# Note Taking

> ALWAYS use this skill when user says "Note that", "Remember that", "Add a note about", or explicitly asks about their notes with phrases like "What did I note about", "Show me my notes on", "Search my notes for", "Find in my notes", or "What have I noted about". This searches the user's persistent note-taking system (their second brain), NOT conversation history or general knowledge. Only trigger…

- **Type:** Skill
- **Install:** `agentstack add skill-mcdow-webworks-productivity-skills-note-taking`
- **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior
- **Seller:** [mcdow-webworks](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/mcdow-webworks)
- **Installs:** 0
- **Category:** [AI & ML](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/ai-and-ml)
- **Latest version:** 0.1.0
- **License:** MIT
- **Upstream author:** [mcdow-webworks](https://github.com/mcdow-webworks)
- **Source:** https://github.com/mcdow-webworks/productivity-skills/tree/main/plugins/productivity-suite/skills/note-taking

## Install

```sh
agentstack add skill-mcdow-webworks-productivity-skills-note-taking
```

Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent.

## About

Manage user's persistent note-taking system ("second brain") stored in markdown files. All operations go through notes_manager.py script.

**YOU MUST ALWAYS:**
- Use `scripts/notes_manager.py` for ALL note operations
- Pass JSON commands via stdin to the script
- Parse JSON responses and present them conversationally

**YOU MUST NEVER:**
- Use Read, Write, or Edit tools on note files in `~/Documents/notes/` or `~/OneDrive/Documents/notes/`
- Bypass the script to manipulate `.index.json` or markdown files directly

**Path Requirements:**
- Use tilde `~/.claude/plugins/...` (expands on all platforms)
- Use forward slashes `/` (works on Windows) - NEVER backslashes
- Use `python` (not `python3`)
- Use double quotes with escaped inner quotes

**Pattern:**
```bash
echo "{\"command\":\"\",\"param\":\"value\"}" | python ~/.claude/plugins/marketplaces/productivity-skills/plugins/productivity-suite/skills/note-taking/scripts/notes_manager.py
```

Script auto-detects notes directory (OneDrive on Windows, Documents otherwise, or `$NOTES_DIR` if set).

  
    {"command":"add","heading":"Category - Brief description","content":"Note text"}
    {"status":"success","file":"2025/11-November.md","heading":"Work - Title","path":"/full/path.md"}
    
    Always "Category - Description". Never "Untitled". Infer category from keywords:
    - Work: "fixed", "built", "implemented", "deployed"
    - Learning: "learned", "discovered", "realized"
    - Meeting: "meeting", "discussed", "decided in meeting"
    - Idea: "what if", "consider", "idea"
    - Decision: "decided", "will", "plan to"
    - Question: "how", "why", "question about"
    - Reference: "record", "bookmark", "found"
    - Note: "note that", "remember"
    
  

  
    {"command":"search","query":"search terms"}
    [{"heading":"Work - Title","content":"Preview...","file":"2025/11-November.md","date":"2025-11-17","relevance":520}]
    Returns max 10 matches. Empty `[]` if none. Present high relevance (>=500) in full detail; multiple results by relevance with dates.
  

  
    {"command":"append","search_term":"unique term","content":"Update text"}
    {"status":"success","heading":"Work - Title","file":"2025/11-November.md","alternatives":[]}
    {"status":"not_found","query":"term","suggestion":"No matching entry found. Create a new note?"}
    {"status":"ambiguous","query":"term","alternatives":[{"heading":"Work - Title","relevance":45}],"message":"No strong match found."}
    Requires relevance >=50. If weak match, suggest alternatives or create new note.
  

  
    {"command":"reindex"}
    {"status":"success","total_files":12,"total_entries":145}
  

  
    {"command":"stats"}
    {"status":"success","total_entries":145,"categories":{...}}
  

  
    {"command":"info"}
    {"status":"success","notes_dir":"/path","onedrive_detected":true}
  

  
    {"command":"validate"}
    {"status":"success","files_checked":12,"issues":[...]}
  

  
    {"command":"clean-index"}
    {"status":"success","message":"Removed and rebuilt"}
  

  
    {"command":"migrate","source_dir":"/path/to/source"}
    {"status":"success","imported":23,"skipped":2}
  

**Add:** Infer category from keywords -> extract topic -> format "Category - Description" -> execute add -> confirm

**Search:** Extract terms -> execute search -> parse by relevance -> present with dates -> summarize

**Update:** Extract search term -> execute append -> check status -> handle weak matches -> confirm with timestamp

All commands include `status` field. Check for:
```json
{"status":"error","message":"Description of error"}
```
When errors occur, inform user clearly and suggest corrective action.

Script automatically adds `**Created:** YYYY-MM-DD` to new notes and `**Update (YYYY-MM-DD):**` to updates.

Categories: Work, Learning, Meeting, Idea, Decision, Question, Reference, Note

- Note operations complete with "success" status
- User receives conversational confirmation
- Search returns relevant results sorted by relevance score
- Updates append to correct entry with timestamp

## Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

- **Author:** [mcdow-webworks](https://github.com/mcdow-webworks)
- **Source:** [mcdow-webworks/productivity-skills](https://github.com/mcdow-webworks/productivity-skills)
- **License:** MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.

## Pricing

- **Free** — Free

## Security capabilities

Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access:

- **Network access:** no
- **Filesystem access:** no
- **Shell / process execution:** no
- **Environment & secrets:** no
- **Dynamic code execution:** no

*"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.*


## Versions

- **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source.

## Links

- Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-mcdow-webworks-productivity-skills-note-taking
- Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/mcdow-webworks
- Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse

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Listed on AgentStack — the marketplace for AI agent skills and MCP servers. Every listing is security-reviewed. Creators keep 70%.