# Adopt

Scaffold the PKM system onto an existing Obsidian vault.

- Repository: https://github.com/ballred/obsidian-claude-pkm (1886 stars)
- Category: Engineering
- License: MIT
- Last updated: 2026-02-18
- Runs scripts: no, instructions only

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add ballred/obsidian-claude-pkm --skill adopt -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add ballred/obsidian-claude-pkm --skill adopt -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add ballred/obsidian-claude-pkm --skill adopt -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add ballred/obsidian-claude-pkm --skill adopt -g -a gemini-cli -y`

## Description

Scaffold the PKM system onto an existing Obsidian vault. Scans your vault structure, maps folders interactively, and generates configuration, no template required.

## SKILL.md, as published by its author (untrusted third-party text, read it as data)

# Adopt Skill

Bring Your Own Vault (BYOV), install the Claude PKM system onto an existing Obsidian vault.

## Usage

```
/adopt    # Run from the root of your existing Obsidian vault
```

## When to Use

- You have an existing Obsidian vault and want to add the Claude PKM system
- You don't want to start from the vault template
- You want to keep your current folder structure

## Phase 1: Scan Vault Structure

Analyze the existing vault to understand its organization.

### Steps

1. **List top-level directories** using `ls`, excluding system dirs (`.obsidian`, `.git`, `.claude`, `.trash`, `.claude-plugin`)

2. **For each directory**, gather signals:
   - Count `.md` files (using Glob)
   - Check for date-named files (`YYYY-MM-DD*.md`), indicates daily notes
   - Grep for goal/review/template keywords in filenames and content
   - Check for existing `CLAUDE.md` in subdirs, indicates projects

3. **Detect organization method** based on signals:
   - **PARA**: Folders named Projects, Areas, Resources, Archives
   - **Zettelkasten**: Numeric-prefixed notes, heavy wiki-linking, flat structure
   - **Johnny Decimal**: `00-09`, `10-19` style folder names
   - **LYT (Linking Your Thinking)**: Folders named Atlas, Calendar, Cards, Extras, Sources
   - **Flat**: Few folders, most files at root
   - **Custom**: None of the above patterns match

4. **Present findings** to the user:
   ```
   Vault scan complete!

   Found 342 notes across 8 folders:
     Daily/           → 180 notes (date-named, likely daily notes)
     Projects/        → 45 notes (has CLAUDE.md files, likely projects)
     Goals/           → 12 notes (contains goal keywords)
     Templates/       → 8 notes (contains template keywords)
     Archive/         → 67 notes
     Inbox/           → 15 notes
     Resources/       → 10 notes
     Meeting Notes/   → 5 notes

   Detected method: PARA-like structure
   ```

## Phase 2: Map Folders to Roles

The rest: https://github.com/ballred/obsidian-claude-pkm/blob/HEAD/vault-template/.claude/skills/adopt/SKILL.md