daily-update
ar9av/obsidian-wiki
Run wiki maintenance: check source freshness, update index, regenerate hot.md.
What is daily-update?
Daily Update executes a lightweight maintenance cycle for your Obsidian wiki, checking source freshness, refreshing the index, and updating hot.md. Use it when triggered by cron, or manually via /daily-update commands. Also handles first-time setup of scheduled runs and terminal notifications.
- Check all sources against file modification times and classify as fresh, stale, or missing
- Reconcile index.md against vault pages on disk, adding missing entries and removing deleted ones
- Regenerate hot.md (Recent Activity, Active Threads, Flagged Contradictions) from logs and frontmatter
- Write vault-scoped state files for terminal notifications and health tracking
- Optionally run wiki-lint health checks on a configurable schedule (daily, weekly, or manual)
- Spawn impl-validator to verify index, hot.md, and state files after each cycle
How to install daily-update
npx skills add https://github.com/ar9av/obsidian-wiki --skill daily-update- Obsidian vault with .manifest.json (created by obsidian-wiki memory migrate)
- obsidian-wiki CLI installed and in PATH
- Config resolution: OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH and OBSIDIAN_WIKI_REPO set via .env, inline override, or global config
- For scheduled runs: launchd (macOS), systemd user timer (Linux), or crontab access
How to use daily-update
- 1.Resolve config using the Config Resolution Protocol to get OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH and OBSIDIAN_WIKI_REPO
- 2.Derive the vault-scoped state directory using md5 hash of vault path
- 3.Run source freshness check: compare each source's mtime against ingested_at timestamp
- 4.Execute obsidian-wiki memory index to reconcile index.md against vault pages
- 5.Execute obsidian-wiki memory hot to regenerate hot.md from logs and frontmatter
- 6.Write state files (.last_update, .pending_delta, .vault_path) to the state directory
- 7.Run wiki-lint if the schedule says so (daily, weekly, or manual)
- 8.Spawn impl-validator to verify artifacts and state files
Use cases
- Automated morning sync: schedule a 9 AM cron/launchd/systemd timer to keep your wiki fresh
- Manual refresh: run /daily-update when you want to reconcile sources and regenerate hot.md immediately
- First-time setup: install the scheduler and terminal notification infrastructure for your platform
- Stale-source detection: identify which sources have new content waiting to be ingested
- Health monitoring: run wiki-lint on a schedule to catch broken links, orphans, and stale pages
- Obsidian vault owners maintaining a wiki with multiple ingested sources
- Teams using obsidian-wiki for collaborative knowledge management
- Users wanting automated daily maintenance without manual index edits
- Anyone setting up scheduled wiki updates via cron, launchd, or systemd
daily-update FAQ
Run the skill with 'set up the daily cron' or 'install terminal notification'. It detects your OS (macOS/Linux/other) and installs launchd, systemd user timer, or crontab accordingly. For macOS, it uses the provided plist; for Linux with systemd, it uses the service and timer units; otherwise it appends a cron line to run at 9 AM.
A source is stale when its file's modification time is newer than the ingested_at timestamp in .manifest.json—meaning new content exists but hasn't been ingested yet. The report lists stale sources; run the corresponding /wiki-history-ingest command (e.g., /wiki-history-ingest claude) to sync them.
Yes. The default is 9 AM via cron/launchd/systemd. Edit the plist (macOS), timer unit (Linux systemd), or crontab line to change the time. For wiki-lint frequency, set LINT_SCHEDULE to 'daily', 'weekly' (default), or 'manual'.
If obsidian-wiki memory index or memory hot reports the vault is unmigrated, the skill stops and tells you to run obsidian-wiki memory migrate (preview) then --apply. Do not hand-edit the index; the migration tool handles it correctly.
No, it's optional. During setup, you'll be asked if you want a terminal reminder when your wiki is stale. If you skip it or are on a headless server, the daily update still runs; you just won't see a prompt in your shell.
Full instructions (SKILL.md)
Source of truth, from ar9av/obsidian-wiki.
name: daily-update description: > Run the daily wiki maintenance cycle: check all source freshness, update the index, and regenerate hot.md. Use this skill when the user says "/daily-update", "run the daily update", "update everything", "morning sync", "refresh the wiki index", or when triggered by the scheduled 9 AM run (launchd, systemd timer, or cron). Also use to set up or verify the cron + terminal notification infrastructure for the first time ("set up the daily cron", "install the terminal notification", "how do I get the morning reminder?").
Daily Update — Wiki Maintenance Cycle
You run a lightweight maintenance pass over the wiki: check source freshness, refresh the index, update hot.md, and write the state file that the terminal notification reads.
Before You Start
- Resolve config — follow the Config Resolution Protocol in
llm-wiki/SKILL.md(inline@nameoverride → walk up CWD for.env→ global config → prompt setup). This givesOBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATHandOBSIDIAN_WIKI_REPO. - Derive vault-scoped state dir — all runtime state is scoped to the resolved vault, not global:
VAULT_ID=$(echo "$OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH" | md5sum 2>/dev/null | cut -c1-8 || md5 -q - <<< "$OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH" | cut -c1-8) STATE_DIR="$(obsidian_wiki_config_dir)/state/$VAULT_ID" mkdir -p "$STATE_DIR" - Read
$OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH/.manifest.json.
Modes
Run Mode (default — triggered by cron or /daily-update)
Execute the maintenance cycle:
Step 1: Source freshness check
Compare each source in .manifest.json against its file's modification time. Classify as:
- Fresh —
mtime ≤ ingested_at - Stale —
mtime > ingested_at(new content exists, not yet ingested) - Missing — source file no longer exists
Step 2: Index refresh
obsidian-wiki memory index --vault "$OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH"
This reconciles index.md against the pages on disk under the memory lock — missing entries added, entries for deleted pages removed, the owner's own sections left untouched. Note added/removed from the output for the log line in Step 6. Do not enumerate pages with find and edit the index by hand.
Step 3: hot.md update
obsidian-wiki memory hot --vault "$OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH"
Recent Activity, Active Threads, and Flagged Contradictions are regenerated from the log, the todo index, and page frontmatter; ## Key Takeaways carries across unchanged. If the takeaways are older than ~48h and the vault has changed materially since, refresh them: read the 10 most recently updated pages and pass a fresh ~500-word snapshot with --takeaways - on stdin. Otherwise leave them — a rebuild without new takeaways is cheap and correct.
If either command reports the vault is unmigrated, stop and tell the user to run obsidian-wiki memory migrate (preview) then --apply; do not fall back to hand-editing.
Step 4: Write state
Write to the vault-scoped $STATE_DIR derived in "Before You Start":
date +%s > "$STATE_DIR/.last_update"
echo "<stale_count>" > "$STATE_DIR/.pending_delta"
echo "$OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH" > "$STATE_DIR/.vault_path"
Step 4a: Scheduled health check (wiki-lint)
LINT_SCHEDULE (default weekly) controls how often this cycle also runs wiki-lint:
manual— never auto-run; skip this step entirely.daily— runwiki-lintevery cycle.weekly— runwiki-lintonly if$STATE_DIR/.last_lintis missing or older than 7 days.
LINT_SCHEDULE="${LINT_SCHEDULE:-weekly}"
NOW=$(date +%s)
LAST_LINT=$(cat "$STATE_DIR/.last_lint" 2>/dev/null || echo 0)
If the schedule says to run, invoke the wiki-lint skill, then record the run:
date +%s > "$STATE_DIR/.last_lint"
Fold its summary (broken links, orphans, stale pages found) into Step 7's report as a Health check: line; omit the line entirely on a cycle where lint didn't run.
Step 5: Spawn impl-validator
After the cycle, spawn impl-validator as a subagent:
impl-validator check:
goal: "Daily wiki maintenance — index reconciled, hot.md refreshed, state file written"
artifacts:
- $OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH/index.md
- $OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH/hot.md
- $STATE_DIR/.last_update
- $STATE_DIR/.pending_delta
checks:
- Does .last_update contain a recent Unix timestamp (within the last 60 seconds)?
- Does .pending_delta contain a non-negative integer?
- Does hot.md have an updated: frontmatter field set to today?
- Does index.md list at least as many pages as exist in the vault?
Apply any FAILs before logging.
Step 6: Log
Append to $OBSIDIAN_VAULT_PATH/log.md:
obsidian-wiki memory log DAILY-UPDATE fresh=<N> stale=<N> missing=<N> index_added=<N> hot_refreshed=<true|false> lint=<ran|skipped>
Step 7: Report to user
## Daily Wiki Update
- Sources: N fresh · N stale · N missing
- Index: N pages (N added, N removed)
- hot.md: refreshed / up to date
- Health check: N broken links, N orphans, N stale pages (omit this line if lint didn't run this cycle)
Stale sources (run to sync):
/wiki-history-ingest claude — N sessions since last ingest
/wiki-history-ingest codex — N sessions since last ingest
Setup Mode (triggered by "set up the daily cron" or "install terminal notification")
Walk the user through first-time setup:
Step 1: Verify script exists
Check that $OBSIDIAN_WIKI_REPO/scripts/daily-update.sh exists and is executable. If not, point the user to it.
Step 2: Install the scheduler — pick by platform (uname -s).
macOS (Darwin) — launchd:
# Replace placeholder in plist
sed "s|OBSIDIAN_WIKI_REPO|$OBSIDIAN_WIKI_REPO|g" \
"$OBSIDIAN_WIKI_REPO/scripts/com.obsidian-wiki.daily-update.plist" \
> "$HOME/Library/LaunchAgents/com.obsidian-wiki.daily-update.plist"
# Load it
launchctl load "$HOME/Library/LaunchAgents/com.obsidian-wiki.daily-update.plist"
Linux with systemd (systemctl --user works) — a user timer:
UNIT_DIR="${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}/systemd/user"
mkdir -p "$UNIT_DIR"
sed "s|OBSIDIAN_WIKI_REPO|$OBSIDIAN_WIKI_REPO|g" \
"$OBSIDIAN_WIKI_REPO/scripts/obsidian-wiki-daily-update.service" \
> "$UNIT_DIR/obsidian-wiki-daily-update.service"
cp "$OBSIDIAN_WIKI_REPO/scripts/obsidian-wiki-daily-update.timer" "$UNIT_DIR/"
systemctl --user daemon-reload
systemctl --user enable --now obsidian-wiki-daily-update.timer
On a headless server, user timers only run while the user is logged in unless lingering is on — suggest sudo loginctl enable-linger "$USER".
Anything else (no systemd, containers, WSL without systemd) — crontab. Append this line via crontab -e, skipping it if an obsidian-wiki daily-update line is already there:
0 9 * * * /bin/bash "$OBSIDIAN_WIKI_REPO/scripts/daily-update.sh" >> /tmp/obsidian-wiki-daily.log 2>&1
Write the literal repo path in place of $OBSIDIAN_WIKI_REPO — cron does not load your shell env.
Step 3: Install terminal notification (optional)
Ask the user: "Do you want a terminal reminder when your wiki is stale? (y/n)" — skip this step if they say no, or if the environment is headless/VPS.
If yes, detect the user's shell and target the right rc file:
SHELL_NAME=$(basename "$SHELL") # zsh, bash, fish, etc.
case "$SHELL_NAME" in
zsh) RC_FILE="$HOME/.zshrc" ;;
bash) RC_FILE="$HOME/.bashrc" ;;
*) echo "Shell '$SHELL_NAME' not auto-detected. Add the source line manually to your shell rc file." ; return ;;
esac
Check if wiki-notify.sh is already sourced in that rc file. If not, append:
echo "" >> "$RC_FILE"
echo "# obsidian-wiki terminal notification" >> "$RC_FILE"
echo "source $OBSIDIAN_WIKI_REPO/scripts/wiki-notify.sh" >> "$RC_FILE"
For Fish shell, source syntax is different — provide the manual instruction:
# Add to ~/.config/fish/config.fish:
bass source $OBSIDIAN_WIKI_REPO/scripts/wiki-notify.sh
# (requires bass plugin, or copy the logic natively)
Step 4: Run the script once
bash "$OBSIDIAN_WIKI_REPO/scripts/daily-update.sh"
This initializes $STATE_DIR/.last_update so the terminal notification works immediately.
Step 5: Confirm
Tell the user:
- The scheduler runs daily at 9 AM (launchd and the systemd timer catch up on the next login/boot if missed; plain cron does not)
wiki-linthealth checks run on theLINT_SCHEDULEcadence (defaultweekly) as part of that cycle — setLINT_SCHEDULE=dailyormanualin.envto change it- Terminal notifications appear when the wiki is >20 hours stale
- State is stored in
<global config dir>/state/<vault-id>/(XDG-style~/.config/obsidian-wikiby default, or the legacy~/.obsidian-wikiif that already exists) — supports multiple vaults independently - They can run
/daily-updateanytime to force a sync - Logs go to
/tmp/obsidian-wiki-daily.log(launchd, cron) orjournalctl --user -u obsidian-wiki-daily-update(systemd)
QMD Refresh After Vault Writes
QMD is a search index, not the source of truth. If $QMD_WIKI_COLLECTION is empty or unset, skip this step. Run it only after this skill has written or rewritten vault markdown. If QMD refresh fails, do not roll back the vault changes; report the QMD status separately.
Use $QMD_CLI if set; otherwise use qmd.
${QMD_CLI:-qmd} update
If the output says vectors are needed or embeddings may be stale, run:
${QMD_CLI:-qmd} embed
Verify the collection with either:
${QMD_CLI:-qmd} ls "$QMD_WIKI_COLLECTION"
or, when a specific page path is known:
${QMD_CLI:-qmd} get "qmd://$QMD_WIKI_COLLECTION/<page>.md" -l 5
Record one of:
QMD refreshed: update + embed + verifiedQMD refreshed: update only + verifiedQMD skipped: QMD_WIKI_COLLECTION unsetQMD skipped: qmd CLI unavailableQMD failed: <short error summary>
Related skills
More from ar9av/obsidian-wiki and the wider catalog.

data-ingest
Ingest raw text data, chat exports, logs, and unstructured documents into your Obsidian wiki.

graph-colorize
Color-code Obsidian graph view nodes by tag, folder, or visibility.

hermes-history-ingest
Extract knowledge from your Hermes agent history and sync it into your Obsidian wiki.

impl-validator
Validate implementations against stated goals with structured pass/warn/fail verdicts.

ingest-url
Fetch and distill web pages into your Obsidian wiki, organized by project context.

llm-wiki
Foundational knowledge distillation pattern for building AI-powered Obsidian wikis with three-layer architecture.