Folder Notes

[!abstract] Purpose Folder notes give every KB folder a landing page: a purpose statement, curated links to the most important content, and an auto-generated map of contents. They make the vault navigable for humans and AI alike.

🌟 Key Notes & Concepts

Folder Note Template — use this for all new folder notes
Folders with folder notes are underlined in the Obsidian sidebar
Waypoint is not installed (verified 2026-09-23, both vaults). The 9 folder notes that still carry a %% Begin Waypoint %% Map of Contents are frozen snapshots — several list deleted files and omit current ones. Don’t trust them. A generated index.md replacement is being piloted (task KB-OS-okf-evaluation, 2026-09-23; outcome recorded in STATUS).
The Templater plugin inserts the template content (Alt-E)

Folder Note vs `DASHBOARD.md`

Both are “landing pages” for a folder, but they serve different scopes — don’t use them interchangeably.

	Folder Note	`DASHBOARD.md`
Scope	Any ordinary content folder	Vault root, business root, an Ongoing-Project home, or a purpose-built dept index
Content	Purpose callout + curated links	Hand/AI-curated hub — links to STATUS/ROADMAP/UPGRADES, dept tables, capability index — shaped to the scope
Maintenance	Cheap — purpose + a few curated links	Deliberately curated, updated as the scope’s state changes
Signal	”here’s what’s in this folder"	"read this first — the maintained entry point for this scope”

Rule: default to a Folder Note for ordinary folders. Reserve DASHBOARD.md for the handful of elevated hubs above. Where a folder is both (e.g. an Ongoing-Project home that also needs Obsidian folder-note treatment) — DASHBOARD.md wins and serves double duty; don’t create a separate Folder Note for that folder. KB-OS is the worked example: Core/Processes/Projects/KB-OS/DASHBOARD.md is its only landing page.

How to Create a Folder Note

Create the folder in Obsidian’s file explorer
Right-click the folder in Notebook Navigator → Create folder note
The folder note opens (same name as folder)
Press Alt-E → select Folder Note template
Fill in:
- Purpose: what lives here + why it matters (2 sentences max)
- Key Notes & Concepts: wiki-links to the 3–5 most important files
- Related Areas: links to adjacent folders or notes

Folder Note Template Structure

Based on 01_Identity (the reference standard):

---
tags: [index]
title: [Folder Name]
---
# [Folder Name]

> [!abstract] Purpose
> [What] — [Why]

---
## 🌟 Key Notes & Concepts
[curated links + concepts]

---
## 🔗 Related Areas
[navigation links]

Purpose callout: 1–2 sentences. First sentence = what lives here. Second = why it matters or how it’s used. Key Notes & Concepts: Curated, not exhaustive. The 3–5 things someone new would most need. Map of Contents: no longer used — Waypoint is not installed (see Key Notes).

Maintenance

When to update: When the folder’s purpose changes, or when new key files are added that should be highlighted
Who updates: Human reviews quarterly; AI updates when creating new files in a folder it knows well
Map of Contents: nothing updates it now. Leave existing frozen blocks alone until the index.md pilot decides their replacement.