Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Vault Filing Mode Router agent skill (wiki-mode)
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The wiki-mode skill is an agent skill for people who keep an Obsidian vault built with the claude-obsidian product. It reads the filing method your vault uses (Generic, LYT, PARA or Zettelkasten) and suggests where new knowledge pages should go. After this guide you will know how to install the skill, how to ask for routes or a mode change in plain language, and what the skill will and will not do to your notes.
Vault Filing Mode RouterAgriciDaniel/claude-obsidian · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Check requirements. Confirm Python 3 is installed, you have an installed claude-obsidian product root, and you have an Obsidian vault directory.
- 2Download the ZIP. Download the wiki-mode ZIP from this page and unzip it.
- 3Place the skill folder. Move the folder into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder.
- 4Or upload in the Claude apps. In the Claude apps, open Settings → Capabilities → Skills and upload the skill.
- 5Ask for your current mode. Ask the agent 'What is my vault mode?' to confirm the skill loads and reads your configuration.
- 6Test a route. Ask for a destination for a planned page and check whether the suggestion fits how you use your notes.
- 7Change mode only after review. Request a mode change, review the preview, and approve it only if the new mode suits you.
What the wiki-mode skill makes the agent do
An agent skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file that tells an AI agent how to handle a particular kind of task. This one covers filing. You choose a methodology for your vault, and the agent uses it to suggest a folder or parent note for new knowledge pages.
The skill supports four modes. Generic uses type-based folders such as sources, entities, concepts and sessions. LYT keeps atomic notes under wiki/notes/ and connects them through Maps of Content (MOCs). PARA sorts material into Projects, Areas, Resources or Archives by actionability. Zettelkasten keeps flat atomic notes with time-sortable, collision-resistant identifiers and explicit links.
The skill only proposes destinations. It does not write knowledge pages, move existing notes or rewrite links. It can also help change the saved mode, but only through a preview and approval step. If no mode file exists, the skill uses Generic.
What you need before installing
The skill has specific requirements. It runs helper scripts, so it is not a standalone text file. Check that you have each item below before you install.
The skill calls scripts/claude-obsidian.py and scripts/wiki-mode.py inside an installed claude-obsidian product root. Without these, the skill will not work.
- Python 3
- An installed claude-obsidian product root that contains scripts/claude-obsidian.py and scripts/wiki-mode.py
- An Obsidian vault directory
Install the skill from the ZIP
Download the ZIP for wiki-mode from this page and unzip it. The folder includes SKILL.md and template files for each methodology.
For a personal install, place the unzipped skill folder in ~/.claude/skills/. To limit it to one project, place it in that project's .claude/skills/ folder instead.
If you use the Claude apps, you can instead upload the skill under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/
- Project install: the project's .claude/skills/ folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills
Trigger the skill with natural requests
You do not need a special command. Ask in plain language, and the agent will load the skill when your request matches its description. The description lists phrases such as wiki mode, methodology mode, what is my vault mode, switch to PARA, use LYT, Zettelkasten setup, change mode and configure mode.
Good requests name the item you are filing and, when relevant, the mode you want to test.
- What is my vault mode?
- Where should a note about battery chemistry go under PARA?
- Switch to PARA.
- Suggest a route for a concept called Spaced repetition using Zettelkasten.
- Configure mode for my vault.
Read and route with the helper scripts
The skill selects the vault explicitly and calls the helper to read the mode or get a route. The helper validates the vault, checks paths, cleans names and prints a suggestion only. You can run the same reads yourself to see what the skill sees.
Set PRODUCT_ROOT to the absolute path of your installed claude-obsidian folder. Then run the helper against your vault.
PRODUCT_ROOT=/absolute/path/to/installed/claude-obsidian
MODE_HELPER="$PRODUCT_ROOT/scripts/wiki-mode.py"
python3 "$MODE_HELPER" --vault "$VAULT" get
python3 "$MODE_HELPER" --vault "$VAULT" route concept "Concept name"Change the mode safely
A mode change is a two-step process. The agent first previews the change, showing the old mode, the new mode and the exact file that will change, which is .vault-meta/mode.json. You review the preview, and only then is the change applied. Changing mode affects future routing only and never moves or migrates existing notes.
Other mode-specific settings are preserved. If the mode file exists but is invalid, the skill stops and repairs the configuration through a reviewed step rather than quietly switching to Generic.
- Preview shows the old mode, new mode and exact changed path
- Apply runs only after you approve the reviewed plan
- Existing notes, folders and links are not changed
Safety notes: scripts and network
This skill runs scripts. Its helper scripts run on your machine and read and write only through the configuration workflow described above. The skill does not use the network. Review the scripts before running the skill on an important vault, and keep a backup of your vault in case you approve a mode change you later regret.
Migration is a separate task. If you later want existing notes moved or restructured, the skill says that must be planned and reviewed as its own operation.
- Runs scripts: yes
- Uses network: no
- Writes only to .vault-meta/mode.json during a mode change
What people use it for
- Keeping new Zettelkasten notes flat, with explicit links to related notes.
- Deciding whether a new research topic belongs under a PARA Project, Area or Resource.
- Routing new concept pages to the right Map of Content in a LYT vault.
- Testing two methodologies on paper before committing to one for your vault.
- Maintaining the claude-obsidian mode configuration workflow.
Frequently asked questions
Is the wiki-mode skill free to use?
The source material for this page does not state pricing or licence terms beyond the licence shown on this page, which is MIT. Check the licence file in the repository for the full terms.
What do I need to install wiki-mode?
You need Python 3, an installed claude-obsidian product root containing scripts/claude-obsidian.py and scripts/wiki-mode.py, and an Obsidian vault directory. Without the helper scripts the skill cannot run.
Where do I put the skill folder?
Place the unzipped folder in ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or in a project's .claude/skills/ folder to limit it to that project. In the Claude apps you can upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Will the skill move or rewrite my notes?
No. The skill only suggests destinations. Changing mode affects future routing only, and it never moves, renames or migrates existing notes.
Which filing method should I pick: PARA, LYT or Zettelkasten?
PARA suits people who organise work by actionability into Projects, Areas, Resources and Archives. LYT suits people who want atomic notes linked through Maps of Content. Zettelkasten suits people who prefer flat notes with explicit links and unique identifiers. You can test routes before changing the saved mode.
Why does the skill stop with an error about my mode file?
If .vault-meta/mode.json exists but is invalid, the skill fails closed on purpose and will not silently fall back to Generic. Repair the file through the reviewed configuration workflow rather than editing it to bypass the check.
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Our verdict
Use wiki-mode if you keep an Obsidian vault with the claude-obsidian product and want consistent filing under a known method, or if you want to test which method fits your notes. Skip it if you want an agent that automatically saves or reorganises notes, or if you do not have the claude-obsidian helper scripts installed.
Download the skill