link-check
Validate wiki-links in an Obsidian vault. Finds broken links that don't resolve to real files, orphaned notes with no incoming links, and link health statistics. Use for vault maintenance and cleanup. Works with or without Obsidian MCP.
When & Why to Use This Skill
The Link Check skill is a specialized maintenance utility for Obsidian users designed to preserve the integrity of personal knowledge bases. It automates the detection of broken wiki-links, identifies 'orphaned' notes that lack incoming connections, and provides comprehensive health statistics to ensure a seamless, interconnected digital garden.
Use Cases
- Vault Maintenance: Automatically scan your entire Obsidian vault to identify and repair broken [[links]] resulting from file renames, deletions, or structural changes.
- Knowledge Discovery: Locate orphaned notes that have become disconnected from your main knowledge graph, allowing you to reintegrate valuable insights or archive obsolete content.
- Link Health Auditing: Generate detailed reports on link density and resolution health to maintain a high-quality, navigable personal or professional wiki.
- Conflict Resolution: Detect ambiguous links where multiple files match a single wiki-link pattern, ensuring predictable navigation and data consistency across large vaults.
| name | link-check |
|---|---|
| description | Validate wiki-links in an Obsidian vault. Finds broken links that don't resolve to real files, orphaned notes with no incoming links, and link health statistics. Use for vault maintenance and cleanup. Works with or without Obsidian MCP. |
Link Check
Validate wiki-links and find orphaned notes.
What It Checks
| Issue | Description | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Broken links | [[Note]] where Note.md doesn't exist |
Navigation fails |
| Orphaned notes | Files with no incoming links | Hard to discover |
| Ambiguous links | Multiple files match the link | Unpredictable resolution |
Workflow
Scan for all wiki-links
- Find
[[...]]patterns in all .md files - Extract link targets
- Find
Validate each link
- Check if target file exists
- Check for ambiguous matches
- Track which files link to what
Find orphaned notes
- Files that no other file links to
- Exclude expected orphans (CLAUDE.md, templates, etc.)
Generate report
- Broken links with source files
- Orphaned notes list
- Link statistics
Search Patterns
# Find all wiki-links
Grep pattern="\[\[[^\]]+\]\]" path="{vault}" glob="*.md"
# Find links to specific note
Grep pattern="\[\[Note Name\]\]" path="{vault}" glob="*.md"
Output Format
## Link Check Report
### Summary
- Total links: {count}
- Broken links: {count}
- Orphaned notes: {count}
### Broken Links
| Source File | Broken Link |
|-------------|-------------|
| {file} | [[{target}]] |
### Orphaned Notes
Files with no incoming links:
- {file}
- {file}
### Recommendations
- {actionable suggestion}
Parameters
$ARGUMENTS(optional):- No args: Full vault scan
{folder}: Scan specific folder only--orphans-only: Only check for orphaned notes--broken-only: Only check for broken links
Example
User: /link-check
Response: "## Link Check Report
Summary
- Total links: 1,247
- Broken links: 8
- Orphaned notes: 23
Broken Links
| Source File | Broken Link |
|---|---|
Projects/Active/Website.md |
[[Design System]] |
Areas/Career/Resume.md |
[[Portfolio]] |
Resources/Books/Atomic Habits.md |
[[Book Notes Template]] |
Orphaned Notes
Files with no incoming links:
Inbox/Quick thought 2024-03-15.mdResources/Snippets/bash-aliases.mdArchive/Old Project/notes.md(20 more in Archive/)
Recommendations
- Create
Design System.mdor update link in Website.md - Review Inbox/ items for processing or deletion
- Orphans in Archive/ may be intentional - consider excluding from future checks"