clawvault template
Manage document templates for consistent memory structure with 7 built-in templates and custom template creation.
clawvault template
The template command helps you create consistent, structured memory documents using pre-built templates or your own custom templates.
Usage
# List all available templates
clawvault template list
# Create a new document from a template
clawvault template create <name> [--title <title>] [-v <vault>]
# Add a custom template from an existing file
clawvault template add <file> --name <name> [-v <vault>]Built-in Templates
ClawVault ships with 7 carefully designed templates for common memory types:
1. Person Template
Template: person
Path: people/
Creates structured person records with contact info, relationship context, and interaction history.
---
title: Person Name
tags: [people]
created: 2024-01-15
---
# Person Name
## Contact
- Email:
- Phone:
- Role/Company:
## Context
- How we met:
- Relationship:
- Important notes:
## Recent Interactions
- **2024-01-15**: First meeting about...
## Projects Together
- [[project-name]] - Role and involvement
## Preferences & Notes
- Communication style:
- Availability:
- Interests:2. Project Template
Template: project
Path: projects/
Tracks project status, goals, blockers, and key decisions.
---
title: Project Name
tags: [projects, active]
status: planning
created: 2024-01-15
---
# Project Name
## Overview
Brief description of what this project accomplishes.
## Goals
- [ ] Primary goal
- [ ] Secondary goal
- [ ] Success metrics
## Current Status
**Status:** Planning | Active | On Hold | Complete
**Last Updated:** 2024-01-15
**Next Steps:**
## Key People
- **Lead:** [[person-name]]
- **Stakeholders:** [[person-1]], [[person-2]]
## Decisions
- [[decision-name]] - Brief description
## Blockers & Challenges
- Current blocker description
- Dependencies waiting on
## Resources & Links
- Repository:
- Documentation:
- External resources:3. Decision Template
Template: decision
Path: decisions/
Documents important choices with reasoning, alternatives, and outcomes.
---
title: Decision Title
tags: [decisions]
status: decided
date: 2024-01-15
---
# Decision Title
## Context
Why this decision was needed and the circumstances.
## Options Considered
1. **Option A** - Pros: ... Cons: ...
2. **Option B** - Pros: ... Cons: ...
3. **Option C** - Pros: ... Cons: ...
## Decision
**Chosen:** Option A
**Reasoning:** Detailed explanation of why this was chosen.
## Implementation
- [ ] Step 1
- [ ] Step 2
- [ ] Step 3
## Success Metrics
How we'll know if this was the right choice:
- Metric 1: Expected outcome
- Metric 2: Timeline goal
## Stakeholders
- **Decision Maker:** [[person-name]]
- **Affected:** [[person-1]], [[person-2]]
- **Informed:** [[person-3]]
## Follow-up Date
Review this decision on: 2024-03-154. Lesson Template
Template: lesson
Path: lessons/
Captures insights, patterns, and learnings for future reference.
---
title: Lesson Title
tags: [lessons]
category: technical
date: 2024-01-15
---
# Lesson Title
## Situation
What happened and the context that led to this lesson.
## What I Learned
The key insight or pattern discovered.
## Why It Matters
The importance and broader implications.
## How to Apply
Concrete steps for using this knowledge in the future:
1. When to recognize this pattern
2. What actions to take
3. What to avoid
## Related
- [[similar-lesson]]
- [[relevant-project]]
- [[person-who-taught-me]]
## Evidence
Examples, data, or references that support this lesson:
- Link to specific example
- Data that validates the insight5. Meeting Template
Template: meeting
Path: inbox/ (process to appropriate category)
Structured meeting notes with decisions and action items.
---
title: Meeting - Topic
date: 2024-01-15
attendees: [person-1, person-2]
tags: [meetings]
---
# Meeting - Topic
**Date:** 2024-01-15
**Attendees:** [[person-1]], [[person-2]], [[person-3]]
**Duration:** 1 hour
## Agenda
1. Topic 1
2. Topic 2
3. Next steps
## Discussion
### Topic 1
Key points discussed and any conclusions reached.
### Topic 2
Important insights or concerns raised.
## Decisions Made
- [[decision-title]] - Brief description
- Another decision with reasoning
## Action Items
- [ ] **[[person-1]]** - Task description (Due: 2024-01-20)
- [ ] **[[person-2]]** - Another task (Due: 2024-01-18)
- [ ] **Me** - Follow up on X (Due: 2024-01-16)
## Follow-up
Next meeting scheduled for: 2024-01-226. Goal Template
Template: goal
Path: goals/
Tracks objectives with milestones and progress indicators.
---
title: Goal Name
tags: [goals]
timeframe: Q1 2024
status: active
created: 2024-01-15
---
# Goal Name
## Objective
Clear, specific description of what success looks like.
## Why This Matters
The motivation and larger purpose behind this goal.
## Success Metrics
- Quantifiable measure 1
- Quantifiable measure 2
- Qualitative indicator
## Milestones
- [ ] **Week 1:** First milestone
- [ ] **Week 4:** Major checkpoint
- [ ] **Week 8:** Final milestone
## Progress Log
**2024-01-15:** Started goal, completed initial planning
**2024-01-18:** Made progress on X, blocked by Y
## Related Projects
- [[project-name]] - How it connects
## Resources Needed
- Time commitment: X hours/week
- Tools or materials required
- Support from [[person-name]]
## Review Schedule
- Weekly check-in: Fridays
- Major review: End of month7. Daily Template
Template: daily
Path: memory/
Structured daily notes with consistent format.
---
title: 2024-01-15
tags: [daily]
date: 2024-01-15
---
# Monday, January 15, 2024
## Priority Today
1. Most important task
2. Secondary priority
3. If time permits
## Completed
- [x] Task that was accomplished
- [x] Another completed item
## Notes & Observations
Random thoughts, insights, or things to remember.
## People Interactions
- **[[person-name]]** - Brief summary of interaction
- **[[person-2]]** - What we discussed
## Decisions Made
- [[decision-name]] - Quick note about choice made
## Tomorrow's Focus
Key items to prioritize tomorrow.
## Mood & Energy
Brief reflection on how the day went.Template Commands
List Templates
clawvault template listShows all available templates with descriptions:
Available Templates:
Built-in:
person - Structured person records (→ people/)
project - Project tracking (→ projects/)
decision - Decision documentation (→ decisions/)
lesson - Learning capture (→ lessons/)
meeting - Meeting notes (→ inbox/)
goal - Goal tracking (→ goals/)
daily - Daily notes (→ memory/)
Custom:
weekly-review - Weekly reflection template
client-brief - Client project brief format
Total: 9 templates (7 built-in, 2 custom)Create from Template
# Create a new person file
clawvault template create person john-smith
# Create project documentation
clawvault template create project pet-door-app
# Create decision record
clawvault template create decision database-choiceThe command automatically:
- Places files in the appropriate category folder
- Sets the correct filename and path
- Fills in template variables (dates, titles, etc.)
- Creates missing directories if needed
Add Custom Template
# Create template from existing file
clawvault template add my-template path/to/source.md
# Create template from stdin
clawvault template add brief-template << EOF
---
title: {{title}}
tags: [briefs]
date: {{date}}
---
# {{title}}
## Summary
Brief overview of the topic.
EOFTemplate Variables
Templates support variable substitution:
{{title}}- File title (derived from filename){{date}}- Current date (YYYY-MM-DD){{time}}- Current time (HH:MM){{filename}}- Target filename{{category}}- Target category/folder
Examples
Creating a New Person Record
$ clawvault template create person pedro-santos
Created people/pedro-santos.md from person template
Next steps:
1. Fill in contact information
2. Add context about how you met
3. Link to any related projectsDaily Note Creation
$ clawvault template create daily $(date +%Y-%m-%d)
Created memory/2024-01-15.md from daily template
Template filled with:
- Today's date: Monday, January 15, 2024
- Priority section ready for planning
- Consistent structure for daily trackingBest Practices
- Use built-in templates as starting points - they're battle-tested
- Customize gradually - modify templates based on your actual usage patterns
- Keep it simple - overly complex templates slow down capture
- Review regularly - update templates as your needs evolve
Custom templates are stored in templates/ within your vault. They're regular markdown files that you can edit directly or version control with git.
Integration with Memory Types
Templates align with ClawVault's memory type system:
- Each template targets a specific memory category
- Consistent frontmatter supports semantic search
- Cross-references build your memory graph