> [!abstract] Summary > **Claude Skills** are reusable instruction packs that Claude Code loads on demand to perform specialized workflows. The `new-protocol-note` skill scaffolds new notes in this vault with the correct folder structure, YAML frontmatter, and MOC linking — so every PROTOCOL or KNOWLEDGE note starts from the same clean template. **If you want this skill for yourself just send me a message** --- ## What a Claude Skill is A **skill** is a folder containing a `SKILL.md` file with YAML frontmatter (`name`, `description`) and markdown instructions. Claude Code reads the description of every installed skill and decides when to invoke the skill based on what the user asks. Once triggered, the body of `SKILL.md` is loaded into context and Claude follows the instructions inside. Skills live in `~/.claude/skills/<skill-name>/` — on this machine: `documents/.claude/skills/`. ## The `new-protocol-note` skill ### What it does Scaffolds a new Obsidian note in this vault following the vault's conventions: - Creates the category folder under `PROTOCOL/` or `KNOWLEDGE/` if it does not exist yet. - Creates the `<CATEGORY> MOC.md` index file with a top-level `# <CATEGORY>` heading if missing. - Creates the `Notes/` subfolder if missing. - Writes the new note with YAML frontmatter (tags, creation date, area) and a `[!abstract] Summary` callout. - Appends a wikilink to the new note inside the category MOC under the right section. ### Folder pattern it enforces ``` <SECTION>/<CATEGORY>/ ├── <CATEGORY> MOC.md └── Notes/ └── <NoteTitle>.md ``` Where `<SECTION>` is either `PROTOCOL` or `KNOWLEDGE`. ### PROTOCOL vs KNOWLEDGE | Section | Purpose | Scaffold | | ---------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | | PROTOCOL | Pipeline documentation written for other artists to follow | Frontmatter + summary callout + `## Overview` H2 + convention reminder | | KNOWLEDGE | Personal knowledge notes — content grows organically | Frontmatter + summary callout only (minimal) | PROTOCOL notes get a slightly richer scaffold because they are meant to be followed step by step by someone who has never touched the pipeline before. KNOWLEDGE notes stay minimal to avoid structural clutter. ## How to use it ### Trigger phrases The skill triggers whenever you ask Claude to create a new note in the vault. You do not need to name the skill explicitly. > [!tip] Example prompts that trigger the skill > - `new protocol note "Prism Asset Publish" in category PRISM, area Pipeline` > - `scaffold a knowledge note about Karma XPU in KNOWLEDGE/HOUDINI` > - `create a new note for the SOLARIS MOC about USD layer stacks` > - `start a knowledge note called "TOPs Cooking" in HOUDINI` ### Inputs Claude will ask for If any of these are missing from the prompt, Claude will ask: | Input | Required | Example | | -------------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------------- | | Section | Yes | `PROTOCOL` or `KNOWLEDGE` | | Category | Yes | `KITSU`, `HOUDINI`, `SOLARIS`, `AI`… | | Note title | Yes | `Kitsu for Artists` | | Area | No | `Production`, `Pipeline`, `Artist Guide`… | | Extra tags | No | Any additional tags to add to the frontmatter | ### What happens after scaffolding Claude reports: 1. Path of the new note. 2. The line added to the MOC (or "already present, skipped"). 3. Whether any folders or MOC files were newly created. The scaffold itself is the deliverable — Claude will not start writing the body of the note unless asked explicitly. > [!important] To fill in the body, ask Claude separately — e.g. *"now write the content for that note covering X, Y, Z"*. The skill only handles scaffolding. ## MOC behavior The skill reads the existing `<CATEGORY> MOC.md` before adding a link: - If the MOC has **one heading or none** → the link is appended under the top heading. - If the MOC has **multiple section headings** → Claude will ask which section the new link belongs under. - If a link to that note already exists → the MOC update is skipped (no duplicates). The link format is always: ```markdown - [[Notes/<NoteTitle>|<NoteTitle>]] ``` ## Installing / updating the skill ### Activating changes Claude Code loads the list of available skills at startup. After editing `SKILL.md`: 1. Save the file. 2. Restart Claude Code. 3. The updated skill will be picked up on the next launch. > [!note] While a Claude Code session is already running, editing `SKILL.md` does not require a restart to take effect on *calls* (Claude reads the file when the skill is invoked), but the *trigger description* in the YAML frontmatter is only re-read at startup. ### Anatomy of `SKILL.md` ```markdown --- name: new-protocol-note description: <when to trigger + what it does — this is what Claude reads to decide whether to use the skill> --- # Skill body <markdown instructions Claude follows once the skill is invoked> ``` ## Reference - Skill file: `~/.claude/skills/new-protocol-note/SKILL.md` - Vault conventions: `CLAUDE.md` at the vault root - Gold-standard PROTOCOL note style: [[Notes/Kitsu for Artists|Kitsu for Artists]] in the KITSU MOC