--- title: "Reorganize an existing AI vault so the assistant finds the right context" description: "Map an existing vault into domains, resolve ambiguous routes, and keep its split, merge, naming, and maintenance rules usable." canonical: "https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/how-to-organize-ai-knowledge-vault" date: "2026-01-28" modified: "2026-10-02" --- ## Site navigation - [Scale With Search](https://scalewithsearch.com/) - Real estate - Real estate - [Real estate](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate) - Work - Start here - [Send your brief](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#send-your-brief) - [Prepare your six-question brief](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#prepare-your-six-question-brief) - Build - [Site build, content library with SEO, signal desk](https://scalewithsearch.com/work) - For your business - Trades and home services - [Auto body and collision shops](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/auto-body-and-collision-shops) - [Foundation and home repair contractors](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/foundation-and-home-repair) - 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You ask the assistant to draft a client update. It answers with generic text, because it did not find the client file in a folder of 400 notes. The information was in the vault. The assistant could not locate it. You already have a vault. The next job is to reorganize it without losing the notes that make it useful. Map the existing files, write routes, and test a request against the reorganized records. Start with [the first installation guide](/articles/how-to-set-up-ai-vault) if the tools are not connected. [The routed-vault setup](/articles/obsidian-ai-vault-setup-guide) builds the routing from scratch; this guide repairs an existing collection. ## Map the 400-note case before moving anything Use this illustrative inventory to plan the repair. It accounts for all 400 notes in the opening example. It is not a measured customer outcome. | Before: one Notes folder | Count | After: one home for each group | |---|---|---| | Client details, meetings, deliverables | 160 | `01 - Client Work/`, grouped by client | | Article drafts and newsletter notes | 100 | `02 - Content Production/`, drafts and published work | | Pricing, procedures, internal decisions | 80 | `03 - Business Operations/`, current records and archive | | Household tasks and personal notes | 60 | `04 - Personal/`, outside client routes | | Total | 400 | Root `CLAUDE.md` points to domain indexes | Inventory filenames and links first. Keep original notes and dates; organization does not require rewriting their voice. Put a client's newsletter brief in that client's folder, with a link from the content calendar. Do not create two competing copies. Record old and new paths so you can check links after the move. ## Use three layers The vault has three layers, and each layer has one job. | Layer | What it is | What it does | |---|---|---| | 1. Root `CLAUDE.md` | The master instruction file, read first every session | Maps each request to a domain | | 2. Domain folders | Major work areas, each with a `_context.md` file | Tells the assistant how to work in that area | | 3. Individual files | Client details, project specs, meeting notes, templates, logs | Gives the specific facts | The assistant routes in that order. The root file tells it which domain to load. The domain context tells it how to work there. The individual files give the details. ## Layer 1: write the root file as a router `CLAUDE.md` sits at the vault root, not inside a folder. It has five sections: - WHO: your name, roles, and what you do. - WHAT: a routing table that maps keywords to domain folders. - VOICE: how the assistant writes for you. - RULES: what the assistant must never do, formatting standards, and critical warnings. - KEY FILES: important files the assistant must know about. Keep the file under 1,000 words. If it is longer, it holds detail that belongs in a domain context file. The root file answers one question: "Where does this request go?" ## Layer 2: define three to five domains A domain is a major work area. It is not a project, a client, or a topic. Examples by role: | Role | Domains | |---|---| | Consultant | Clients, business development, personal | | Content creator | Content production, client work, community | | Business owner | Sales, operations, marketing, finance | | Developer | Work projects, side projects, learning | Most people need three to five domains. More than seven splits the work too finely. Fewer than three means the vault is not organized. Name domain folders with number prefixes so that they sort in a fixed order: ```text /CLAUDE.md /01 - Client Work/ /02 - Content Production/ /03 - Business Operations/ /04 - Personal/ ``` The numbers fix the sort order. The dashes and capitals separate domain folders from project files. Inside each domain folder, create `_context.md`. The underscore sorts it to the top, so it is the first file in the folder. When one domain holds several clients, keep each client in its own folder. The [guide to separate business contexts](/articles/separate-business-contexts-ai-agents) explains why that boundary matters for agent work. ## Write each domain context file A domain context file holds the information for that area only. A client work domain: ```markdown # Client work context ## Active clients [One line per client] ## Deliverables [What you produce] ## Process [Your workflow] ## Templates [Links to template files] ## Current projects [What is in progress] ``` A content production domain: ```markdown # Content context ## Platforms [Where you publish] ## Voice rules [How you write] ## Content calendar [What is scheduled] ## Templates [Article structures] ## Topics [What you cover] ``` Keep each context file under 500 words. When one grows longer, move sections into separate files and link to them. ## Layer 3: shape the work files by domain Inside the domain folders are the work files. The structure varies by domain. ```text /01 - Client Work/ _context.md ClientA/ ClientA-Details.md Project-Alpha.md Meetings/ Deliverables/ ClientB/ Templates/ /02 - Content Production/ _context.md Articles/ Published/ Drafts/ Social/ Newsletter/ Templates/ Style-Guide.md /04 - Personal/ _context.md Tasks.md Projects/ Journal/ Goals.md ``` Match the structure to how you think about the work, not to an ideal system from someone else. ## Add a routing table The WHAT section of the root file holds the routing table: ```markdown ## WHAT (domains) | Domain | Context file | Load when the prompt mentions | |---|---|---| | Client Work | 01 - Client Work/_context.md | client, project, deliverable, ClientA, ClientB, proposal | | Content | 02 - Content Production/_context.md | article, post, write, publish, newsletter, social | | Personal | 04 - Personal/_context.md | task, todo, reminder, goal, personal | ``` When you write "Draft the ClientA update," `ClientA` selects Client Work before a generic verb can select another domain. Check the opened files in the tool log, then check the draft against the client record. A model's claimed file list alone does not prove the route worked. "Draft the newsletter email for ClientA" matches both client and content terms. Resolve it with an explicit precedence rule: a named client selects Client Work, then its context links to the newsletter template. "Draft our agency newsletter" selects Content Production. If the request says only "draft the email," ask which audience it serves before loading a client folder. Test all three requests in fresh sessions. Good routing keywords: - client and company names; - project names or codes; - action verbs such as write, send, schedule, and review; - output types such as article, email, report, and proposal; - topic areas such as content, sales, and operations. Poor routing keywords: - generic words that appear everywhere, such as help, work, or update; - words that overlap between domains, such as "email" when it can mean a newsletter or a client message; - jargon that the assistant does not recognize. The [agent context guide](/articles/what-context-should-an-agent-read) helps you decide how many files each route must load. ## Apply naming conventions that scale Consistent names make every file findable. Pick one convention per file type and use it everywhere. | File type | Options | When to use each | |---|---|---| | People | `FirstLast.md`, `Company - ContactName.md`, or `LastFirst.md` | The company form suits several contacts per client; the last-name form sorts by surname | | Projects | `YYYY-MM-DD - Project Name.md`, `ClientName - Project Name.md`, or `ProjectCode - Description.md` | Date form when the timeline matters; client form when you work for several clients | | Templates | `TEMPLATE - Use Case.md` | Always; the prefix groups templates, and the use case states the purpose | | Logs | `_log.md` | One per domain, sorted to the top; it records what happened and when | | Dated content | `YYYY-MM-DD - Description.md` | Meeting notes, journal entries, and daily logs sort by date | Template examples: `TEMPLATE - Client Proposal.md`, `TEMPLATE - Article Structure.md`. ## Decide when to split or merge files This decision fails in two directions: too many tiny files, or a few huge ones. Split a file when: - it passes 2,000 words and you scroll to find facts; - its sections are used on their own, such as client details and project details; - you update one part often and the rest rarely; - several people or several AI sessions need different parts. Merge files when: - you have five files of fewer than 100 words each; - the information is always used together, such as contact details and communication preferences; - the separate files make facts harder to find; - you spend more time deciding where to put a note than writing it. The test: if you open three files to answer one question, merge them. If you scroll past irrelevant text to find a fact, split the file. ## Link files so the assistant can move between them Links let the assistant move between related files. Without them, it sees only the file in front of it. Use upward links from specific to general. A project file links to its client file, and a client file links to the domain context. The assistant can then trace back to broader context. Use related links between files at the same level. A client file links to a similar client in the same industry, and an article links to related articles. Add a "Related" section at the bottom: ```markdown ## Related - [[ClientB]]: similar industry - [[Project-Template]]: structure for this type of work - [[Past-Deliverable]]: example of good output ``` Use template links in each context file, so that the assistant knows where each template lives: ```markdown ## Templates - [[TEMPLATE - Proposal]] - [[TEMPLATE - Status Update]] - [[TEMPLATE - Meeting Recap]] ``` ## Run the maintenance loop Organization is a loop, not a one-time setup. | Interval | Task | |---|---| | After each work session | File outputs in the correct folder, update status in context files, add log entries | | Weekly | Check active project lists, archive completed work, confirm the routing keywords still fit | | Monthly | Move old files to archive folders, review the domain structure, split long files, merge small ones | | Quarterly | Check that the domains still match your work; add, merge, or remove domains | Good organization is invisible in daily use. Each new file has an obvious home. ## Avoid five common mistakes Too many folders: seven domains, each with five subfolders and category folders inside those. You navigate more than you work. Start simple and add structure only when its absence causes a problem. No routing table: the folders are clean, but the root file does not tell the assistant how to use them. The assistant cannot guess. Write the keywords. Structure for its own sake: folders such as "Resources," "Reference," and "Archive" exist because a system said so, and nobody opens them. Organize around your work. Perfectionism: three days of folder design before the first file. Start with a rough structure and organize as patterns appear. No context files: folders and files exist, but no `_context.md` tells the assistant how to work in each domain. The assistant then treats every area the same way. ## Keep your other tools A vault does not replace Notion or Google Docs. You can keep Notion for project management and use the vault with Claude Code for work that needs persistent context. The [Notion and Obsidian comparison](/articles/notion-vs-obsidian-claude-ai-agents) shows where each tool fits. Obsidian needs no technical skill. It stores notes as plain Markdown text, where `**word**` is bold and a line that starts with `#` is a heading. Claude Code runs in a terminal and installs with one command. The [vault setup guide](/articles/how-to-set-up-ai-vault) walks through both installs. When the structure works, you do not think about where a file goes. The assistant finds the correct context without file paths from you. You find any file in under 10 seconds, and a new client or domain has an obvious place. ## Related: AI memory - [Route prompts to the right context file with a keyword table](/articles/ai-context-routing-explained) - [Remove the context setup step that makes AI slow down your work](/articles/ai-workflow-bottleneck) - [Measure the time you lose to AI context setup before you fix it](/articles/how-much-time-wasted-on-ai-context) ---- ```text .|########||. .|########||. .|########||. |##||. .||##|. |##||. .||##|. |##||. .||##|. |#|. .|#|. |#|. .|#|. |#|. .|#|. |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#. .#| .#. .#| .#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| .# ||#########| #| .# ||#########| #| .# ||#########| #| .#. |######||######|. .#. .#. |######||######|. .#. .#. |######||######|. .#. #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# # .||####|###########################|. # # .||####|###########################|. # # .||####|###########################|. # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || #. .######|#|#########| .# #. .######|#|#########| .# #. .######|#|#########| .# .#. |#####||||#####| .#. .#. |#####||||#####| .#. .#. |#####||||#####| .#. |# ||########|| #. |# ||########|| #. |# ||########|| #. |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#. |#. .#. |#. .#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. |##||. .||##| |##||. .||##| |##||. .||##| .||########||. .||########||. .||########||. 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