wiki-retrieve
wiki-retrieve upgrades vault search from page-level to chunk-level granularity, combining contextual prefixes, BM25 sparse retrieval, and dense reranking to reduce retrieval failures. Setup is opt-in with built-in privacy gates: run fully on-machine with synthetic prefixes, or opt into Anthropic API or claude CLI tiers for better context generation.
wiki-retrieve enables hybrid chunk-level search across Obsidian vaults with contextual prefixes and reranking.
AI-generated summary based on this skill's SKILL.md
Decision gist · record as of 2026-05-28
wiki-retrieve enables hybrid chunk-level search across Obsidian vaults with contextual prefixes and reranking. wiki-retrieve upgrades vault search from page-level to chunk-level granularity, combining contextual prefixes, BM25 sparse retrieval, and dense reranking to reduce retrieval failures. Setup is opt-in with built-in privacy gates: run fully on-machine with synthetic prefixes, or opt into Anthropic API or claude CLI tiers for better context generation.
Use it when
- wiki-retrieve upgrades vault search from page-level to chunk-level granularity by combining contextual prefixes, BM25 sparse retrieval.
- wiki-retrieve's hybrid setup combines BM25 and cosine similarity scoring.
Verify before relying
Read SKILL.md below before installing (1 file). Open directory: indexed for reading, not audited.
Install
AgriciDaniel/claude-obsidian/wiki-retrieve · repository language: Python
Open directory. Skills are indexed for reading, not audited. Review a skill's body before installing it.
Frequently asked questions
AI-generated answers based on this skill's SKILL.md and metadata
How do I search chunks in my vault with wiki-retrieve?
wiki-retrieve enables chunk-level search of your vault by breaking pages into smaller passages and scoring them with both BM25 (sparse) and cosine similarity (dense) retrieval. You configure it to search these chunks using hybrid scoring, then optionally apply reranking to surface the most relevant passages. All processing can run on-machine if you use synthetic contextual prefixes, keeping your vault data private.
What is wiki-retrieve and how does it improve search?
wiki-retrieve upgrades vault search from page-level to chunk-level granularity by combining contextual prefixes, BM25 sparse retrieval, and dense reranking to reduce retrieval failures. It works with Obsidian vaults and other wiki systems. Setup is opt-in with built-in privacy gates: run fully on-machine with synthetic prefixes, or opt into Anthropic API or claude CLI tiers for better context generation.
How do I set up hybrid retrieval for my wiki?
wiki-retrieve's hybrid setup combines BM25 and cosine similarity scoring. Configure tier-1/tier-2/tier-3 contextual prefix generation to add semantic context to chunks before retrieval. You can run this entirely locally with synthetic prefixes, or enable Anthropic API integration for improved prefix quality. The setup process is opt-in, letting you choose your privacy and performance tradeoff.
Can wiki-retrieve run entirely on my machine?
Yes. wiki-retrieve is designed with privacy gates that let you run fully on-machine using synthetic contextual prefixes and local embedding models like nomic-embed-text. You retain complete control over your vault data. Alternatively, you can opt into Anthropic API or claude CLI tiers for better context generation if you prefer enhanced retrieval quality over full local operation.
What license does wiki-retrieve use?
wiki-retrieve is released under the MIT license, making it free to use, modify, and distribute for both personal and commercial projects.
How does contextual prefix generation improve retrieval?
wiki-retrieve generates tier-1/tier-2/tier-3 contextual prefixes that add semantic context to each chunk before retrieval. These prefixes help the BM25 and cosine similarity scorers better understand passage meaning, reducing retrieval failures. You can configure prefix generation to run synthetically on-machine, or use Anthropic API or claude CLI for richer, model-generated context.
SKILL.md
Rendered from the published skill. Quoted content, verbatim.
wiki-retrieve: Hybrid Retrieval over the Vault
The v1.6 query path was Read(hot.md) → Read(index.md) → Read(3-5 pages) → synthesize. It worked, but page-level granularity loses to chunk-level granularity any time the answer lives in a specific passage rather than a whole page. The v1.7 wiki-retrieve skill is the chunk-level upgrade — opt-in, feature-gated, and replaces nothing if you don't run the setup.
Origin: This skill is original to claude-obsidian. There is no upstream kepano equivalent. The technique is from [Anthropic's Sept 2024 Contextual Retrieval
(truncated - see the full file via the links below)
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skills/wiki-retrieve/SKILL.md
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Related skills
wiki-query lets you ask questions against your Obsidian vault and retrieves answers by reading cached content, indexes, and relevant pages. It supports three query depths—quick for simple facts, standard for most questions, and deep for comprehensive synthesis—and can file good answers back into your wiki to compound knowledge over time.
wiki transforms Obsidian into a compounding knowledge system by scaffolding vault structure from your description, organizing sources and entities, and maintaining a hot cache of recent context. Unlike RAG systems, the wiki persists as a structured artifact where cross-references and contradictions surface automatically. Route ingest, query, and maintenance tasks to specialized sub-skills while the skill handles vault setup, indexing, and knowledge layer management.
LLM Wiki Bootstrap helps you build and operate a personal knowledge base structured around immutable raw sources, a curated wiki layer, and a SCHEMA.md operating contract. Set up preferences, ingest sources, query your wiki, or configure full-text search—the skill handles scaffolding, content compilation, and consistency checks.
wiki-lint scans your Obsidian vault to surface structural problems: orphaned pages, broken wikilinks, missing cross-references, incomplete frontmatter, and empty sections. It generates a timestamped health report, updates Dataview dashboards, and can create visual canvas maps of your vault's domain structure.
wiki-cli establishes the Obsidian CLI (v1.12+) as the primary transport layer for vault operations in claude-obsidian v1.7+, handling reads, writes, searches, and mutations without requiring MCP servers or REST API plugins. When the CLI is unavailable, the skill automatically falls back to direct filesystem access. Detection and fallback logic ensure reliable vault access across desktop and headless environments.
save captures valuable chat content and files it as a permanent wiki page with the right structure and metadata. It analyzes conversations to pick the best note type—synthesis, concept, source, decision, or session—then creates frontmatter, places the note in the correct folder, and updates your wiki's index and log. The skill respects your vault's organization mode and handles concurrent writes safely.
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