Vault Query And File

If the wiki is missing an obvious durable concept needed for the answer:

• prefer updating or creating a wiki article when the missing concept is reusable
• prefer output/ when the result is mostly one-off analysis or a user-specific deliverable

Filing decision

After answering, decide whether the result should be filed.

File into wiki/ when

• the answer creates durable knowledge worth reusing later
• the answer clarifies a concept, comparison, pattern, or workflow
• the answer resolves an ambiguity that future queries are likely to hit again
• the answer improves topic coverage rather than only serving the current request

File into output/ when

• the result is a one-off report, memo, synthesis, or deliverable
• the answer is temporary, highly situational, or tied to a specific moment
• the user asks for a report rather than a canonical note

File into both when

• the user asked a specific question that produces a one-off report, but the process also surfaces a durable concept worth preserving in the wiki

Wiki filing rules

When filing into wiki/:

• reuse an existing topic when possible
• create a new topic only when the concept is durable and distinct
• write concise bullet-heavy pages
• include:
  • ## Summary
  • ## Key Takeaways
  • ## Related Concepts
  • ## Source
• update the topic _index.md
• update wiki/_master-index.md if a new topic is created
• add strong [[wiki links]]

Output filing rules

When filing into output/:

• write a concise markdown report
• prefer descriptive filenames over generic names
• include enough context that the file is useful without reopening the entire chat
• avoid turning output/ into a second wiki

Answer quality rules

• Be explicit about what came from the wiki and what is an inference.
• Prefer concise synthesis over long quotation.
• If the wiki has conflicting or thin coverage, say so.
• Do not pretend the vault contains evidence it does not contain.

Heuristics

• Default to wiki/ for concepts and output/ for deliverables.
• A good test: if a future version of you would benefit from finding this answer again through topic navigation, it likely belongs in wiki/.
• If the best reusable unit is smaller than the full answer, file only that smaller durable insight into the wiki and keep the full response in output/ or chat.
• Prefer updating an existing page over creating a near-duplicate note.

Boundaries

• Do not bypass wiki/_master-index.md when the user asked for a vault-grounded answer.
• Do not answer from memory when the vault should be consulted.
• Do not file every answer into the wiki; avoid noise.
• Do not promote temporary or weakly supported claims into canonical notes.

Relationship to other skills

• Use vault-compile when the job is to turn raw source material into wiki knowledge.
• Use vault-audit when the job is to inspect the health of the structure.
• Use vault-query-and-file when the job is to answer from the wiki and preserve durable results.