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second-brain-ingest

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Process raw source documents into wiki pages. Use when the user adds files to raw/ and wants them ingested, says "process this source", "ingest this article", "I added something to raw/", or wants to incorporate new material into their knowledge base.

Writing & Docs

What this skill does


# Second Brain — Ingest

Process raw source documents into structured, interlinked wiki pages.

## Identify Sources to Process

Determine which files need ingestion:

1. If the user specifies a file or files, use those
2. If the user says "process new sources" or similar, detect unprocessed files:
   - List all files in `raw/` (excluding `raw/assets/`)
   - Read `wiki/log.md` and extract all previously ingested source filenames from `ingest` entries
   - Any file in `raw/` not listed in the log is unprocessed
3. If no unprocessed files are found, tell the user

## Process Each Source

For each source file, follow this workflow:

### 1. Read the source completely

Read the entire file. If the file contains image references, note them — read the images separately if they contain important information.

### 2. Discuss key takeaways with the user

Before writing anything, share the 3-5 most important takeaways from the source. Ask the user if they want to emphasize any particular aspects or skip any topics. Wait for confirmation before proceeding.

### 3. Create source summary page

Create a new file in `wiki/sources/` named after the source (slugified). Include:

    ---
    tags: [relevant, tags]
    sources: [original-filename.md]
    created: YYYY-MM-DD
    updated: YYYY-MM-DD
    ---

    # Source Title

    **Source:** original-filename.md
    **Date ingested:** YYYY-MM-DD
    **Type:** article | paper | transcript | notes | etc.

    ## Summary

    Structured summary of the source content.

    ## Key Claims

    - Claim 1
    - Claim 2
    - ...

    ## Entities Mentioned

    - [[Entity Name]] — brief context
    - ...

    ## Concepts Covered

    - [[Concept Name]] — brief context
    - ...

### 4. Update entity and concept pages

For each entity (person, organization, product, tool) and concept (idea, framework, theory, pattern) mentioned in the source:

**If a wiki page already exists:**
- Read the existing page
- Add new information from this source
- Add the source to the `sources:` frontmatter list
- Update the `updated:` date
- Note any contradictions with existing content, citing both sources

**If no wiki page exists:**
- Create a new page in the appropriate subdirectory:
  - `wiki/entities/` for people, organizations, products, tools
  - `wiki/concepts/` for ideas, frameworks, theories, patterns
- Include YAML frontmatter with tags, sources, created, and updated fields
- Write a focused summary based on what this source says about the topic

### 5. Add wikilinks

Ensure all related pages link to each other using `[[wikilink]]` syntax. Every mention of an entity or concept that has its own page should be linked.

### 6. Update wiki/index.md

For each new page created, add an entry under the appropriate category header:

    - [[Page Name]] — one-line summary (under 120 characters)

### 7. Update wiki/log.md

Append:

    ## [YYYY-MM-DD] ingest | Source Title
    Processed source-filename.md. Created N new pages, updated M existing pages.
    New entities: [[Entity1]], [[Entity2]]. New concepts: [[Concept1]].

### 8. Report results

Tell the user what was done:
- Pages created (with links)
- Pages updated (with what changed)
- New entities and concepts identified
- Any contradictions found with existing content

## Conventions

- Source summary pages are **factual only**. Save interpretation and synthesis for concept and synthesis pages.
- A single source typically touches **10-15 wiki pages**. This is normal and expected.
- When new information contradicts existing wiki content, **update the wiki page and note the contradiction** with both sources cited.
- **Prefer updating existing pages** over creating new ones. Only create a new page when the topic is distinct enough to warrant its own page.
- Use `[[wikilinks]]` for all internal references. Never use raw file paths.

## What's Next

After ingesting sources, the user can:
- **Ask questions** with `/second-brain-query` to explore what was ingested
- **Ingest more sources** — clip another article and run `/second-brain-ingest` again
- **Health-check** with `/second-brain-lint` after every 10 ingests to catch gaps

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