obsidian-bases
Create and edit Obsidian Bases (.base files) with views, filters, formulas, and summaries. Use when working with .base files, creating database-like views of notes, or when the user mentions Bases, table views, card views, filters, or formulas in Obsidian.
Install with Tessl CLI
npx tessl i github:kepano/obsidian-skills --skill obsidian-bases81
Does it follow best practices?
If you maintain this skill, you can automatically optimize it using the tessl CLI to improve its score:
npx tessl skill review --optimize ./path/to/skillValidation for skill structure
Discovery
100%Based on the skill's description, can an agent find and select it at the right time? Clear, specific descriptions lead to better discovery.
This is an excellent skill description that follows best practices. It uses third person voice, lists specific capabilities, includes a comprehensive 'Use when...' clause with multiple natural trigger terms, and clearly defines its niche within the Obsidian ecosystem. The description would allow Claude to confidently select this skill when users mention Bases or related features.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Specificity | Lists multiple specific concrete actions: 'Create and edit Obsidian Bases', 'views, filters, formulas, and summaries'. These are concrete, actionable capabilities. | 3 / 3 |
Completeness | Clearly answers both what ('Create and edit Obsidian Bases with views, filters, formulas, and summaries') AND when ('Use when working with .base files, creating database-like views of notes, or when the user mentions Bases, table views, card views, filters, or formulas in Obsidian'). | 3 / 3 |
Trigger Term Quality | Excellent coverage of natural terms users would say: '.base files', 'database-like views', 'Bases', 'table views', 'card views', 'filters', 'formulas', 'Obsidian'. These are terms users would naturally use when needing this skill. | 3 / 3 |
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk | Very clear niche with distinct triggers specific to Obsidian Bases and .base files. The combination of 'Obsidian', '.base files', and specific features like 'card views' makes it highly distinguishable from general note-taking or database skills. | 3 / 3 |
Total | 12 / 12 Passed |
Implementation
64%Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.
This is a comprehensive and highly actionable skill with excellent concrete examples and complete schema documentation. However, it suffers from being overly long with all reference material inline, and lacks explicit workflow guidance for creating/validating Base files. The content would benefit from better progressive disclosure and a clear step-by-step creation workflow.
Suggestions
Add a workflow section at the top with explicit steps: 1) Create .base file, 2) Write YAML structure, 3) Validate syntax, 4) Test in Obsidian, 5) Iterate on filters/formulas
Move the extensive function reference tables to a separate FUNCTIONS.md file and link to it, keeping only the most commonly used functions inline
Remove the introductory overview paragraph explaining what Bases are—Claude can infer this from the schema and examples
Add a validation checkpoint noting common YAML syntax errors (quoting issues, indentation) and how to debug them in Obsidian
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Conciseness | The skill is comprehensive but includes some unnecessary verbosity, such as the introductory overview section explaining what Bases are (Claude can infer this). The extensive function reference tables, while useful, could be linked to external documentation rather than inline. | 2 / 3 |
Actionability | Excellent actionability with fully executable YAML examples throughout, complete schema definitions, and copy-paste ready code blocks. The examples are concrete and specific, covering multiple real-world use cases like task trackers and reading lists. | 3 / 3 |
Workflow Clarity | While the schema and syntax are well-documented, there's no explicit workflow for creating or editing a Base file (e.g., validate YAML syntax, test in Obsidian, iterate). The skill describes what to write but not the process of writing and validating it. | 2 / 3 |
Progressive Disclosure | The content is well-organized with clear sections, but it's monolithic—all reference material is inline rather than split into separate files. The external references at the end are good, but the 400+ line document could benefit from splitting function references and examples into separate files. | 2 / 3 |
Total | 9 / 12 Passed |
Validation
81%Checks the skill against the spec for correct structure and formatting. All validation checks must pass before discovery and implementation can be scored.
Validation — 13 / 16 Passed
Validation for skill structure
| Criteria | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|
skill_md_line_count | SKILL.md is long (652 lines); consider splitting into references/ and linking | Warning |
metadata_version | 'metadata' field is not a dictionary | Warning |
license_field | 'license' field is missing | Warning |
Total | 13 / 16 Passed | |
- Reviewed
Table of Contents
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