KB Query

Search, answer, and generate outputs from the compiled wiki.

The key principle is that substantive research answers become persistent knowledge artifacts. Do not treat valuable Q&A as disposable chat.

Read before querying

Read these files first:

local AGENTS.md
local CLAUDE.md if present
../obsidian-notes-karpathy/references/file-model.md
../obsidian-notes-karpathy/references/lifecycle-matrix.md
../obsidian-notes-karpathy/references/qa-template.md
../obsidian-notes-karpathy/references/content-output-template.md
../obsidian-notes-karpathy/references/search-upgrades.md
../obsidian-notes-karpathy/references/activity-log-template.md
../obsidian-notes-karpathy/references/obsidian-safe-markdown.md

If one or more shared references are missing, continue with the minimum compatible contract:

ground answers in the compiled wiki instead of improvising from chat context
archive substantive answers by default
obey Obsidian-safe markdown rules whenever you emit tables

Report missing shared references in the final summary.

Then start with:

wiki/index.md
wiki/indices/INDEX.md
wiki/indices/CONCEPTS.md
wiki/indices/SOURCES.md
wiki/indices/ENTITIES.md when it exists

Mode selection

Choose one of three modes:

search mode for finding relevant notes and evidence quickly
research mode for answering a substantive question
publish mode for generating outward-facing artifacts grounded in the wiki

Search mode

For search-like requests:

inspect wiki/index.md
inspect concept, source, and optional entity indices
use ordinary file search or obsidian-cli
use backlinks, unlinked mentions, or property search when they can surface related evidence faster than plain text search
return a structured result list with short relevance notes and a few excerpts

Prefer markdown-first navigation before suggesting any search infrastructure upgrade.

Research mode

For complex questions, follow this order:

Step 1: understand the question

Identify:

key concepts
key entities when relevant
expected answer shape
whether the question is factual, comparative, analytical, or exploratory

Step 2: check existing Q&A

Search outputs/qa/ first.

If you find a strong prior answer:

use it as a starting point
update or extend it when needed
avoid re-deriving the same answer from scratch

Step 3: navigate the wiki

Read the most relevant concept pages, entity pages, and summaries, following wikilinks where they add evidence or contrast.

Step 4: synthesize with provenance

Answer using wiki citations and explicit uncertainty when sources disagree or evidence is thin.

Step 5: archive by default

If the answer is substantive, save it to outputs/qa/{date}-{slug}.md using ../obsidian-notes-karpathy/references/qa-template.md.

Only skip archival when:

the user explicitly says not to save it, or
the interaction is trivial and purely operational

Step 6: append the query log

When the answer is archived or materially updated, append a query entry to wiki/log.md using ../obsidian-notes-karpathy/references/activity-log-template.md.

Step 7: feed useful insights back into the wiki

After archiving, check whether the answer revealed:

a new concept page that should exist
a new entity page that should exist
new evidence for an existing concept or entity
a missing connection between pages

Update the wiki when the improvement is mechanical and well-supported.

Publish mode

Use this when the user wants content for an audience rather than only an internal answer.

Supported artifacts:

outputs/content/articles/ for article drafts
outputs/content/threads/ for X or social threads
outputs/content/talks/ for talk outlines
outputs/reports/ for markdown reports
outputs/slides/ for Marp decks
outputs/charts/ for Mermaid or Canvas outputs

For every generated artifact:

look for an existing supporting Q&A note first
if no strong supporting Q&A exists, create one before or immediately after the publish artifact
use ../obsidian-notes-karpathy/references/content-output-template.md when the output is audience-facing
cite the wiki pages and prior Q&A consulted
keep filenames date-prefixed and slugged
append a publish entry to wiki/log.md when the artifact is substantive
if the artifact uses tables, keep them Obsidian-safe; never place alias-style wikilinks inside table cells

Output requirements

In your user-facing summary, report:

which wiki pages or prior Q&A you relied on
which mode you used
where the new artifact was saved
whether you updated any concept or entity pages as a result
whether you appended a query or publish entry to wiki/log.md
whether any shared references or optional local files were missing

Tooling notes

Use obsidian-markdown for all markdown outputs and wikilinks.
Use obsidian-cli when available for vault-aware search.
Use obsidian-canvas-creator only when the user explicitly wants a canvas-style artifact.

kb-query