadlines
• Learning Dashboard: Current learning goals and progress

MOC Structure

# MOC Title

## Overview
Brief description and purpose

## Current Focus
Active projects and priorities

## Core Concepts
[[Link]] - Description
[[Link]] - Description

## Recent Updates
- Latest additions and changes

## Related MOCs
Links to connected knowledge areas

Maintenance & Best Practices

Daily Habits (5-10 minutes)

• Capture thoughts in fleeting notes
• Process urgent clippings
• Update daily note with progress

Weekly Reviews (30-45 minutes)

• Process all fleeting notes
• Review and categorize clippings
• Update project status
• Clean up tags and links
• Plan next week's priorities

Monthly Maintenance (1-2 hours)

• Archive completed projects
• Update MOCs with new connections
• Review and refine templates
• Backup and sync vault
• Assess system effectiveness

Zettelkasten Best Practices

Atomic Notes:

• One concept per note
• Self-contained and understandable
• Unique identifiers and clear titles
• Regular linking and cross-referencing

Linking Strategy:

• Use [[double brackets]] for internal links
• Add context with [[Note|display text]]
• Create connection notes for complex relationships
• Build knowledge networks through consistent linking

Note Development:

• Start with fleeting notes, develop into permanent notes
• Regular review and refinement of existing notes
• Connect new information to existing knowledge structures
• Maintain note quality over quantity

⚙️ Setup Instructions

Required Plugins

1. Core Plugins: Daily notes, Templates, Graph view
2. Community Plugins:
   • Templator (advanced templating)
   • Web Clipper (content capture)
   • Zotero Integration (academic research)
   • Dataview (dynamic content)
   • Tag Wrangler (tag management)

Initial Configuration

1. Set daily notes folder to 06 Daily Notes/
2. Configure Templator templates folder as 99 Templates/
3. Set up Web Clipper to save to Clippings/
4. Create initial MOCs in 00 Bases/

Template Setup

1. Import base templates to 99 Templates/
2. Configure Templator hotkeys and auto-triggers
3. Test template functionality
4. Customize templates for personal workflow

First Week Workflow

1. Create your first daily note
2. Set up 2-3 core MOCs
3. Capture and process 5-10 fleeting notes
4. Try the web clipper with interesting articles
5. Review and refine your workflow

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Remember: Your second brain combines the best of Zettelkasten knowledge building with practical project management. Focus on creating atomic, interconnected notes while keeping projects actionable and time-bound.