Build a Second Brain in Obsidian That Actually Generates Ideas — 50 Prompts for Knowledge Workers
Most Obsidian vaults are digital junk drawers. You take notes but never find them again. You link pages but the graph view is meaningless. You install 30 plugins but use 3 effectively. These 50 prompts transform your vault into a genuine thinking tool — a knowledge management system that surfaces connections, generates insights, and makes you smarter over time.
Every prompt produces specific Obsidian configurations: templates, Dataview queries, folder structures, and workflows you can implement in minutes.
What's Inside — 50 Expert Prompts
Vault Architecture (Prompts 1-10)
- 1. Vault Structure Designer — Creates an optimal vault architecture for {{use_case}}: folder hierarchy, tag taxonomy, naming conventions, and MOC (Map of Content) strategy. Uses chain-of-thought with knowledge management theory.
- 2. Zettelkasten Implementation — Sets up a genuine Zettelkasten in Obsidian for {{knowledge_domain}}: fleeting notes, literature notes, permanent notes, and connection workflows.
- 3. PARA Method Setup — Implements Tiago Forte's PARA (Projects, Areas, Resources, Archive) in Obsidian with: folder structure, note types, and review workflows.
- 4. Tag Taxonomy Builder — Designs a tag system for {{vault_purpose}}: hierarchical tags, status tags, type tags, and tag hygiene rules.
- 5. MOC (Map of Content) Architect — Creates hub pages for {{topic_areas}}: curated link collections, progressive summarization, and navigation structures.
- 6-10. Additional prompts covering: multi-vault strategy, plugin ecosystem design, migration from other apps (Notion, Evernote, Roam), vault performance optimization, and backup/sync strategy.
Templates & Automation (Prompts 11-24)
- 11. Templater Script Library — Advanced Templater templates for {{note_type}}: dynamic dates, conditional content, file creation, and prompt-based input fields.
- 12. Daily Notes System — Complete daily notes workflow for {{lifestyle}}: morning planning, task management, journal prompts, and end-of-day review with metadata.
- 13. Weekly Review Template — Weekly review system: progress assessment, goal review, energy mapping, and next-week planning with Dataview queries.
- 14. Literature Note Template — Book/article note system for {{reading_focus}}: bibliographic metadata, key ideas extraction, connection prompts, and Zettelkasten integration.
- 15. Meeting Notes Template — Meeting documentation system: agenda, attendees, decisions, action items, and automatic task extraction.
- 16. Dataview Dashboard Builder — Creates dashboard pages using Dataview for {{dashboard_type}}: task aggregation, project status, reading progress, and knowledge metrics.
- 17-24. Additional prompts covering: project note template, person note template, course notes system, recipe/procedure template, decision journal, idea capture workflow, email-to-Obsidian pipeline, and voice note integration.
Knowledge Workflows (Prompts 25-38)
- 25. Progressive Summarization Workflow — Implements Tiago Forte's progressive summarization in Obsidian: 5-layer highlighting system with Obsidian-specific formatting.
- 26. Graph View Optimization — Makes your graph view meaningful: link types, color coding, filter presets, and graph analysis for insight discovery.
- 27. Spaced Repetition Integration — Sets up flashcard generation from notes for {{learning_topic}}: Anki integration, SM-2 algorithm, and review scheduling.
- 28. Research Workflow — Academic/professional research system: source management, argument mapping, evidence tracking, and synthesis workflows.
- 29-38. Additional prompts covering: GTD implementation, goal-setting system, habit tracking, writing workflow (outline → draft → edit → publish), CRM in Obsidian, travel planning, recipe management, personal finance tracking, health journal, and creative project management.
Advanced Techniques (Prompts 39-50)
- 39. Dataview Query Library — 20+ advanced Dataview queries for {{vault_type}}: inline queries, DataviewJS, task queries, and metadata aggregation.
- 40-50. Additional prompts covering: custom CSS snippets, community plugin curation, canvas usage strategies, Obsidian Publish setup, mobile workflow optimization, vault maintenance automation, AI integration (GPT/Claude plugins), collaborative workflows, performance troubleshooting, advanced search techniques, and Obsidian as a development tool.
Each Prompt Includes
- {{Variable}} slots — Use case, knowledge domain, and workflow style customizable
- Copy-paste configurations — Templates, Dataview queries, and CSS snippets ready to use
- Technique annotation — Chain-of-thought, tree-of-thought, CRTSE, meta-prompting
- Plugin requirements — Which community plugins each prompt needs
- Anti-patterns — PKM mistakes that turn your vault into a graveyard
Who This Is For
- Knowledge workers who want their notes to generate insights, not just store information
- Researchers & academics managing large volumes of literature and ideas
- Writers & content creators building a knowledge base for their craft
- Developers using Obsidian as a technical wiki and project management tool
What Makes This Different
- Obsidian-native — Uses Obsidian-specific features (Dataview, Templater, Canvas), not generic note-taking advice
- Theory-grounded — Built on Zettelkasten, PARA, GTD, and progressive summarization methodologies
- Implementation-focused — Not "why you should take notes" but "here are the exact templates and queries"
Works With
ChatGPT (GPT-4+), Claude (Sonnet/Opus), Gemini Pro. Use prompts to generate Obsidian configurations, then implement in your vault.
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