Conversation Archivist
Turn valuable conversations and insights into structured, linked Obsidian Markdown notes.
The skill declares only Read, Write, Edit, Glob, and Grep, while its procedure requires bash/python execution, CLI transport, or MCP writes; this permission/data-flow mismatch costs points. It includes destination checks, locking, filename sanitization, and overwrite confirmation, showing partial scoping and recovery awareness. However, it does not explicitly confirm the save action itself, address sensitive conversation handling, disclose external transport in the user flow, or provide transactional rollback; index, log, and hot-cache updates can be partial.
The routing, transport selection, locking, note-type table, and naming rules are fairly concrete, and repository CI/tests provide limited static evidence for shared infrastructure. There are no tests for the save workflow itself, including routing conflicts, lock-release failure, partial writes, unavailable CLI/MCP, duplicate pages, or abnormal conversations. The declared tool set also conflicts with required commands, so the static score remains conservative.
Trigger phrases, note types, folders, project-vault versus personal-vault precedence, and four methodology modes are described. Non-fit boundaries, execution of the skip decision, environment prerequisites, and end-to-end Chinese-language behavior are under-specified. The local Markdown/Obsidian target is broadly compatible with Chinese users, and the skill is not shown to depend entirely on unreachable overseas services.
The skill is well layered across transport, modes, concurrency, decision rules, workflow, templates, writing style, and skip criteria; repository context supplies MIT licensing, security policy, CI, and version signals. The skill itself lacks explicit maintenance ownership, changelog, installation/dependency notes, troubleshooting, and stable parameter governance. References to other skills and global CLAUDE.md are not evidence contained in the selected path, so points are deducted.
The core outcome is clear: convert the current conversation into a structured, searchable Markdown note with frontmatter, links, index, log, and hot-cache updates. The extraction and linking rules support the main happy path and the resulting artifact is intended to be directly usable. However, success depends on unprovided vault state, CLAUDE.md, scripts, and transport integrations; there is no save-specific output sample or verification, and multi-file updates may be incomplete, so the score stays within the static ceiling.
README, LICENSE, SECURITY, CI, and several general tests provide auditable repository evidence. CI validates some shared scripts and frontmatter, but there is no dedicated save/SKILL.md test, revision-level behavior evidence, representative saved-note fixture, or independent corroboration. Marketing claims about broader capabilities do not verify this selected skill path, warranting only limited credit.
- The workflow does not clearly obtain confirmation for the save action itself, so sensitive or unwanted conversation content may be persisted.
- The declared allowed-tools omit Bash, Python, and MCP even though the procedure depends on them; deployment may fail or use an unexpected transport path.
- Note, index, log, and hot-cache updates occur in multiple steps; locking is not transactional rollback, so interruption may leave partial state or stale locks.
- The final destination depends on personal-vault settings, project/global CLAUDE.md, and referenced scripts that were not verified within the selected skill file.
What does this skill do, and when should you use it?
Save is the conversation-archiving skill in claude-obsidian. It analyzes the current conversation, answer, or insight, selects an appropriate note type, generates frontmatter, and writes the result into the relevant Obsidian wiki folder. It then updates the index, log, and hot cache so the material becomes part of the maintained knowledge base. It fits users already running the repository's vault workflow; it is less suitable for people seeking a standalone chat-export tool without an Obsidian vault.
Reads the current conversation and classifies it as synthesis, concept, source, decision, or session; creates YAML frontmatter containing type, title, dates, tags, related pages, and sources; selects the destination root and folder according to project configuration and methodology mode; writes a Markdown note through the configured filesystem, Obsidian CLI, or Obsidian MCP transport; acquires per-file advisory locks for multi-file saves; updates wiki/index.md, wiki/log.md, and wiki/hot.md; and asks before overwriting an existing note at the same path.
- A researcher turns a substantial analysis from a chat into a reusable wiki page with sources and related links.
- A developer archives the rationale for an architectural decision in the Obsidian meta area after a design discussion.
- A PKM user converts an important conceptual explanation into a linked concept note.
- A user with a cross-project knowledge base saves a complete session summary into a shared personal vault.
- A multi-agent or team workflow uses per-file locks to reduce concurrent-write corruption during vault updates.
What are this skill's strengths and limitations?
- Stores output as ordinary Markdown files owned by the user, with Obsidian wikilinks and frontmatter.
- Covers extraction, classification, writing, index updates, logging, and hot-cache refresh in one workflow.
- Routes notes for generic, LYT, PARA, and Zettelkasten methodology modes.
- Includes per-file advisory locking for parallel or multi-writer saves.
- MIT-licensed and distributed through both a full-vault setup and a Claude Code plugin workflow.
- Depends on an Obsidian vault, repository scripts, and the surrounding wiki structure; standalone use is not documented.
- The workflow is centered on Claude Code's /save trigger and CLAUDE.md conventions, so other clients may require adaptation.
- The source provides no independent test results for the Save skill itself.
- Advisory locking does not come with evidence that it resolves every conflict involving external editors or sync tools.
- Destination routing, methodology modes, and transport configuration add setup complexity.
How do you install this skill?
The source does not document a standalone installation for this skill; it documents installation of the full claude-obsidian collection. Run: git clone https://github.com/AgriciDaniel/claude-obsidian && cd claude-obsidian && bash bin/setup-vault.sh. Open the directory as an Obsidian vault and start Claude Code in the same directory. Alternatively run: claude plugin marketplace add AgriciDaniel/claude-obsidian; claude plugin install claude-obsidian@agricidaniel-claude-obsidian. A separate installation consisting only of skills/save/SKILL.md is not specified.
How do you use this skill?
In Claude Code, run /save or use triggers such as “save this,” “save this analysis,” “file this conversation,” or “save to wiki.” You can provide a title with /save [name]. If no title or note type is specified, the workflow asks for a short name when needed and chooses a type from the conversation content. A successful save is expected to confirm the note title and wiki location.
How does this skill compare with similar options?
The README presents the overall claude-obsidian project as an open-source, local Markdown alternative to Notion. Save itself is narrower: it archives conversations and updates vault metadata rather than replacing Notion as a complete product.