consolidate

Consolidate

Process your inbox and recent captures into your permanent knowledge base.

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Step 1: Survey the Inbox

List all files in 00-inbox/ (excluding .gitkeep). For each file:

• Read the title and first few lines
• Note the date and main topics

Report:

You have N items in your inbox:

1. 2026-03-20-braindump.md : ideas about [topic], 2 tasks
2. 2026-03-19-capture.md : note about [topic] ...

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Step 2: Let User Choose Scope

Ask:

Do you want to:

• Process all inbox items
• Process items from the last N days
• Process a specific file (name it)
• Just review without moving anything

Wait for response.

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Step 3: Process Each Selected Item

For each item:

3a. Analyze

Read the file fully. Identify:

• What type of knowledge this is (insight, reference, idea, project note, area)
• What existing notes it relates to (search 03-knowledge/**/*.md, 04-resources/**/*.md, 01-projects/**/*.md, and 02-areas/**/*.md)
• Whether it deserves its own note or should be merged into an existing one

3b. Decide Destination

Primary signal (check first): If the inbox item has a source: frontmatter field matching /research, /summarize, or /reading-notes, route it directly to 04-resources/ : no judgment needed.

Secondary signal (for all other notes): Apply the content-type rule below.

Classify the item and route it to the appropriate folder:

• Your own synthesis, insight, or conclusion → 03-knowledge/[subfolder]/
• Reference material, external info, or source notes → 04-resources/[subfolder]/
• Project-specific work → 01-projects/[subfolder]/
• Ongoing responsibility (something you maintain over time, not a one-time insight) → 02-areas/ : examples: health tracking, finances, career development, relationships

Confirm routing with the user for the first 3 items. After that, proceed autonomously : or if the user says 'stop and confirm', return to confirmation mode for the next item.

[filename]: This looks like [classification] : I'd route it to [destination-folder]/. Does that work, or would you prefer a different folder?

Also show merge options if relevant:

I'd merge this into [[Existing Note]] : it adds context about [topic]. Or I could create a new note: [[New Note Name]]. What do you prefer?

Mixed-content notes: If a single inbox item contains content that belongs in multiple folders (e.g., a braindump with both personal insights and project tasks), offer to split it: create separate notes for each content type, each routed to its correct folder. Ask the user to confirm before splitting.

3b.5 Choose Subfolder (for new notes only)

Based on the routing decision above:

1. Glob existing subfolders in the target folder (03-knowledge/*/, 04-resources/*/, 01-projects/*/, or 02-areas/*/)
2. Suggest a kebab-case subfolder based on the note's topic (max 2 levels, e.g. science/biology)
3. Present to user: "I'd file this under [destination-folder]/[suggested-path]/. OK?"
4. Use confirmed path for file creation.

3c. Execute

• Merge: Append the content as a new section in the target note, with a date header. When merging, confirm the merge target is in the same folder as the routing decision. If the best merge target is in a different folder, note this to the user and ask which should take precedence: the routing decision or the merge.
• New note: Create [destination-folder]/[subfolder]/[Topic Name].md with proper frontmatter
• Archive: If the item is outdated or irrelevant, move to 06-archive/YYYY/MM/

Always add wikilinks connecting to at least one related note.

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Step 4: Handle Tasks

If inbox items contain unchecked tasks (- [ ]):

• Leave them in place (the Tasks plugin will find them wherever they live)
• Or ask: "Do you want to move the open tasks to your project notes?"

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Step 5: Archive Processed Items

After an inbox item has been fully processed and its content merged/filed:

• Move the original file to 06-archive/YYYY/MM/ (using today's date, don't delete it)
• Or delete it if the user prefers a clean inbox

Ask preference once: "After processing, should I archive originals or delete them?"

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Step 6: Summary

Report:

Inbox processed:

• Merged N items into existing notes
• Created N new knowledge notes: [[Note A]], [[Note B]]
• Archived N originals
• N tasks remain open across your vault

Your inbox is [clear / down to N items].