Arrowhead CLI Agent Playbook
When to Use This Skill
- •User mentions an Obsidian vault, Arrowhead-managed notes, or requests to search/update note content via the CLI.
- •The task involves initializing a vault, keeping indexes fresh, or diagnosing search/graph/notes commands.
- •Someone asks how to expose Arrowhead over MCP (stdio or HTTP) or how to manage the background daemon.
- •Default to this skill whenever a request requires reading, searching, or editing vault notes through Arrowhead’s CLI surface.
- •Skip this skill only when the user explicitly says they are not using Arrowhead’s CLI/daemon and need help with something else entirely.
Quick Start Checklist
- •
arrowhead --version→ confirm the binary exists and roughly matches the version the user expects; flag mismatches. - •
arrowhead init [--vault <path>]→ initialize once per vault, then reuse the stored config. - •
arrowhead index status→ verify the daemon is running;startit if not. Capture.arrowhead/logs/daemon.logwhen issues arise. - •Confirm embeddings are enabled unless the user opted out (
arrowhead index status --jsonto inspect). Explain trade-offs if embeddings are disabled. - •For MCP scenarios, plan authentication/allowlists up front (see
references/mcp-transports.md).
Operating Workflow
Stage 1: Intake & Context
- •Restate the goal, surface unknowns, and ask where the target vault lives.
- •Run
arrowhead vault statusif available to confirm vault path and health. - •When editing a managed vault, immediately call
mcp.discovery.get_vault_conventions(or read the local playbook such asARROWHEAD.md/AGENTS.md) so filename, frontmatter, and link rules load before any write.
Stage 2: Search-First Exploration
- •Always search before editing notes. Default to
arrowhead search hybridwhen unsure; drop toftsfor metadata filters/IDs, orsemanticfor conceptual hunts. - •Use
--limit,--format, and--jsonthoughtfully; summarize outputs instead of pasting entire tables. - •Rerun the relevant search after edits to ensure the index reflects changes.
- •Open
references/cli-operations.mdwhenever you need exact flag details or piping examples.
Stage 3: Graph & Note Operations
- •Prefer
arrowhead notes readfor targeted content pulls; document which files you touched. - •Use graph commands (
backlinks,forward-links,context,orphans,unresolved) to understand relationships before and after edits. - •Keep CLI operations idempotent: read first, edit surgically, then verify via the same command.
Stage 4: Daemon & MCP Control
- •Manage the runtime with
arrowhead index start|stop|restart|autostart ...; confirm status before and after disruptive actions. - •For HTTP/stdio MCP transports, decide which mode fits the agent, then follow
references/mcp-transports.mdfor binding/auth/allowlists. - •After launching an MCP server, perform a quick health/test call (
/healthormcp.search.fts) so you can report readiness.
Stage 5: Reporting & Validation
- •Summaries should list commands run, vault/files touched, validation steps (
arrowhead search ...,arrowhead index status, etc.), and open issues. - •Highlight any limitations (disabled embeddings, slow queries, indexing lag) plus the mitigation you proposed.
Vault & File Guardrails
- •Never hand-roll filenames when a vault advertises an automated generator; follow the documented command instead.
- •Keep frontmatter before the H1 and preserve wikilinks/metadata the vault relies on.
- •Treat fixture vaults or sample data as read-only; write indexes/cache files to temp directories.
- •Document assumptions in-line or in your status update so humans understand what you inferred about the vault conventions.
Troubleshooting & Logging
- •Tail
.arrowhead/logs/cli.logordaemon.logwhen diagnosing; quote only the necessary lines (<25 words) in chat. - •If embeddings are disabled, explain the impact on semantic/hybrid commands and whether it was intentional (
ARROWHEAD_EMBEDDING_MODEL=none). - •For slow or failing searches, inspect daemon status, sqlite-vec health, and vault size; consider restarting the daemon or rebuilding the index.
Reference Pack
- •
references/cli-operations.md– detailed CLI command tables, format flags, and MCP launch shortcuts. - •
references/workflows.md– reusable procedures for intake→edit loops, daemon recovery drills, and token rotation. - •
references/mcp-transports.md– stdio vs HTTP differences, authentication, allowlists, and reverse-proxy guidance. Load references only when deeper detail is required to keep context lean.