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Agent skill

Vault Onboarding and Context Loader

by ballred in ballred/obsidian-claude-pkm

Personalizes a new Obsidian vault with a short setup interview, then on later runs loads the vault's CLAUDE.md files and project context at the start of a session.

MITAuto-check: notesKnowledge Management

Install Vault Onboarding and Context Loader

skills CLI
$ npx skills add ballred/obsidian-claude-pkm --skill onboard -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install ballred/obsidian-claude-pkm onboard --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/ballred/obsidian-claude-pkm.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/vault-template/.claude/skills/onboard .claude/skills/onboard && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.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/

Facts

Skill name
onboard
GitHub stars
1.9k
Token cost
~1.7k tokens
SKILL.md length
565 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
13
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Personalizes a new Obsidian vault with a short setup interview, then on later runs loads the vault's CLAUDE.md files and project context at the start of a session.

  • Works in 6 steps: Welcome → Ask Questions → Save Configuration → …
  • Setting up a freshly copied Obsidian and Claude Code vault for the first time
  • SKILL.md covers Usage, First-Run Setup, Standard Context Loading… and Context Hierarchy, plus 6 more sections
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

On the first run, detected by a FIRST_RUN file in the vault root, the skill welcomes you and asks four questions with the interactive question tool: what to call you, which day you prefer for the weekly review, which two to four goal areas matter most, and how Claude should interact, from direct and concise to coaching or detailed.

It then writes the answers to vault-config.json, edits the root CLAUDE.md by replacing its customization placeholder with a mission prompt based on your goal areas and updating the Current Focus section, deletes the FIRST_RUN marker and suggests trying /daily and /review.

On later runs it loads context instead: it searches for all CLAUDE.md files and traverses project directories to gather what Claude needs for the session. Running /onboard with a path such as Projects/WebsiteRedesign loads context for that project only.

When your agent uses it

  • Setting up a freshly copied Obsidian and Claude Code vault for the first time
  • Starting a work session and needing Claude to load the vault's full context
  • Loading the context for one project folder inside the vault
  • Changing your review day, goal areas or interaction style by running setup again

Example prompts

  • “Start the session by running /onboard so you have my full vault context.”
  • “/onboard Projects/WebsiteRedesign so we can plan this week's work on that project.”
  • “Run onboarding for my new vault and set Saturday as my review day.”
  • “Load my full vault context so we can plan this week's goals.”

Requirements

  • A vault laid out from the starter kit, with a CLAUDE.md in its root
  • Pre-approved tools (allowed-tools): Read, Write, Edit, Glob, Grep, Bash, AskUserQuestion

Workflow steps

6 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

  1. Welcome
  2. Ask Questions
  3. Save Configuration
  4. Personalize CLAUDE.md
  5. Remove First-Run Marker
  6. Confirm Setup

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit ef1e4da. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves these tools, so the agent can use them without asking each time:

    • Read
    • Write
    • Edit
    • Glob
    • Grep
    • Bash
    • AskUserQuestion

    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 markdown, json and 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

Vault Onboarding and Context Loader loads about 1.7k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 49 tokens; SKILL.md has 565 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~49
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~1.7k

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: notes

The automated check noted patterns worth knowing about, such as sudo or a known installer.

  • NotePre-approves every shell command (allowed-tools: Bash)SKILL.md
    allowed-tools: Read, Write, Edit, Glob, Grep, Bash, AskUserQuestion

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 ballred/obsidian-claude-pkm at commit ef1e4da, republished under its MIT licence (© ballred). 565 words, ~1,669 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/onboard/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).
name
onboard
description
Interactive vault setup and context loading. On first run, personalizes your vault. On subsequent runs, loads full context. Use at start of session or when Claude needs full vault context.
allowed-tools
Read, Write, Edit, Glob, Grep, Bash, AskUserQuestion
model
sonnet
user-invocable
true

Onboard Skill

Interactive vault setup (first run) and context loading (subsequent runs).

Usage

/onboard                    # Full onboard (setup if first run, context load if not)
/onboard Projects/MyProject # Load specific project context

First-Run Setup

If the file FIRST_RUN exists in the vault root, this is a new vault. Run the interactive setup:

Step 1: Welcome

Greet the user and explain what will happen:

  • "I'll ask a few questions to personalize your vault (~2 minutes)"
  • "Your answers are saved locally in vault-config.json"
  • "You can change these anytime by editing that file or running /onboard again"
Step 2: Ask Questions

Use AskUserQuestion to ask these interactively:

Question 1: Your name

  • "What should I call you?"
  • Used for personalized prompts and greetings

Question 2: Preferred review day

  • "What day do you prefer for your weekly review?"
  • Options: Sunday (Recommended), Saturday, Monday, Friday
  • Used by /review auto-detection and session-init nudges

Question 3: Primary goal areas

  • "Which areas are most important to you right now? (Pick 2-4)"
  • Options: Career & Professional, Health & Wellness, Relationships, Personal Growth
  • Also offer: Financial, Creativity & Fun, Learning, Other
  • multiSelect: true
  • Used to customize goal template suggestions

Question 4: Work style

  • "How do you prefer Claude to interact?"
  • Options: Direct and concise (Recommended), Coaching and challenging, Detailed and thorough, Minimal — just do the task
  • Sets output style preference
Step 3: Save Configuration

Write vault-config.json in the vault root:

json
{
  "name": "User's name",
  "reviewDay": "Sunday",
  "goalAreas": ["Career & Professional", "Health & Wellness"],
  "workStyle": "Direct and concise",
  "setupDate": "2026-02-15",
  "version": "3.1"
}
Step 4: Personalize CLAUDE.md

Edit the root CLAUDE.md:

  • Replace [CUSTOMIZE: Add your personal mission statement here] with a prompt based on their goal areas
  • Update the "Current Focus" section to reference their chosen areas
Step 5: Remove First-Run Marker
bash
rm FIRST_RUN
Step 6: Confirm Setup

Tell the user:

  • "Your vault is set up! Here's what's available:"
  • Brief cascade overview
  • "Try /daily to start your first morning routine"
  • "Try /review anytime — it auto-detects the right review type"

Then proceed to the standard context loading below.

Standard Context Loading (Subsequent Runs)

Show full SKILL.md (271 more words)Show less
What This Skill Does

  1. Discovers Context Files

    • Searches for all CLAUDE.md files
    • Traverses project directories
    • Respects depth limits

  2. Loads Hierarchical Context

    • Root CLAUDE.md first (global context)
    • Project-specific CLAUDE.md files
    • Recent daily notes for current state

  3. Scans Active Projects

    • Auto-discovers all Projects/*/CLAUDE.md files
    • Extracts project name, phase, progress, and goal linkage
    • Displays active project count and summary in onboard output

  4. Reads User Preferences

    • Loads vault-config.json if present
    • Applies name, review day, work style preferences
    • Uses goal areas to prioritize context loading

  5. Builds Understanding

    • Your personal mission/goals
    • Project structures and status
    • Workflow preferences
    • Custom conventions

Context Hierarchy

vault/
├── CLAUDE.md                 # [1] Global context - loaded first
├── Projects/
│   ├── Project A/
│   │   └── CLAUDE.md         # [2] Project context
│   └── Project B/
│       └── CLAUDE.md         # [3] Another project context
└── Areas/
    └── Health/
        └── CLAUDE.md         # [4] Area-specific context

CLAUDE.md File Structure

Root CLAUDE.md Should Include
markdown
# System Context for Claude

## Personal Mission
[Your life mission/purpose]

## Current Focus
[What you're working on now]

## Preferences
- Writing style: [Formal/Casual/Technical]
- Detail level: [High/Medium/Low]

## Conventions
- File naming: [Your patterns]
- Tag system: [Your tags]
Project CLAUDE.md Should Include
markdown
# Project: [Name]

## Overview
[What this project is about]

## Current Status
[Where things stand]

## Key Decisions
[Important choices made]

## Next Steps
[What needs to happen]

Smart Context Loading

Recent Activity

Automatically considers:

  • Last 7 days of daily notes
  • Current week's review
  • Recently modified projects
Project Summary

When loading full context, include a project overview:

markdown
### Active Projects (N)
| Project | Phase | Progress | Goal |
|---------|-------|----------|------|
| [[ProjectA]] | Active | 60% | [[Goal 1]] |
| [[ProjectB]] | Planning | 10% | [[Goal 3]] |
Selective Loading

For focused assistance:

/onboard Projects/WebApp      # Only specific project
/onboard Goals                # Only goals context

Use Cases

Starting a Session
/onboard
"Help me plan my day based on my goals"
Project Work
/onboard Projects/MyApp
"Help me refactor the authentication module"
Weekly Planning
/onboard Goals
"Analyze my week and suggest improvements"

Context Variables

Your CLAUDE.md files can include preferences:

markdown
## Variables for Claude
- DEFAULT_LANGUAGE: JavaScript
- TIMEZONE: America/New_York
- COMMUNICATION_STYLE: Direct and concise

Best Practices

Keep Context Updated
  • Review CLAUDE.md files monthly
  • Update after major decisions
  • Remove outdated information
  • Add new learnings
Be Specific
  • Clear project descriptions
  • Specific preferences
  • Concrete examples
  • Defined conventions
Hierarchical Information
  • Global → Area → Project → Task
  • General → Specific
  • Strategic → Tactical

Privacy & Security

Never Include in CLAUDE.md
  • Passwords or credentials
  • Personal identification numbers
  • Financial account details
  • Private API keys
Safe Context Examples
  • "I work in healthcare technology"
  • "My projects involve web development"
  • "I prefer morning work sessions"

Integration

Works with:

  • All other skills (provides context)
  • /daily - Better daily planning with context
  • /weekly - Informed weekly reviews
  • /monthly - Monthly review with full context
  • /project - Project status overview
  • Goal tracking - Understand goal cascade

© ballred, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

Just SKILL.md in vault-template/.claude/skills/onboard of ballred/obsidian-claude-pkm.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit ef1e4da

Compare with similar skills

Vault Onboarding and Context Loader 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.

Vault Onboarding and Context Loader compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Vault Onboarding and Context Loader this skillballred/obsidian-claude-pkm1.9k—~1.7kAutomated safety check: NotesMIT
Open Second Brainitechmeat/open-second-brain430—~1.2kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Bounded AutoresearchAgriciDaniel/claude-obsidian15k1 repos~1.6kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Obsidian Wiki Log FoldAgriciDaniel/claude-obsidian15k1 repos~1.2kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Second BrainNicholasSpisak/second-brain7361 repos~1.5kAutomated safety check: NotesNone
Obsidian Canvas BoardsAgriciDaniel/claude-obsidian15k—~1.4kAutomated safety check: PassMIT

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Works with

Categories

Questions about Vault Onboarding and Context Loader

What does Vault Onboarding and Context Loader do?

Personalizes a new Obsidian vault with a short setup interview, then on later runs loads the vault's CLAUDE.md files and project context at the start of a session. On the first run, detected by a FIRST_RUN file in the vault root, the skill welcomes you and asks four questions with the interactive question tool: what to call you, which day you prefer for the weekly review, which two to four goal areas matter most, and how Claude should interact, from direct and concise to coaching or detailed.

When should I use Vault Onboarding and Context Loader?

Vault Onboarding and Context Loader fits situations like: setting up a freshly copied Obsidian and Claude Code vault for the first time; starting a work session and needing Claude to load the vault's full context; loading the context for one project folder inside the vault; changing your review day, goal areas or interaction style by running setup again.

How do I install Vault Onboarding and Context Loader in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add ballred/obsidian-claude-pkm --skill onboard -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (vault-template/.claude/skills/onboard in ballred/obsidian-claude-pkm) into .claude/skills/onboard in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Vault Onboarding and Context Loader in Codex?

Run `npx skills add ballred/obsidian-claude-pkm --skill onboard -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (vault-template/.claude/skills/onboard in ballred/obsidian-claude-pkm) into .agents/skills/onboard in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Vault Onboarding and Context Loader 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 ballred/obsidian-claude-pkm --skill onboard -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/onboard, .gemini/skills/onboard, .github/skills/onboard and .opencode/skills/onboard in your project.

What does Vault Onboarding and Context Loader need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Vault Onboarding and Context Loader is instructions for the agent only. Our summary lists: A vault laid out from the starter kit, with a CLAUDE.md in its root. Its frontmatter pre-approves these tools: Read, Write, Edit, Glob, Grep, Bash, AskUserQuestion.

Does Vault Onboarding and Context Loader 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 Vault Onboarding and Context Loader safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found notes only (pre-approves every shell command (allowed-tools: bash)), nothing it rates as a warning. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Vault Onboarding and Context Loader use?

Vault Onboarding and Context Loader is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Vault Onboarding and Context Loader use?

About 1.7k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 6.7k 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 Vault Onboarding and Context Loader?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Vault Onboarding and Context Loader: Open Second Brain (itechmeat/open-second-brain, 430 stars), Bounded Autoresearch (AgriciDaniel/claude-obsidian, 15k stars), Obsidian Wiki Log Fold (AgriciDaniel/claude-obsidian, 15k stars) and Second Brain (NicholasSpisak/second-brain, 736 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Vault Onboarding and Context Loader?

ballred (a GitHub user) maintains it in ballred/obsidian-claude-pkm, which has 1,876 GitHub stars. The repository holds 13 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on February 18, 2026.

Source: ballred/obsidian-claude-pkm on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.