Bounded Autoresearch
AgriciDaniel/claude-obsidian
Runs a bounded, source-grounded research loop that drafts a cited dossier and can propose a separately reviewed merge into an Obsidian vault.
Create, edit, diagnose, and verify ZotLit templates and managed frontmatter in an Obsidian vault.
Install Zotlit Template
$ npx skills add aidenlx/zotlit --skill zotlit-template -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install aidenlx/zotlit zotlit-template --agent claude-codeProject scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/aidenlx/zotlit.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/zotlit-template .claude/skills/zotlit-template && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.
Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/
Install the "zotlit-template" agent skill from https://github.com/aidenlx/zotlit/tree/main/skills/zotlit-template into .claude/skills/zotlit-template/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "zotlit-template", then confirm the skill loads.Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$skill-installer install https://github.com/aidenlx/zotlit/tree/main/skills/zotlit-templateType this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.
$ npx skills add aidenlx/zotlit --skill zotlit-template -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install aidenlx/zotlit zotlit-template --agent codexProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/aidenlx/zotlit.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/zotlit-template .agents/skills/zotlit-template && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.
Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/
Install the "zotlit-template" agent skill from https://github.com/aidenlx/zotlit/tree/main/skills/zotlit-template into .agents/skills/zotlit-template/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "zotlit-template", then confirm the skill loads.Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add aidenlx/zotlit --skill zotlit-template -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install aidenlx/zotlit zotlit-template --agent cursorProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/aidenlx/zotlit.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/zotlit-template .cursor/skills/zotlit-template && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.
Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/
Install the "zotlit-template" agent skill from https://github.com/aidenlx/zotlit/tree/main/skills/zotlit-template into .cursor/skills/zotlit-template/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "zotlit-template", then confirm the skill loads.Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gemini skills install https://github.com/aidenlx/zotlit.git --path skills/zotlit-template--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.
$ npx skills add aidenlx/zotlit --skill zotlit-template -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install aidenlx/zotlit zotlit-template --agent gemini-cliProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/aidenlx/zotlit.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/zotlit-template .gemini/skills/zotlit-template && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.
Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "zotlit-template" agent skill from https://github.com/aidenlx/zotlit/tree/main/skills/zotlit-template into .gemini/skills/zotlit-template/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "zotlit-template", then confirm the skill loads.Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gh skill install aidenlx/zotlit zotlit-templateInstalls for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ npx skills add aidenlx/zotlit --skill zotlit-template -a github-copilotProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/aidenlx/zotlit.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/zotlit-template .github/skills/zotlit-template && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.
GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "zotlit-template" agent skill from https://github.com/aidenlx/zotlit/tree/main/skills/zotlit-template into .github/skills/zotlit-template/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "zotlit-template", then confirm the skill loads.GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add aidenlx/zotlit --skill zotlit-template -a opencodeOpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.
$ gh skill install aidenlx/zotlit zotlit-template --agent opencodeProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/aidenlx/zotlit.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/zotlit-template .opencode/skills/zotlit-template && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.
OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "zotlit-template" agent skill from https://github.com/aidenlx/zotlit/tree/main/skills/zotlit-template into .opencode/skills/zotlit-template/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "zotlit-template", then confirm the skill loads.OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
Facts
- Skill name
zotlit-template- GitHub stars
- 1k
- Token cost
- ~908 tokens
- SKILL.md length
- 483 words
- Files
- 2
- Skills in repo
- 16
- Repo updated
- First seen
- Licence
- AGPL-3.0
At a glance
Create, edit, diagnose, and verify ZotLit templates and managed frontmatter in an Obsidian vault.
- Works in 4 steps: obsidian help zotlit — commands reject… → obsidian zotlit:template-status — pass… → obsidian zotlit:template-guide → …
- A user wants to change template output
- SKILL.md covers Start, Inspect only what the edit needs, Choose the language and Tone, plus 2 more sections
- Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md
What it does
Zotlit Template is an agent skill from aidenlx/zotlit. Create, edit, diagnose, and verify ZotLit templates and managed frontmatter in an Obsidian vault. Use whenever a user wants to change template output, configure managed frontmatter field templates, or troubleshoot, including when they describe only the desired result.
Its SKILL.md is about 910 tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 2 other files (for example `agents/openai.yaml`).
It sits in Knowledge Management. It works with Obsidian. The repository describes itself as: Bring your Zotero library into Obsidian. Create literature notes, insert citations, and annotate PDFs without leaving your vault. The licence is AGPL-3.0.
When your agent uses it
- A user wants to change template output
- Configure managed frontmatter field templates
- Including when they describe only the desired result
Example prompts
- “/zotlit-template”
Workflow steps
4 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.
- obsidian help zotlit — commands reject unrecognized parameters; never guess a name.
- obsidian zotlit:template-status — pass expect-source= to every later command.
- obsidian zotlit:template-guide
- obsidian zotlit:template-guide topic=liquid
What it can do on your machine
Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 27f5752. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.
Tool permissions
Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md (its code samples are bash).
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
No URLs in SKILL.md.
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Credentials
Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.
Context cost
Zotlit Template loads about 908 tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 71 tokens; SKILL.md has 483 words of instructions outside code blocks.
Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.
Safety
Auto-check passed
The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.
Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.
SKILL.md
The full file from aidenlx/zotlit at commit 27f5752, republished under its AGPL-3.0 licence (© aidenlx). 483 words, ~908 tokens.
Download SKILL.mdSave it as
.claude/skills/zotlit-template/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 1 other file; get the full folder from GitHub.- name
- zotlit-template
- description
- Create, edit, diagnose, and verify ZotLit templates and managed frontmatter in an Obsidian vault. Use whenever a user wants to change template output, configure managed frontmatter field templates, or troubleshoot, including when they describe only the desired result.
ZotLit Template Workbench
Start
Follow these steps in order before editing any template or frontmatter configuration.
obsidian help zotlit— commands reject unrecognized parameters; never guess a name.obsidian zotlit:template-status— passexpect-source=<identity.source.id>to every later command.obsidian zotlit:template-guideobsidian zotlit:template-guide topic=liquid
This skill is written against Template Workbench CLI Contract version 2 — the contractVersion every workbench answer carries. When an answer reports another number, run zotlit:template-guide again and follow the live guide over this skill.
Inspect only what the edit needs
Complete Start steps 1–3 before running zotlit:template-data or zotlit:template-schema.
Data output can be very large. Pipe directly to jq and select only the fields,
definitions, or array entries needed.
Data lives under .zt — use .zt.<field>,
not .<field>.
Start with zotlit:template-data; use zotlit:template-schema only when a
required field or nested shape is unclear. Quote keys such as ."$defs" that
start with $. Before the first zotlit:template-schema call, run obsidian zotlit:template-guide topic=data.
Save the downloaded schema file wherever temporary files belong on the current system, and reuse it for every later question about the same schema.
Choose the language
Prefer Liquid. Use Eta only when the required behavior is absent from the supported Liquid tags and filters. Ask the user to enable JavaScript Templates in ZotLit settings before using Eta.
Tone
Guide the user: use plain language, explain each step before running it, and name what a command does in everyday terms ("let me check which Zotero library is connected" instead of "running template-status"). When a concept matters (indexed key, template root, Liquid vs Eta), introduce it in one sentence the first time — then use the short name freely.
Show full SKILL.md (213 more words)Show less
Discovery
When the request already names a concrete edit — a field to add, a layout to change, a bug to fix — skip straight to Start.
Otherwise, grill the user to reach a concrete goal. Many users cannot describe what they want in template terms — guide them there.
- Ask what they want their notes to look like or what they want to change. One open question.
- If the answer is vague, consult
obsidian zotlit:template-guideand offer two or three concrete possibilities drawn from what the current template roots support (e.g. "Would you like to include annotation highlights? Add Zotero tags? Change how the citation key appears?"). - Once the goal is clear, summarize it back in one or two sentences and confirm with the user before proceeding.
Ask questions one at a time. If a fact can be found via the CLI, look it up rather than asking. The decisions are the user's — put each one to them and wait.
Target one vault
Put vault=<vault-name> first when the target is ambiguous:
obsidian vault=MyVault zotlit:template-statusWithout vault=, the vault containing the working directory handles the command. Outside a vault, the most recently focused vault handles it. Confirm identity.vault once, then keep the same prefix.
obsidian vault shows the active vault. obsidian vaults lists all known vaults.
© aidenlx, AGPL-3.0. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file
Files
SKILL.md and 1 other file in skills/zotlit-template of aidenlx/zotlit.
- SKILL.md
- agents/openai.yaml
Open the folder on GitHubat commit 27f5752
Compare with similar skills
Zotlit Template next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.
| Skill | Stars | Used in | Tokens | Auto-check | Licence | Repo updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zotlit Template this skillaidenlx/zotlit | 1k | — | ~908 | Automated safety check: Pass | AGPL-3.0 | |
| Bounded AutoresearchAgriciDaniel/claude-obsidian | 15k | — | ~1.6k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Llmwikiatomicstrata/llm-wiki-compiler | 2.2k | — | ~814 | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Obsidian Project Knowledge BaseGalaxy-Dawn/claude-scholar | 5.7k | — | ~551 | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Researchiusztinpaul/ai-research-os-workshop | 179 | — | ~17k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Corgispec Askricoyudog/Coding_Corgi_flow | 104 | — | ~689 | Automated safety check: Pass | None |
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Obsidian Project Knowledge Base
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Maintains a project-scoped Obsidian research knowledge base: bootstrapping its folders, routing notes, updating hub, plan and index notes, and linting.
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iusztinpaul/ai-research-os-workshop
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Corgispec Ask
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Answer pending Obsidian questions from CorgiSpec Memory/Wiki with early-stop retrieval, source citations, and a strict file budget.
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Related
Works with
Categories
Questions about Zotlit Template
What does Zotlit Template do?
Create, edit, diagnose, and verify ZotLit templates and managed frontmatter in an Obsidian vault. Zotlit Template is an agent skill from aidenlx/zotlit. Create, edit, diagnose, and verify ZotLit templates and managed frontmatter in an Obsidian vault.
When should I use Zotlit Template?
Zotlit Template fits situations like: A user wants to change template output; configure managed frontmatter field templates; including when they describe only the desired result.
How do I install Zotlit Template in Claude Code?
Run `npx skills add aidenlx/zotlit --skill zotlit-template -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/zotlit-template in aidenlx/zotlit) into .claude/skills/zotlit-template in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
How do I install Zotlit Template in Codex?
Run `npx skills add aidenlx/zotlit --skill zotlit-template -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/zotlit-template in aidenlx/zotlit) into .agents/skills/zotlit-template in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Can I use Zotlit Template in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?
Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add aidenlx/zotlit --skill zotlit-template -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/zotlit-template, .gemini/skills/zotlit-template, .github/skills/zotlit-template and .opencode/skills/zotlit-template in your project.
What does Zotlit Template need to run?
SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Zotlit Template is instructions for the agent only.
Does Zotlit Template access the network?
SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.
Is Zotlit Template safe to install?
Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.
What licence does Zotlit Template use?
Zotlit Template is published under the AGPL-3.0 licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.
How many tokens does Zotlit Template use?
About 908 tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 3.6k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.
What are the alternatives to Zotlit Template?
Skills that share tags, products or a category with Zotlit Template: Bounded Autoresearch (AgriciDaniel/claude-obsidian, 15k stars), Llmwiki (atomicstrata/llm-wiki-compiler, 2.2k stars), Obsidian Project Knowledge Base (Galaxy-Dawn/claude-scholar, 5.7k stars) and Research (iusztinpaul/ai-research-os-workshop, 179 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.
Who maintains Zotlit Template?
aidenlx (a GitHub user) maintains it in aidenlx/zotlit, which has 1,028 GitHub stars. The repository holds 16 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 9, 2026.
Source: aidenlx/zotlit on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.