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Recommended Vault Structure: What You Write, What AI Maintains

This is not a rigid template. It is a proven approach: clarify responsibilities first, then refine details.

One Boundary to Remember​

Your vault should separate two content types:

  • Your source content: journals, quick notes, highlights, meeting notes
  • AI-maintained content: summaries, topic pages, cross-note synthesis

Benefits:

  • less accidental overwrite
  • clearer review paths
  • better portability if you stop using any tool

A Practical Structure (Rename as Needed)​

my-obsidian-notes/

1. index/
2. templates/
3.1 notes/
4.1 attachments/
5.1 journal/
5.2 creation/
6. source-material/
7. wiki/

Think of 7. wiki/ as your organization layer:

  • index.md: main entry
  • log.md: organization history
  • topic subfolders: concepts, methods, viewpoints, synthesis

Suggested AI Boundaries​

AI can modify​

  • organization pages under 7. wiki/
  • navigation links in index pages

AI should not modify​

  • your source notes (3.1, 5.1, 6)

This boundary protects long-term control.

Naming Suggestions (Simple and Sufficient)​

  • topic page: topic-xxx.md
  • method page: method-xxx.md
  • analysis page: analysis-xxx.md
  • summary page: YYYY-MM-DD-summary-xxx.md

Do not over-engineer naming rules. Fast retrieval is the real criterion.

When Should You Restructure?​

Only restructure if one of these is true:

  1. finding content has been painful for two consecutive weeks
  2. one topic is repeatedly split across too many folders
  3. output work keeps repeating the same manual organization steps

If it is only “not perfect,” keep writing first.

One-Line Advice​

Set boundaries first, optimize structure gradually.

Structure is not for visual neatness. It exists so writing can continue, reconnect, and ship.

Next Reading​