AI-Powered Second Brain with Claude

Connect Claude Code Desktop to Obsidian to build an AI knowledge system.

Introduction

30 Second Summary

You take notes every day, but how often do those notes actually work for you after you write them?

In this project, you will build an AI-powered second brain by connecting Claude Code Desktop to an Obsidian vault so your notes organize themselves, link ideas together, and generate summaries automatically.

What You'll Build

A personal knowledge management system where Claude Code reads, writes, and reasons over your Obsidian notes using plain Markdown files stored locally on your device.

By the end of this project, you'll have:

  • A structured Obsidian vault with PARA folders, templates, and consistent YAML frontmatter conventions.
  • A CLAUDE.md file that gives Claude persistent knowledge of your vault's structure, naming rules, and custom commands.
  • Three tested AI workflows (daily note processing, meeting note formatting, and weekly review generation) that Claude runs directly on your vault.
  • A secret mission where you trigger second brain tasks from your phone using Dispatch.

Are there any prerequisites?

You need a Claude Max subscription to access the Code tab in Claude Desktop. Obsidian is free for personal use. This guide walks you through installing everything else you need, including Git for Windows users.

Install Obsidian and Claude Desktop

Before you can build your AI-powered second brain, you need two tools installed and talking to each other. Obsidian is where your notes live as plain Markdown files on your computer. Claude Desktop's Code tab is the AI assistant that reads, writes, and organizes those files for you.

In This Step, Get Ready To:
  • Install Obsidian and create a new vault called "Second Brain."
  • Install Claude Desktop and access the Code tab.
  • Connect Claude Code to your vault folder so it can read and write your notes.
Download and Install Obsidian

Obsidian stores your notes as plain Markdown files in a regular folder on your computer. This is what makes it perfect for AI integration. Claude Code can read and write these files directly, with no special API or database required.

  • Open obsidian.md/download in your browser.
  • Download the installer for your operating system (Windows .exe or macOS .dmg).
  • Run the installer and launch Obsidian.
  • When prompted, click Create new vault.
  • Name it Second Brain and choose a location you can easily find, like your Documents folder.

What is a vault?

In Obsidian, a vault is just a regular folder on your computer that Obsidian treats as a workspace. All your notes, folders, and settings live inside it as normal files. Remember where you saved this folder. You will need the path in a few minutes when connecting Claude Code.

Download and Install Claude Desktop

Claude Desktop has three tabs: Chat for general conversation, Cowork for autonomous background tasks, and Code for interactive coding with direct access to your local files. The Code tab is where your second brain comes to life.

  • Open claude.ai/download in your browser.
  • Download the installer for your operating system.
  • Run the installer, then launch Claude from your Applications folder (macOS) or Start menu (Windows).
  • Sign in with your Claude account (the one with your Max subscription).
  • Click the Code tab at the top center of the app.

You should see the Code tab interface with options to select a folder and choose a model.

I see the Code tab

You are all set. Move on to the next substep to connect Claude Code to your vault.

I see a Git error (Windows)

The Code tab on Windows requires Git to be installed. macOS usually has Git pre-installed, so this issue is Windows-specific.

  • Download and install Git for Windows from git-scm.com/downloads/win.
  • Use the default settings during installation.
  • Restart Claude Desktop completely (close and reopen the app).
  • Click the Code tab again.

Still seeing the Git error?

Make sure you fully closed Claude Desktop before reopening it. If the error persists, try restarting your computer after installing Git. Help me troubleshoot my Git installation for Claude Desktop on Windows.

Connect Claude Code to Your Vault

The Code tab needs to know which folder to work with. By pointing it at your Obsidian vault, Claude gains the ability to read every note and create new files inside it.

  • In the Code tab, set the Environment to Local.
  • Click Select folder and navigate to your Second Brain vault folder (the one you created in Obsidian).
  • Choose a model from the dropdown. Sonnet is recommended for this project.

You should now see a prompt area where you can type messages to Claude. Claude has access to all files in your vault folder.

Why Sonnet?

You can choose from Opus, Sonnet, or Haiku. Sonnet hits the sweet spot between speed and quality for file operations like reading and writing notes. You can always switch models later, but the model is locked once a session starts.

Pro tip: quick test

Type "list all files in this folder" in the prompt area. Claude should respond confirming it can see your vault. If it shows an empty folder, that is correct. You have not added any notes yet.

Your tools are installed and connected. Next up, you will build the folder structure and templates that give your second brain its organizational backbone.

Build Your Vault Structure

Your vault is currently an empty folder. For your AI assistant to be useful, it needs a consistent structure to navigate. In this step, you'll organize your vault using the PARA method, create reusable note templates, and enable Obsidian's built-in Daily Notes plugin.

In This Step, Get Ready To:
  • Create a PARA folder structure with numbered prefixes to keep your vault organized.
  • Build daily note and meeting note templates with YAML frontmatter.
  • Enable the Daily Notes core plugin for one-click note creation.
Create the PARA Folder Structure

The PARA method organizes everything into four categories: Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archive. Numbered prefixes like 00_ and 10_ keep folders sorted in a predictable order. You'll also add an Inbox for capturing new notes and a Templates folder for reusable structures.

  • Switch to Obsidian (keep Claude Desktop open in the background).
  • In the left sidebar, right-click and select New folder.
  • Create a folder called 00_Inbox.
  • Repeat this process to create the following folders:
  • 10_Projects
  • 20_Areas
  • 30_Resources
  • 40_Archive
  • 90_Templates

Your sidebar should now show six folders sorted in numerical order.

What is the PARA method?

PARA comes from Tiago Forte's "Building a Second Brain" methodology. Each folder has a clear purpose:

  • Projects are active efforts with deadlines (e.g., launch website).
  • Areas are ongoing responsibilities with no end date (e.g., health, finances).
  • Resources are topics of interest and reference material (e.g., book notes).
  • Archive is where completed or inactive items go to rest.

The Inbox is your landing zone for quick captures before you sort them. Later, Claude will help you move notes from the Inbox into the right folder.

Create Note Templates

Templates give your notes a consistent structure. When every note follows the same format, Claude can reliably parse and process them. You'll create two templates: one for daily notes and one for meeting notes. Both use YAML frontmatter, a metadata block at the top of each file that stores structured data like dates, tags, and status.

  • Open the 90_Templates folder in Obsidian's sidebar.
  • Right-click the folder and select New note.
  • Name the note Daily Note Template.
  • Paste the following content into the note:
---
date: {{date}}
tags: [daily]
type: daily
---
# Daily Note - {{date}}

## Top 3 Priorities
1.
2.
3.

## Notes & Thoughts


## Meetings


## Open Questions

What is YAML frontmatter?

The block between the --- lines at the top is called frontmatter. It stores metadata about the note in a structured format that both Obsidian and Claude can read. Fields like date, tags, and type let Claude filter and query your notes programmatically.

Now create the meeting note template.

  • Create another new note inside 90_Templates.
  • Name it Meeting Note Template.
  • Paste the following content:
---
date: {{date}}
tags: [meeting]
type: meeting
people: []
project:
status: raw
---
# Meeting: [Topic]

## Attendees


## Key Points


## Action Items


## Follow-ups

Why does the meeting template have extra frontmatter fields?

Meeting notes include people, project, and status fields. The status field tracks whether a note is raw (unprocessed), processed (cleaned up by Claude), or archived. This lets Claude know which notes still need attention.

Enable the Daily Notes Plugin

Obsidian has a built-in Daily Notes plugin that creates a new dated note with one click. You'll configure it to drop new notes into your Inbox folder so Claude can find and process them later.

  • Click the gear icon in the bottom-left corner of Obsidian to open Settings.
  • Select Core plugins from the left menu.
  • Find Daily notes in the list and toggle it on.
  • Click the gear icon next to Daily notes to open its settings.
  • Set the Date format to YYYY-MM-DD.
  • Set the New file location to 00_Inbox.
  • Close the Settings window.

You should now see a calendar icon in Obsidian's left sidebar. Clicking it creates a new note named with today's date inside your Inbox folder.

Pro tip: test it now

Click the calendar icon to create today's daily note. You should see a new file appear in 00_Inbox with a name like 2025-07-15.md. You'll use this note in the next step when testing your AI workflows.

Your vault now has a solid foundation. Next up, you'll create a CLAUDE.md file that teaches Claude everything about this structure so it can navigate, read, and write your notes intelligently.

Create Your CLAUDE.md File

Your vault has a clean folder structure, templates, and a daily notes setup. But Claude Code doesn't know any of that yet. Right now, every time you start a session, Claude would need to explore your vault from scratch to understand how it's organized.

A CLAUDE.md file solves this. It's a Markdown file that lives in the root of your project folder and gets loaded into Claude's context at the start of every session. It acts as a persistent instruction manual that teaches Claude your vault's rules, naming conventions, and custom workflows.

In This Step, Get Ready To:
  • Write a CLAUDE.md file that teaches Claude your vault's structure and rules.
  • Verify that Claude reads and understands your instructions.
  • Test a custom command defined in your CLAUDE.md.
Write the CLAUDE.md File

You'll use Claude Code itself to create this file. This is a great first taste of how Claude Code reads and writes files in your vault.

  • Switch to Claude Desktop's Code tab (which should still be pointed at your vault folder).
  • Type this prompt:
Create a file called CLAUDE.md in the root of this folder
  • Claude will ask for permission to create the file. Approve it.
  • Now tell Claude to write the content into the file by typing this prompt:
Now write the following content into CLAUDE.md
  • Paste the following content after your prompt:
# Second Brain Vault

This is my personal knowledge vault managed in Obsidian.

## Folder Structure
- /00_Inbox - Landing zone for new notes, daily notes, quick captures
- /10_Projects - Active projects with deadlines
- /20_Areas - Ongoing responsibilities (health, finances, career)
- /30_Resources - Topics of interest, references, articles
- /40_Archive - Completed or inactive items
- /90_Templates - Note templates

## Naming Conventions
- Notes use kebab-case: meeting-with-sarah.md
- Daily notes use date format: YYYY-MM-DD.md
- Tags are lowercase, hyphenated: #client-work, #book-notes

## Frontmatter Rules
- Every note MUST have YAML frontmatter with: date, tags, type
- Meeting notes also include: people, project, status
- Status values: raw, processed, archived

## Custom Commands
- "morning brief": Summarize today's daily note, list open tasks from the last 3 days, and show active projects
- "capture [topic]": Create a new note in /00_Inbox with a summary, tags, and links to related notes
- "process inbox": Review all notes in /00_Inbox, add proper frontmatter, suggest folder destinations, and create links to related notes
- "weekly review": Aggregate the last 7 daily notes into a summary in /30_Resources with key decisions, open tasks, and patterns

## Linking Rules
- Always use Obsidian wikilinks: [[note-name]]
- When referencing a person, link to their note in /20_Areas or create one
- When referencing a project, link to its folder README in /10_Projects
  • Review the diff that Claude shows you and approve the file creation.

What is CLAUDE.md?

CLAUDE.md is a special file that Claude Code loads into its context window at the start of every session. It can live at ./CLAUDE.md or ./.claude/CLAUDE.md in your project root. Anthropic recommends keeping it under 200 lines so it doesn't consume too much of Claude's context window.

Your file is about 30 lines. That leaves plenty of room to add more instructions as your vault grows.

What Are Those Custom Commands?

The "Custom Commands" section defines shorthand phrases that Claude will recognize. When you type "morning brief" or "weekly review" in the Code tab, Claude reads those definitions from CLAUDE.md and knows exactly what to do. You're essentially programming Claude with natural language.

Verify Claude Reads the CLAUDE.md

Creating the file is one thing. You need to confirm Claude actually picks it up and uses it.

  • Start a new session in the Code tab (or type a fresh prompt in your current session).
  • Ask Claude:
What is the folder structure of this vault?

Claude should respond using the information from your CLAUDE.md, describing the PARA folders and their purposes. If Claude describes the structure correctly, your CLAUDE.md is working.

Claude described my folders correctly

Your CLAUDE.md is loaded and working. Claude now has persistent knowledge of your vault every time you start a session.

Claude didn't know my folder structure

If Claude doesn't reference your PARA folders, check these things:

  • Make sure the file is named exactly CLAUDE.md (all caps, not claude.md).
  • Confirm the file is in the root of your vault folder, not inside a subfolder.
  • Verify the Code tab's selected folder is still pointing at your "Second Brain" vault.
  • Try starting a completely new session and asking again.

Still Not Working?

If Claude still can't find your CLAUDE.md, help me troubleshoot why Claude Code isn't reading my CLAUDE.md file.

Test a Custom Command

Your CLAUDE.md defines four custom commands. Let's test the "capture" command to see if Claude follows your naming conventions and frontmatter rules.

  • Type this in the Code tab:
capture AI productivity tools

Claude should create a new note in /00_Inbox following your naming conventions. The note should use kebab-case for the filename and include proper YAML frontmatter (date, tags, type). It should also contain relevant content about AI productivity tools.

  • Review the diff Claude shows you and approve the file creation.
  • Switch to Obsidian and verify the new note appears in your 00_Inbox folder.
  • Open the note and check that it has correct frontmatter and formatting.

What Should I See?

The new note should have a filename like ai-productivity-tools.md (kebab-case, as defined in your CLAUDE.md). At the top, you should see a YAML frontmatter block with date, tags, and type fields. Claude may also include wikilinks to related topics using the [[note-name]] syntax.

Your CLAUDE.md is now the brain behind your second brain. Every session, Claude loads these instructions and follows your rules automatically. Next up, you'll put this to work with three real AI workflows that process, format, and summarize your notes.

Build and Test AI Workflows

Your vault has structure, your CLAUDE.md teaches Claude the rules, and you have already tested a custom command. Now it is time to put everything together and run real workflows that show the power of an AI-powered second brain. In this step, you will process a daily note, format a messy meeting note, and generate a weekly review. These are the three workflows you will use most often.

In This Step, Get Ready To:
  • Process a daily note by extracting action items, linking people, and adding a summary.
  • Format a rough meeting note into a structured, linked document with proper YAML frontmatter.
  • Generate a weekly review that aggregates multiple daily notes into a single summary.
Process Today's Daily Note

A daily note is only useful if you actually review and organize it. Most people write quick thoughts during the day and never come back to extract the important bits. This workflow lets Claude Code do that processing for you.

  • Switch to Obsidian.
  • Create a daily note for today in 00_Inbox. You can use the Daily notes button in the left sidebar, or manually create a new note named with today's date (e.g., 2025-07-11.md).
  • Add some sample content to the note. Include a few priorities, mention a person by name, reference a meeting, and jot down some random thoughts.

Here is an example of what your daily note might look like:

---
date: 2025-07-11
tags: [daily]
type: daily
---
# Daily Note - 2025-07-11

## Top 3 Priorities
1. Finish the proposal draft for the website redesign
2. Review Sarah's pull request on the API changes
3. Prep slides for Friday's team standup

## Notes & Thoughts
Had a good idea about automating the client onboarding flow. Should look into Zapier or Make for this. Also need to remember to update the project timeline since we pushed the launch back a week.

## Meetings
Quick sync with David about the Q3 budget. He mentioned we might get extra headcount. Need to follow up with him by Wednesday.

## Open Questions
Should we migrate the docs to a new platform? Current one feels clunky.

Pro tip: use real content

The more realistic your sample content, the more impressive Claude's processing will be. Mention real names, real projects, and real questions. Claude works with whatever you give it.

  • Switch to Claude Desktop's Code tab.
  • Type the following prompt:
Process today's daily note. Extract any action items, identify people mentioned, create links to relevant projects or areas, and add a TL;DR summary at the top.

What should I see?

Claude shows you a visual diff of the proposed changes. You should see Claude adding wikilinks like [[sarah]] and [[david]], structuring action items as a clear list, and inserting a TL;DR summary at the top of the note.

  • Review the diff Claude presents.
  • Click to approve the changes.
  • Switch back to Obsidian and open the daily note to see the processed result.

Your daily note should now have a summary, linked people, and clearly formatted action items. This is the kind of processing that would take you 10 minutes manually. Claude does it in seconds.

Format a Meeting Note

Meeting notes are often the messiest notes in any vault. You scribble things down quickly, and they sit in your inbox forever because formatting them feels like a chore. This workflow takes rough notes and transforms them into a structured document with proper frontmatter, linked people, and extracted action items.

  • In Obsidian, create a new note in 00_Inbox called meeting-product-review.md.
  • Paste in some rough, unstructured meeting notes. Here is an example you can use:
product review meeting today

me, sarah, david, and james from design were there

talked about the new dashboard layout - everyone likes the sidebar nav idea but james thinks the icons need work

sarah is going to update the mockups by thursday
david will check with the backend team about the API timeline
i need to write up the requirements doc and share it by monday

also discussed the mobile app - pushing it to Q4, not enough bandwidth right now

next meeting is in two weeks
  • Switch to Claude Desktop's Code tab.
  • Type the following prompt:
Format the meeting note meeting-product-review.md. Apply the meeting template structure, extract action items with owners, identify people and create links, add proper frontmatter, and suggest which project folder it belongs in.

What does this prompt do?

Claude reads your CLAUDE.md to understand your meeting note template, frontmatter rules, and linking conventions. It then restructures the messy note to match those rules. The folder suggestion comes from Claude analyzing the note content and matching it to your PARA folder structure.

  • Review the diff Claude presents.

You should see Claude add YAML frontmatter with date, tags, type, people, project, and status fields. People should appear as wikilinks. Action items should be organized with clear owners.

  • Approve the changes.
  • Open the note in Obsidian and verify the formatting matches your meeting template structure.

Why are wikilinks so important?

Every wikilink Claude creates (like [[sarah]] or [[dashboard-redesign]]) becomes a node in Obsidian's knowledge graph. Over time, these links reveal connections between notes, people, and projects that you would never spot manually. This is what makes a second brain more than just a folder of files.

Generate a Weekly Review

The weekly review is where the compounding power of a second brain really shows up. Claude reads across multiple daily notes, spots patterns, and creates a summary you can reference later. To make this work, you need a few days of notes for Claude to aggregate.

  • In Obsidian, create 2-3 more daily notes in 00_Inbox for previous days (e.g., 2025-07-10.md and 2025-07-09.md).
  • Add varied content to each note. Include different priorities, mention some of the same people across notes, and reference overlapping projects.

Pro tip: repeat themes across notes

Mention the same project or task in multiple daily notes. This gives Claude something to identify as a pattern in the weekly review. For example, reference the "dashboard redesign" in two or three notes.

  • Switch to Claude Desktop's Code tab.
  • Type:
weekly review

What does this command do?

This triggers the custom command you defined in your CLAUDE.md. Claude reads the instruction: "Aggregate the last 7 daily notes into a summary in /30_Resources with key decisions, open tasks, and patterns." Claude then scans your daily notes, extracts the important information, and creates a new summary note.

  • Review the diff Claude presents. You should see a new note being created in 30_Resources.
  • Approve the changes.
  • Open the weekly review note in Obsidian.

The summary should include key decisions made across the week, tasks that appeared in multiple daily notes, and patterns Claude noticed. Notice how Claude uses wikilinks to connect the summary back to the original daily notes. This creates a web of connected knowledge that grows more valuable over time.

You now have three working AI workflows that read, write, and link notes across your vault. Next up, you will teach Claude to learn your personal preferences over time using auto memory.

Level Up with Auto Memory

Your CLAUDE.md file gives Claude a solid foundation of rules and commands. But what about the small preferences you discover along the way? Things like "I prefer checkboxes over numbered lists" or "always put people notes in a subfolder." That is where auto memory comes in. Every time you correct Claude, it saves that preference and applies it automatically in future sessions.

In This Step, Get Ready To:
  • Teach Claude your personal preferences by correcting its output.
  • Verify that auto memory persists across new sessions.
  • See the compounding effect of CLAUDE.md plus auto memory working together.
Teach Claude Your Preferences Through Corrections

Auto memory works by watching how you correct Claude. When you tell Claude you prefer something done differently, it saves that preference as a memory note. The first 200 lines or 25KB of these notes get loaded at the start of every future session. This means your corrections are never wasted.

What Is Auto Memory?

Auto memory is a set of Claude-generated notes stored per working tree (your vault folder). Unlike CLAUDE.md which you write manually, auto memory is created by Claude itself based on your corrections and preferences. Both are loaded into Claude's context at the start of every session. Think of CLAUDE.md as the rulebook you hand Claude, and auto memory as the personal notes Claude takes about how you like things done.

  • In Claude Desktop's Code tab, ask Claude to process one of your existing notes. For example, type: "Process the note in 00_Inbox about AI productivity tools and extract action items."
  • Review Claude's output. If it formats action items as a numbered list, correct it by typing:
Actually, I prefer action items formatted as checkboxes with - [ ] syntax, not numbered lists. Please redo that.

Claude will redo the output using checkboxes and save your preference to auto memory.

  • Approve the updated changes.
  • Now add another correction by typing:
When you create links to people, always put them in /20_Areas/People/ not just /20_Areas/

Pro tip: corrections compound

Every correction you make gets saved permanently. Over days and weeks of using your second brain, Claude builds a detailed profile of exactly how you like your notes handled. The more you use it, the less you need to correct.

Test That Auto Memory Persists

The real test of auto memory is whether Claude remembers your preferences in a brand new session. If it does, your corrections are truly persistent.

  • Close your current Code tab session by clicking the X or starting a new one.
  • Open a new Code session pointed at your Second Brain vault folder.
  • Create a quick test note in Obsidian. Add a few lines of raw text with some action items and a person's name mentioned.
  • In the new Code session, type: "Process the note I just created. Extract action items and link any people mentioned."

Check Claude's output carefully. Action items should appear as checkboxes using - [ ] syntax, not numbered lists. People links should point to /20_Areas/People/, not just /20_Areas/. You never mentioned either preference in this session. Claude remembered on its own.

Claude Didn't Remember My Preferences?

Make sure you started a completely new session, not just sent a new message in the same one. Auto memory loads at session start. Also confirm you are pointing the new session at the same vault folder, since auto memory is stored per working tree. Help me troubleshoot why Claude's auto memory isn't persisting across sessions.

View What Claude Has Learned

You can ask Claude directly what it knows about your vault and preferences. This reveals the compounding effect of your two memory systems working together.

  • In your Code session, type: "What do you know about my preferences for this vault?"

Claude's response will draw from two sources. It will reference the structural rules from your CLAUDE.md (folder structure, naming conventions, custom commands) and the personal preferences from auto memory (checkbox formatting, people subfolder paths, and any other corrections you made).

Why This Matters for Your Second Brain

This is the compounding effect that makes an AI-powered second brain different from a static note-taking system. Your CLAUDE.md provides the structure, and auto memory fills in the personal details over time. A month from now, Claude will know dozens of your preferences without you ever writing them down in a file.

Your AI-powered second brain is now fully operational. You have a structured vault, persistent instructions, tested workflows, and a memory system that gets smarter with every interaction. Next up, the secret mission will show you how to trigger all of this from your phone.

Secret mission

Trigger Second Brain Tasks from Your Phone with Dispatch

What if you could capture ideas and run your second brain workflows from anywhere, not just your desk? With Dispatch, you can send commands from your phone and have Claude Code execute them on your vault automatically.

Before you go

Clean Up Your Resources

This project runs entirely locally on your computer, so there are no ongoing cloud costs. Decide whether to keep your resources running, pause them to come back later, or delete them entirely.

Resources you used:

  • Obsidian vault ("Second Brain" folder on your local machine).
  • Claude Desktop app (with Code tab sessions).
  • CLAUDE.md file in your vault root.
  • Auto memory preferences stored by Claude Code.
  • Sample notes created during the project (daily notes, meeting notes, weekly review).
  • Git (Windows users only, if installed during this project).

Keep everything running

No action needed. Choose this if you are still actively building your second brain and plan to keep adding notes.

  • Your Obsidian vault stays on your local machine and costs nothing to keep.
  • Claude Desktop stays installed and ready for new Code tab sessions.
  • Your CLAUDE.md and auto memory persist across sessions, so Claude keeps getting smarter.

Pause - I'll come back to this later

Keep your files but close the apps to free up system memory. You can pick up right where you left off.

  • Close Obsidian. Your vault folder and all notes remain on your hard drive.
  • Close Claude Desktop. Your CLAUDE.md and auto memory will reload automatically when you start a new Code tab session pointed at your vault.
  • To resume, reopen Obsidian and Claude Desktop, then select your vault folder in the Code tab.

Delete - I don't want to use this again

Remove all project resources and start fresh. This permanently deletes your vault and notes.

  • Delete your "Second Brain" vault folder from your Documents (or wherever you saved it). This removes all notes, templates, and the CLAUDE.md file.
  • Uninstall Obsidian if you no longer want it. On macOS, drag it from Applications to Trash. On Windows, go to Settings, then Apps & features, find Obsidian, and click Uninstall.
  • Uninstall Claude Desktop if you no longer want it. Follow the same process as above for your operating system.
  • Windows users who installed Git for this project can uninstall it from Apps & features if they no longer need it. Keep it if you plan to use Claude Code or other development tools in the future.
  • Auto memory for your vault is stored locally by Claude Code. Deleting the vault folder and starting a new Code session in a different folder means Claude will no longer reference those memories.

Mission accomplished

That's a Wrap!

Nice work! You just built an AI-powered second brain that reads, writes, and reasons over your notes.

Here's what you learned:

  • Built a structured Obsidian vault with PARA folders, reusable templates, and consistent YAML frontmatter conventions.
  • Created a CLAUDE.md file that gives Claude persistent context about your vault's structure, naming rules, and custom commands like morning brief and weekly review.
  • Tested three real AI workflows: daily note processing, meeting note formatting, and weekly review generation, with Claude reading, writing, and linking notes across your vault.
  • Set up Dispatch to trigger second brain tasks from your phone, spawning Claude Code sessions remotely.

Your second brain is now alive. The more notes you add and the more you interact with Claude, the more useful it becomes. Auto memory compounds your corrections into a personalized assistant that knows exactly how you like your notes organized.

Ready to quiz yourself?