name: markdown-base description: Universal frontmatter standards for all Markdown files. Use when creating or editing any .md file to ensure required properties (date_created, date_modified, tags) are present. Applies to all Markdown files unless explicitly excluded.

Markdown Base

Universal frontmatter requirements for all Markdown files.

Required Frontmatter

Every Markdown file must include:

yaml

---
date_created: YYYY-MM-DD
date_modified: YYYY-MM-DD
tags: []
---

Property Rules

•date_created: Set once when file is created, never modify
•date_modified: Update to current date on every edit
•tags: YAML list format, can be empty [] or populated [tag1, tag2]

When Editing Existing Files

•If frontmatter exists but missing required properties, add them
•Always update date_modified to today's date
•Never overwrite existing date_created

Exceptions

Do NOT apply this skill to files listed in references/exceptions.md.

Common exclusions:

•README.md files
•CLAUDE.md files
•Skill documentation (SKILL.md)
•Configuration files