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The .wiki-compiler.json file lives in your project root and controls everything about how the wiki compiler runs — what files it reads, where it writes output, and how Claude uses the result. /wiki-init creates this file automatically. You can edit it manually at any time.

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Example config

{
  "version": 1,
  "name": "My Project",
  "sources": [
    { "path": "Knowledge/", "exclude": ["wiki/"] },
    { "path": "docs/meetings/" }
  ],
  "output": "Knowledge/wiki/",
  "mode": "staging",
  "topic_hints": ["retention", "onboarding"],
  "link_style": "obsidian"
}

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Fields

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name
string
required
Display name for the knowledge base. Used in logs and session context injected by the SessionStart hook.
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sources
array
required
Directories to scan for .md files. Each entry is an object with a path and an optional exclude list.
"sources": [
  { "path": "Knowledge/", "exclude": ["wiki/"] },
  { "path": "docs/meetings/" }
]
  • path — relative path to a directory (include the trailing slash)
  • exclude — subdirectories within path to skip (useful for excluding the wiki output directory itself)
Source files are never modified. The compiler only writes to the output directory.
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output
string
required
Path to the directory where the compiled wiki lives. All topic articles, INDEX.md, schema.md, and compile logs are written here.
"output": "Knowledge/wiki/"
You can delete this directory and regenerate it at any time by running /wiki-compile.
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mode
string
default:"staging"
Controls how aggressively Claude uses the wiki versus your raw source files. Accepts staging, recommended, or primary.See Adoption Modes for a full explanation of each mode.
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article_sections
array
Defines the section structure for every topic article. Generated by /wiki-init based on a sample of your source files, then saved here so you can edit it.
"article_sections": [
  { "name": "Summary", "description": "standalone briefing of the topic", "required": true },
  { "name": "Key Findings", "description": "main discoveries and insights" },
  { "name": "Open Questions", "description": "unresolved threads and gaps" },
  { "name": "Sources", "description": "backlinks to all contributing files", "required": true }
]
Each entry has:
  • name — the section heading
  • description — guides the compiler on what content belongs here
  • required — if true, the section cannot be removed (Summary and Sources only)
See Article Sections for domain examples and editing rules.
If article_sections is missing, the compiler falls back to a built-in default template.
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topic_hints
array
Optional list of seed topic names to guide the compiler’s classification. Useful when your content covers a known set of subjects and you want the compiler to anchor to those names rather than discover topics from scratch.
"topic_hints": ["retention", "onboarding", "experiment design"]
Leave this as an empty array if you want the compiler to discover topics automatically.
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link_style
string
default:"obsidian"
Sets the link format used in compiled articles. Accepts obsidian or markdown.
  • obsidian — uses [[wikilinks]], compatible with Obsidian’s graph view and backlink features
  • markdown — uses standard [text](path) links, compatible with any markdown renderer
"link_style": "obsidian"

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Editing the config

You can edit .wiki-compiler.json directly in any text editor. Changes to most fields (including article_sections and mode) take effect the next time you run /wiki-compile or start a new Claude session.
To reset your setup entirely, delete .wiki-compiler.json and run /wiki-init again. Your compiled wiki output is separate and won’t be affected unless you delete it too.