# mdvault
**CLI and MCP Server for Markdown Vault Management**
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[](https://codecov.io/gh/agustinvalencia/mdvault)
mdvault is a Rust-based CLI tool and MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for managing markdown vaults. It's designed for knowledge workers who need structure without friction—particularly those who excel at capturing information but struggle with retrieval and maintenance.
## Design Philosophy
**Pull-Optimised, Not Push-Optimised**: Notes get created correctly during hyperfocus but go stale without maintenance. Retrieval is the primary failure mode, so mdvault focuses on finding information when you need it rather than optimising capture.
**Opinionated Structure**: Rather than maximising flexibility, mdvault enforces structure through required frontmatter fields, automatic scaffolding, validation workflows, and enforced linking patterns.
**ADHD-Friendly Principles**:
- Reduce cognitive load with smart defaults
- Progressive capture—quick entry, structured cleanup later
- Automated maintenance—proactive detection of stale/broken/orphaned content
- Passive surfacing—don't wait for searches, show relevant context
## Features
- **Unified Note Creation**: `mdv new <type> "Title"` creates notes with type-aware behaviour, schema-driven prompts, and lifecycle hooks — all through a single creation flow
- **Task & Project Management**: `mdv task list`, `mdv task done`, `mdv project status`, `mdv project archive`
- **Meeting Notes**: Auto-generated IDs (`MTG-YYYY-MM-DD-NNN`), date-based organisation
- **Focus Mode**: `mdv focus PROJECT` sets context for frictionless task creation
- **Captures & Macros**: Quick append and multi-step workflow automation
- **Lua Scripting**: Sandboxed Lua runtime for type definitions, schemas, validation, and lifecycle hooks
- **Date Math**: Expressions like `{{today + 1d}}`, `{{week_start + 3d}}`
- **Template Filters**: `{{title | slugify}}`, `{{name | lowercase}}`, etc.
- **Vault Indexing**: SQLite-based index with note metadata, link graph, and incremental updates
- **Validation**: `mdv validate` checks notes against type schemas with auto-fix support
- **Activity Tracking**: Daily dashboard, progress reports, context queries
- **TUI**: Interactive palette for templates, captures, and macros
- **MCP Server**: AI-assisted vault interaction via [companion project](https://github.com/agustinvalencia/markdown-vault-mcp)
## Installation
### Pre-built Binaries (Recommended)
Download the latest release for your platform from the [Releases page](https://github.com/agustinvalencia/mdvault/releases).
```bash
# macOS/Linux: Extract and move to PATH
tar xzf mdv-*.tar.gz
sudo mv mdv /usr/local/bin/
# Verify installation
mdv --version
```
### Homebrew (macOS/Linux)
```bash
brew install agustinvalencia/tap/mdvault
```
### Cargo (Rust)
```bash
cargo install mdvault
```
### Build from Source
```bash
git clone https://github.com/agustinvalencia/mdvault.git
cd mdvault
cargo build --release
# Binary is at target/release/mdv
```
## Quick Start
1. Create a configuration file:
```bash
mkdir -p ~/.config/mdvault
cat > ~/.config/mdvault/config.toml << 'EOF'
version = 1
profile = "default"
[profiles.default]
vault_root = "~/Notes"
templates_dir = "{{vault_root}}/automations/templates"
captures_dir = "{{vault_root}}/automations/captures"
macros_dir = "{{vault_root}}/automations/macros"
typedefs_dir = "{{vault_root}}/automations/types"
[security]
allow_shell = false
allow_http = false
EOF
```
2. Verify your setup:
```bash
mdv doctor
```
3. Launch the TUI:
```bash
mdv
```
## Commands
| `mdv` | Launch interactive TUI |
| `mdv doctor` | Validate configuration |
| `mdv new <type> "Title"` | Create note with type-aware behaviour |
| `mdv capture <name>` | Run a capture workflow |
| `mdv macro <name>` | Execute a multi-step macro |
| `mdv list-templates` | List available templates |
| `mdv reindex` | Build or rebuild the vault index |
| `mdv list` | List notes with filters (type, date, limit) |
| `mdv links <note>` | Show backlinks and outgoing links |
| `mdv orphans` | Find notes with no incoming links |
| `mdv validate` | Validate notes against type schemas |
| `mdv validate --fix` | Auto-fix safe validation issues |
| `mdv rename <old> <new>` | Rename note and update all references |
| `mdv search <query>` | Search notes with contextual matching |
| `mdv stale` | Find neglected notes |
| `mdv task list` | List tasks with status and project |
| `mdv task status <id>` | Show detailed task status |
| `mdv task done <task>` | Mark a task as done |
| `mdv project list` | List projects with task counts |
| `mdv project status <id>` | Show project status with tasks |
| `mdv project archive <id>` | Archive a completed project |
| `mdv project progress [id]` | Show project progress metrics |
| `mdv task cancel <path>` | Cancel a task |
| `mdv focus <project>` | Set active project focus |
| `mdv today` | Daily planning dashboard |
| `mdv context day\|week\|note\|focus` | Activity context queries |
| `mdv report --month\|--week` | Activity reporting |
See `mdv --help` for full options.
## Note Types
mdvault enforces note types via frontmatter. Types can be customized with Lua definitions in your `typedefs_dir` (default: `~/.config/mdvault/types/`):
| `daily` | Daily notes, temporal backbone | `date` |
| `weekly` | Weekly overviews | `week_start_date` |
| `task` | Individual tasks | `status`, `project` |
| `project` | Task collections | `status`, `created_at` |
| `meeting` | Meeting notes | `date`, `attendees` |
| `zettel` | Knowledge notes | `tags` |
| `none` | Uncategorised (triage queue) | — |
## MCP Integration
mdvault has a [sister project](https://github.com/agustinvalencia/markdown-vault-mcp) being developed for an MCP server for AI-assisted vault interaction
This enables Claude and other MCP clients to:
- Browse and search vault contents
- Create properly structured notes
- Surface relevant context automatically
- Prompt for maintenance tasks
## Documentation
- [Getting Started](./docs/getting-started.md) — Installation and common workflows
- [Architecture and Design](./docs/architecture.md) — Full design philosophy and technical details
- [Lua Scripting](./docs/lua-scripting.md) — Using the Lua scripting layer
- [Project & Task Management](./docs/project-task-management.md) — Projects, tasks, and archiving
## Compatibility
Works with any markdown-based vault system:
- Obsidian
- Logseq
- Dendron
- Foam
- Plain markdown folders
## License
See [LICENSE](./LICENSE).