Yamlink
Structured knowledge for Markdown, inside VS Code.
Yamlink turns a folder of Markdown files into a local-first knowledge system:
- notes get stable
id: identities
[[wikilinks]] become graph relationships- YAML frontmatter becomes structured data
!view blocks become live, editable tables- side panels turn the vault into an operational workspace
Yamlink is built for people who want their notes to stay plain-text, Git-friendly, queryable, and local.
If you want the practical onboarding path, use GETTING_STARTED.md.
New in Ace+
Ace+ is the trust-and-intelligence follow-up to Ace.
It strengthens the parts of Yamlink that were already central to the product promise:
- smarter suggested views
- stronger wikilink truth in the graph
- safer relation autocomplete
- better query-side relation completion
- broader quality-of-life and hardening work across tables, graph, report, calendar, and health
Adaptive intelligence
Yamlink is now moving toward an adaptive intelligence model instead of isolated heuristics.
That means it increasingly learns from:
- frontmatter structure
- body and frontmatter wikilinks
- schema relation definitions
- observed field usage across the vault
- graph patterns
The goal is simple:
- keep a small set of foundational semantics
- let the user's vault teach the rest of the system
Smarter suggestions and completions
Smart suggestions are no longer just repeated-backlink prompts.
Ace+ now pushes them toward:
- schema-backed suggestions even before repeated backlinks exist
- mixed-type relation awareness
- current-note relation context
- note-role-aware explanation when no suggestion qualifies yet
Autocomplete also got much stronger:
- frontmatter relation completion no longer blindfolds the user
- likely targets still rise first, but the rest of the vault stays visible
- query
where ... = [[ completion now follows the same target-preference model
- completion detail text explains more of Yamlink's reasoning directly
Graph and truth
Body/frontmatter wikilinks are now canonicalized more aggressively before indexing.
That means links with:
- aliases
- heading anchors
- block refs
- casing or spacing differences
are much less likely to silently miss their real node in the graph.
New in Ace
Live tables
Editable query tables are now strong enough for real operational work. You can update typed cells, paste from spreadsheets, revert rows, and export views without leaving the editor.
Note Report and Calendar
The Yamlink sidebar now gives the vault a real operational shell. Note Report helps you understand where a note sits in the system, and Calendar lets you review dated activity across the vault.
Graph
The graph is no longer just a cloud of dots. It now has filtering, a map key, stronger spacing, node inspection, and a layout that makes relationships readable.
Why It Matters
In my daily workflow, I don't want to work separately with:
- freeform writing
- structured databases
- graph relationships
- local ownership
So Yamlink tries to collapse those into one workflow inside the editor people already use.
With Yamlink, you can:
- write normal Markdown notes
- give notes stable identities with
id:
- connect them with
[[wikilinks]]
- query the vault with
!view
- edit data inline in live tables
- inspect a note through Note Report
- track dated activity across the vault
- export notes and views to PDF
What Changed In Ace+
0.3.5 - Ace+
Ace+ strengthens Ace (0.3.0) in the areas where the product promise most needed follow-through (that's on me, my bad):
- adaptive intelligence is now a real product track, not just a loose set of heuristics. This area was not properly revised/polished
- smart suggestions are broader, more explainable, and less brittle. THere's now more consistency for your daily workflow
- autocomplete is more transparent and less restrictive. I felt it was just too narrow, especially when your vault/personal schema wasn't fully established.
- body/frontmatter wikilink truth is much stronger
- query/table/graph/sidebar surfaces all received real quality-of-life and hardening work
Ace remains the shaping release.
Ace+ is the release line where that foundation gets smarter, safer, and more trustworthy.
What Changed In Ace
0.3.0 - Ace
Ace adds or stabilizes:
- a real Yamlink sidebar with:
- Note Report
- Calendar
- Vault Health
- much stronger query tables:
- typed cells
- bulk paste
- row revert
- PDF / CSV / JSON export
- smarter frontmatter and relation autocomplete
- stable task block IDs
- vault-wide calendar activity
- a much stronger graph surface
- broader reliability and test coverage
Quick Start
1. Give a note an identity
---
id: johnny-rico
type: character
name: Johnny Rico
unit: [[roughnecks]]
rank: lieutenant
created: 2297-01-15
---
2. Link notes together
---
id: mission-klendathu
type: mission
date: 2297-08-01
commander: [[johnny-rico]]
unit: [[roughnecks]]
outcome: catastrophic-failure
---
3. Query the vault
!view mission | Rico missions
where commander = [[johnny-rico]]
select date, unit, outcome
sort date desc
Run the view and Yamlink opens a live table beside your editor.
4. Open the side surfaces
Use the Yamlink sidebar to inspect:
- Note Report
- Calendar
- Vault Health
Feature Highlights
Core graph and identity
- Canonical
id: model for Markdown notes
- Wikilinks in body text and frontmatter relations
- Backlinks and outgoing relation tracking
- Broken link diagnostics
- Duplicate ID diagnostics
- Rename propagation across the vault
- Multi-root workspace support
Query system
!view blocks inside Markdown- Multiple query blocks in one note
- Type filters,
where, contains, sort, limit
- Query labels with
| Name
- Incoming relation queries
- Shortcut queries:
!view today!view upcoming!view calendar
- Guided query-builder foundation
- Smart query suggestions based on graph patterns
Live tables
- Inline editable query tables
- Typed cells:
- text
- relation
- boolean
- dropdown
- number
- date
- Bulk spreadsheet-style paste
- Row-level revert
- Tab / Shift+Tab navigation
- Column controls and persistence
- Search, sort, and filter chips
- Export:
- Note Report
- Vault-wide Calendar
- Vault Health
- Graph / relationship map
Frontmatter intelligence
- Smart relation completions in frontmatter
- Observed-field fallback when schemas are absent
- Archetype-based field suggestions
- Relation target inference from field names and schema
- Fallback to all indexed notes when inference is weak
Ace+ intelligence direction
- Shared field-role intelligence core
- First note-role inference layer
- Smarter suggestion generation from:
- schema-backed relations
- mixed-type relation patterns
- current-note relation context
- Clearer explainability when suggestions are absent
- Query-side relation completion aligned with frontmatter relation completion
- More transparent completion detail text so users can understand inferred targets and field-role reasoning
Tasks and date activity
- Stable task block IDs
- Task extraction from Markdown task lines
- Calendar month / week / day views
- Created-note activity in calendar
- Timeline context inside Note Report
Export and sharing
- Export active note to PDF
- Export live table views to PDF
- Embed
!view results into note PDF output
For the fuller capability reference, see FEATURES.md.
For setup guidance and recommended vault structures, see GETTING_STARTED.md.
Example Workflows
Knowledge system
- create stable note identities with
id:
- link concepts, people, projects, or ideas with
[[wikilinks]]
- inspect structure through Note Report, Graph, and backlinks
CRM / operations
- model accounts, contacts, opportunities, or projects with frontmatter
- query them into live tables
- track follow-ups in Calendar
- export structured views to PDF for reporting
- keep dossiers, source notes, timelines, and chapter support notes in Markdown
- use Note Report as a contextual inspector while drafting
- use tables and queries to surface scenes, entities, unresolved links, or supporting material
The Mental Model
Markdown files -> add id: fields -> Nodes
Nodes -> add [[links]] -> Relations
Relations -> form a -> Graph
Graph -> queried by -> !view blocks
!view blocks -> render as -> Live tables
That is the whole system.
You can stop at any layer:
- use only IDs and links and you get rename-safe notes plus backlinks
- add
!view and you get live databases
- add dates and tasks and you get planning surfaces
- add note reports and vault health and you get operational context
Query Language
Basic query
!view mission
Filtered query
!view mission | Missions led by Rico
where commander = [[johnny-rico]]
select date, outcome, unit
sort date desc
limit 10
Incoming relation query
!view incoming mission
via commander
select date, outcome
Supported clauses
| Clause |
Example |
Purpose |
select |
select name, rank, unit |
choose and order columns |
where = |
where unit = [[roughnecks]] |
exact field match |
where contains |
where notes contains plasma |
substring filter |
sort |
sort date desc |
ordering |
limit |
limit 5 |
trim result set |
via |
via commander |
relation field filter for incoming views |
| label |
!view mission | Latest |
custom tab name |
Shortcut queries
!view today
!view upcoming
!view calendar
These are currently task/date-oriented query shortcuts, while the sidebar Calendar is the richer vault-wide planning surface.
Current Surfaces
Note Report
The Note Report is Yamlink's structured inspector for the active note.
It currently shows:
- summary fields
- incoming links
- outgoing links
- task sections
- timeline context
- suggested views
Calendar
The Calendar is vault-wide, not note-specific.
It currently supports:
- month view
- week view
- day view
- task activity
- created-note activity
Vault Health
Vault Health gives a structured snapshot of:
- node count
- edge count
- broken links
- orphan nodes
- type distribution
- overall vault quality
Graph
The graph is now a real product surface, not just a prototype canvas.
It includes:
- search
- type and relation filtering
- a map key
- a selected-node inspector
- stronger first-open layout and spacing
Feature Status
Strong today
- identity and link graph
- diagnostics and rename propagation
- query parsing and execution
- live editable tables
- frontmatter intelligence
- Note Report foundation
- vault-wide Calendar foundation
- Vault Health
- graph surface
- PDF export
Still being polished
- Note Report smoothness during navigation
- Calendar density and responsiveness
- very large-vault performance
- task workflows beyond the current foundation
- simple query UX and builder depth
- broader date/time support
Templates, IDs, and Dates
Templates
Yamlink already supports _templates/-based note creation, which is one of the most important foundations for custom vault design.
Templates currently allow users to:
- create notes from Markdown templates
- shape custom frontmatter structures
- set up repeatable note types for CRM, research, worldbuilding, and ops
Templates are already useful today, and they are an important part of Carmen's roadmap.
ID Policy
Yamlink IDs are canonical machine IDs, not display labels.
Recommended:
johnny-rico
mission-klendathu
crm-contact-alfa
note-report-test
Rules:
- lowercase kebab-case is strongly recommended
- letters, numbers,
_, and - are safe
- use
name or title for human-facing labels
- accented input can be normalized into safe canonical IDs
Examples:
Jaime Ramirez -> jaime-ramirezJaime Ramírez -> jaime-ramirez
Dates
Today, Yamlink stores and renders dates canonically as:
YYYY-MM-DD
That keeps:
- sorting predictable
- queries reliable
- round-tripping safe
- tables stable
Yamlink has already begun broader date parsing work, but canonical ISO-style storage remains the rule for now.
This matters especially for:
- CRM workflows
- operational follow-ups
- long-lived planning systems
PDF Export
Yamlink can export:
- live view tables to PDF
- the active note to PDF
Note export currently includes:
- summary/frontmatter data
- note body content
- embedded
!view results
That makes Yamlink useful not just for in-editor work, but also for reporting and sharing.
Yamlink is not just a graph/database tool.
It can also become a strong Markdown-native companion for:
- books
- reports
- research dossiers
- proposals
- worldbuilding
- CRM-style narrative work
The direction here is:
- support structure first
- support references and linked context
- support writer dashboards and drafting workflows
- avoid adding rich-text chrome unless it clearly beats VS Code defaults
Install
Install from the VS Code Marketplace:
Yamlink on the Marketplace
Or search for Yamlink inside VS Code.
On first activation, Yamlink can copy a sample vault into your workspace so you can explore the model immediately.
Sample Vault Files
The sample/ folder exists so demos and manual testing stay repeatable.
Useful examples:
dashboard.mdquery-shortcuts.mdtable-types.mdnote-report.mdtasks-calendar.md
Roadmap Snapshot
0.3.0 - Ace
Ace is the shaping release:
- dependable indexing
- stronger tables
- sidebar surfaces
- graph brought up to product quality
- better export and document structure
0.3.x - Ace+
Ace+ is the refinement and trust release:
- intelligence overhaul
- stronger link truth
- safer autocomplete
- broader QOL and hardening
0.4.0 - Carmen
Carmen should be about:
- scale
- polish
- hardening
- quality-of-life improvements
- only a few small, high-leverage features
Likely Carmen priorities:
- smoother Note Report behavior
- tighter Calendar responsiveness and planning UX
- stronger large-vault performance
- better query-builder and simple query UX
- task workflow refinement
- broader date/time support
- stronger template workflows for custom vault creation
Philosophy
Yamlink is trying to prove that structured work does not have to begin in a locked platform.
It can begin in:
- Markdown
- YAML
- Git
- VS Code
And from there, grow only when the user is ready.
Would you like to know more?
License
MIT
