1. Start Here

Welcome to Forge.

Forge helps keep your Obsidian vault clean, consistent, and dependable as it grows.

As vaults evolve over time, small inconsistencies start to accumulate:

• tags drift apart
• templates change
• fields get renamed
• dashboards stop matching notes
• Dataview queries become unreliable
• metadata becomes inconsistent
• old notes stop fitting newer workflows

Forge helps you repair and maintain that structure without forcing you into a rigid system.

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What Forge Does

Forge provides maintenance and structure tooling for Obsidian vaults:

• Schema validation
• Vault linting
• Frontmatter normalization
• Tag normalization
• Bulk note update workflows
• Vault repair tools
• Shape validation
• Relationship indexes
• Vault exports
• Maintenance workflows
• Vault-installed documentation
• Copy-ready examples

The goal is simple:

Keep your vault usable and trustworthy over time.

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Your Installed Forge Locations

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Recommended First Steps

1. Read the Quick Start

Start here:

Quick Start

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2. Install a Starter Schema

Copy the starter schema from Starter Schema into:

A-I/Forge/Schema/schema.md

Schemas define the metadata rules and structure Forge uses throughout the vault.

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3. Validate the Schema

Run:

Forge: Validate Schema

This checks the schema itself for malformed YAML, invalid fields, and configuration issues.

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4. Run Your First Vault Lint

Run:

Forge: Run Vault Lint

Forge scans your vault for structural inconsistencies such as:

• missing frontmatter
• malformed metadata
• inconsistent tags
• invalid field values
• stale review dates
• shape mismatches
• structural drift

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5. Fix a Small Batch of Findings

Use one of the repair workflows:

• Normalize tags
• Normalize frontmatter
• Apply a patch
• Run Vault Repair

Forge is designed for gradual cleanup.

You do not need to fix the entire vault at once.

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6. Re-run Lint

After changes, run lint again.

That loop is Forge in miniature:

define → validate → repair → repeat

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Core Workflows

Schema Validation

Schema Reference defines the metadata contract for your vault.

Schemas help keep notes predictable so Dataviews, Bases, dashboards, and queries remain reliable.

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Vault Linting

Vault Lint finds schema drift, malformed metadata, and inconsistent structures.

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Patch Engine

Patch Engine applies structured bulk changes using reviewable patch notes.

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Vault Repair

Vault Repair helps repair malformed frontmatter interactively.

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Normalize Tags and Frontmatter

Normalize Tags and Frontmatter standardizes metadata formatting across the vault.

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Shapes

Shapes validates reusable note structures and hierarchies.

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Relationship Indexes and Exports

Export Overview generates inventory, relationship, and export files for dashboards and external tooling.

Forge calls these ontology indexes because they map relationships between notes and concepts across the vault.

You do not need to be an ontology expert to use them.

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Settings and Utility Commands

• Settings Reference explains every settings tab and toggle.
• Utility Commands covers extra operational commands such as Rename Dataview Folder.

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What Forge Writes

Forge writes operational notes, backups, reports, patches, and exports inside your vault so they remain:

• searchable
• linkable
• syncable
• reviewable
• auditable

Forge stores plugin settings separately in Obsidian plugin data.

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Included Examples

Forge installs organized examples directly into your vault.

The examples are designed to be copied, modified, and adapted to your own workflows.

Useful starting points:

• Starter Schema
• First Lint Cleanup
• Basic Metadata Patch

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Recommended Mindset

Forge works best when treated as a maintenance workflow instead of a one-time cleanup tool.

You do not need:

• a perfectly structured vault
• complicated schemas
• enterprise workflows
• strict metadata everywhere

Start small.

Improve consistency gradually.

Let the vault evolve over time.