Second Brain Starter Kit (for Obsidian and Claude Code)

Why You Need This Pack

You already have Obsidian. And you pay for Claude too.

But these two tools have always been separate. Your notes keep piling up over there, while every time you use AI here, you have to explain everything from scratch.

You might be struggling with these:

"The AI can't read my notes at all." Most online tutorials focus on concepts: layered architecture, a raw source layer, an AI synthesis layer. You read them and agree, but you still don't know what to name the first folder.

"It can read them, but it writes messily." It saves process notes into daily notes, splits one day's progress into four pages, and the frontmatter format changes every time. Six months later your vault has two formats, and every query has to be written twice.

"There are three ways to connect, and I can't choose." Direct file reading? Filesystem MCP? Local REST API plugin? Every search result recommends a different one, and nobody tells you which one you don't actually need. So you spend two hours stuck on a credential error, when all you really wanted was "help me save today's conversation as a note."

"I don't dare let AI touch my vault." It holds client data, quotes, and API keys. Nobody teaches you how to draw the boundaries.

What this package solves

Turn "how to do it" into "copy and follow."

The folder structure is already set, the rules are written into a ready-to-use CLAUDE.md, the frontmatter across the three templates is aligned, and the pros and cons of the three connection methods are laid out in one table. It also explains why most people only need the simplest one.

The ban on writing sensitive data is hard-coded into CLAUDE.md, not left as a verbal reminder like "please be careful."

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Contents

1️⃣ vault範本\: A folder structure you can copy directly

Seven folders, each with a README.md that explains what goes in, what doesn't, and how to maintain it:

Folder	Purpose
00 收件匣	Inbox for unsorted items (includes a weekly clearing routine)
10 每日筆記	Date-based notes that expire over time
20 專案日誌	Progress and fix records for projects and code
30 流程庫	Repeatable procedures (includes index.md)
40 知識庫	Accumulated knowledge and your own output (includes index.md and log.md)
90 模板	Note formats
99 封存	Retired old material (read-only)

Copy the entire folder into your Obsidian vault, and it works immediately.

2️⃣ vault範本\CLAUDE.md: Rules template

This is the core of the package. Place it in the vault root, and Claude Code reads it automatically before starting work:

• Classification decision order: Five layers of questions, one question per layer. Work through them and you'll know where to file a note.
• Auto-save rules: When to save without asking, when not to save, and which phrases should always trigger a save.
• "Same project, same day: keep writing in the same note": Prevents one project from spawning five fragmented notes in a single day.
• Frontmatter spec: Four fields, consistent across all folders.
• Prohibited-content list: API keys, passwords, national ID numbers, salaries, and client data, with good and bad examples, plus what to do if you paste this kind of data in.
• Token-saving rules: How long logs should be, how to find old notes, and when to update an existing note instead of creating a new one.

3️⃣ Three note templates

每日筆記模板 (daily note), 專案日誌模板 (project log), and 流程卡模板 (process card)

All three use the same frontmatter fields (title / date / tags / status), so you can query every folder at once. Questions like "list all notes with status: 進行中" become possible.

Each template includes usage notes that mark which sections are core and must not be deleted, and which ones you can remove.

4️⃣ 接法說明.md: Connection methods comparison and setup steps

A ten-item comparison table that shows the differences at a glance: what to install, whether Obsidian must stay open, whether an API key is needed, whether it works across folders, whether you can use Obsidian's built-in search, and the main risks.

Then come the full setup steps for each of the three methods:

• Method A: Direct file access + CLAUDE.md: Zero installation, five minutes. Nine out of ten people only need this one.
• Method B: Filesystem MCP: Includes the complete claude mcp add command, guidance on which scope to choose, and how to handle backslashes in Windows paths.
• Method C: Local REST API plugin: Plugin setup, port number, three ways to handle self-signed certificates, and security boundaries.

All config values use placeholders (<your vault absolute path>, <YOUR_OBSIDIAN_API_KEY>). No real keys are included.

Finally, a mix-and-match table: Find your user type and use the matching combination.

5️⃣ 疑難排解.md: Troubleshooting, 10 common issues

Each entry follows the format symptom → likely cause → how to verify → how to fix, with check commands you can paste and run directly.

Covers: vault not readable, cloud drive sync issues, Chinese file paths, AI not following classification rules, duplicate logs, broken frontmatter, filename (1).md sync conflicts, REST API connection failures, certificate errors, and MCP showing "failed."

Two additional sections: What to do if you accidentally wrote sensitive data into a note, and How to keep it from burning through your quota.

6️⃣ Version labeling

Every technical step is labeled with its writing date and authoring environment. Anything uncertain is explicitly marked "to be verified," with pointers to where you can find the latest information.

AI tools update quickly, so anything that can expire should be clearly dated. This is far more honest than pretending it lasts forever.

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Who It's For / Who It's Not For

✅ This package is for you if...

• You already use Obsidian, have a fair number of notes, but feel they're getting messier
• You have a paid Claude plan and have installed Claude Code, or are willing to
• You want "AI that automatically files for me," not "AI to chat with"
• You've tried MCP, got stuck on credentials or environment variables, and want to know which connection method you actually need
• You're a freelancer, consultant, engineer, or self-employed, and your notes contain things that must not leak, so you need clear boundary rules
• You've read a few articles about concepts, agree with them, and want ready-made files to start right away

❌ This package is not for you if...

• You haven't used Obsidian yet. Try it free for two weeks first, then come back once you have your own notes. Otherwise, you'll only get an empty set of folders.
• You don't have Claude Code and don't plan to install it. The core value of this package lies in CLAUDE.md and the connection setup. Without Claude Code, you're left with only the folder structure.
• You want one-click automation with no settings to change. The templates must be adapted to your work, especially the identity and classification sections.
• You're looking for an Obsidian plugin tutorial. This package deliberately avoids plugins like Templater and Dataview. Plain text is enough.
• You need a mobile solution. Mobile access is only briefly mentioned in Method C, and you'd have to handle network security yourself. This package doesn't cover it.

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FAQ

Related Free Tutorials

• Using Claude Code Without Writing Code: Your First Automation Task, Tidying a Messy Downloads Folder
• 100 Files Named "Final (2)": Batch-Renaming with Claude Code, and Recovering from Mistakes
• Teach It Your Habits: How Non-Engineers Write a CLAUDE.md