---
summary: Universal conventions for all notes in this vault — naming, frontmatter, tag taxonomy, hub notes, and Graphify awareness.
tags:
  - type/meta
  - scope/global
source: SecondBrain
date: 2026-06-08
---

# Vault Conventions

Universal conventions for all notes in this vault. One-stop reference for naming, frontmatter,
note types, hub notes, and tag vocabulary. Project-specific rules live in `project-config-*` notes.

This vault stores **durable, evergreen knowledge** — finished plans, decisions, research, how-tos,
and project learnings. It is NOT working memory. Working notes that don't yet have a permanent home
should not be archived here until they have something stable to say.

## Navigation

| I want to... | Do this |
|---|---|
| Know the note types | See Note Types below |
| Look up valid tag facets | See Tag Taxonomy below |
| Know file naming rules | See File Naming below |
| Understand hub notes | See Hub Notes below |
| Find project-specific context | Read the relevant `project-config-*` note |

## File Naming

`YYYY-MM-DD-descriptive-slug.md`

- Date is creation date
- Slug is lowercase kebab-case
- Source platform suffix when applicable: `-chatgpt`, `-gemini`, `-claude`
- Generated by tooling — do not rename manually

## Frontmatter Contract

Every note requires these fields. No exceptions; defer writing the `summary` for nothing.

```yaml
---
summary: One sentence, human-written at creation. Used by the Graphify graph and SessionStart context injection.
tags:
  - type/reference      # facet-namespaced; type/ listed first; at least one type/ required
  - client/acme         # omit if not client-specific
  - project/website-redesign  # omit if not project-specific
  - domain/seo          # topic area
  - tool/semrush        # tool referenced, if any
  - convention/api-style  # cross-project convention, if applicable
  - scope/global        # or scope/project — always include one
source: <origin: repo name, "web-clipper", "ios-shortcut", "manual", etc.>
date: YYYY-MM-DD
---
```

**`summary` field rules:**
- One sentence, written by the human (or agent) at creation time.
- Describes what the note *is about*, not what it contains.
- Used by Graphify when building the knowledge graph and by the memory plugin for SessionStart injection.
- Never defer it. A placeholder summary defeats the purpose.

## Note Types (`type/` facet)

Use exactly one `type/` tag per note.

| Type tag | Use for |
|---|---|
| `type/reference` | Reference material: market research, competitive intel, research dumps |
| `type/plan` | Implementation plans, strategy docs |
| `type/log` | Session logs, increment logs, decisions |
| `type/adr` | Architecture decision records |
| `type/howto` | Process docs, step-by-step guides |
| `type/hub` | Hub notes: index/navigation notes linking 3+ related notes (see Hub Notes) |
| `type/clip` | Web clips, saved articles |
| `type/project-config` | Per-project tag inference rules and conventions |
| `type/meta` | Vault governance (this file, CLAUDE.md) |

## Tag Taxonomy

Tags are **flat and parallel** — no nested paths, no hierarchy inside a facet. Six facets plus `scope/`:

| Facet | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| `type/` | Note type (see table above) | `type/howto` |
| `client/` | Client or company this pertains to | `client/acme` |
| `project/` | Specific project or engagement | `project/website-redesign` |
| `domain/` | Topic area or discipline | `domain/seo`, `domain/cold-email` |
| `tool/` | Tool, library, or platform referenced | `tool/graphify`, `tool/semrush` |
| `convention/` | Cross-project convention or pattern | `convention/api-style` |
| `scope/` | Applicability breadth | `scope/global` or `scope/project` |

**`scope/` values:**
- `scope/global` — applies across all work; not tied to a specific client or project
- `scope/project` — specific to one client/project context; pair with `client/` or `project/`

**Rules:**
- Always include `type/` and `scope/`. All other facets are optional.
- Use multiple tags within a facet when accurate (e.g., `domain/seo` and `domain/cold-email`).
- Facets are not nested: `domain/cold-email` is correct; `domain/outbound/cold-email` is not.

## Hub Notes

When a topic has **3 or more related notes**, create a hub note (`type/hub`) that wikilinks to all
of them. Hub notes are the primary navigation mechanism — hierarchy and relationships live here,
not in nested folders or tag nesting.

A hub note should:
- Have a descriptive `summary` explaining what this cluster is about
- List wikilinks to all related notes with a one-line description of each
- Use `type/hub` as the type tag
- Be linked back to from the notes it indexes (add a `## Related` section)

Hierarchy lives in hub notes + wikilinks, not in folder structure or tag nesting.

## Graphify Awareness

The `graphify-out/` directory at the vault root is **generated by Graphify** — do not author files
there. It is disposable and fully rebuilt by running `graphify` against the vault. The graph
uses `summary` fields and wikilinks as primary signal.

Never edit files in `graphify-out/` by hand.

## Migration Compatibility

Pre-migration notes use **legacy flat tags** (`plan`, `research`, `log`, etc.) — both legacy and
facet-namespaced forms coexist during incremental migration (ADR-013). Do not "fix" old notes on
sight without a migration plan. New notes must use facet-namespaced tags from creation.

## Related

- [[CLAUDE]]
- [[project-config-niche-automation-prospecting]]